Photo Blog: Sweden Archipelago Cycling Holiday

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22nd November 2017
The archipelago that surrounds Stockholm is the second largest in the Baltic Sea, with around 24,000 islands and small islets. This archipelago is home to a stunningly beautiful coastline, quiet forests and attractive little villages that make this a must-visit destination for nature lovers.

Did you also know that Björn and Benny from ABBA wrote most of their songs in a cabin situated on one of the archipelago's islands!

In June 2017, I cycled the Archipelago Island route with my partner and our two-year-old son and enjoyed a wonderful five-day break hopping from island to island on ferries, riding through unspoiled forests and beautiful countryside.

Below is a selection of photos that we stopped to take along the route, I hope they provide some inspiration for what you can enjoy on this rather unique tour.

Green Forests

Cycling in Sweden green forest
After a welcome briefing, the first day of cycling through the countryside was just beautiful, despite a few ups and downs. The route was mostly on roads that hardly saw any traffic and there were lots of options for additional hikes to see the National Park, but we were happy sticking with our bikes!
Green forest in Sweden
Cycling through strikingly green forests filled with birdsong was just magical.
Cycling through forest in Sweden
On the second day on the pretty island of Utö we took little detours through beautiful forests to find secluded spots by the sea to have a picnic and to dip our toes – we weren’t brave enough to dip any more!

Blue Seas and Ferries

Blue Lake in Sweden
This was a very quiet, secluded spot that we found on a little detour, where we stopped to enjoy the fresh air and incredible views of the sea.
Child by lake in Sweden
A wonderful spot to contemplate – at any age!
Boarding ferry in Sweden
The passenger ferries connecting all the islands were brilliant; punctual, friendly and they served great value coffee! We took our luggage on and off the ferries before they were picked up by the next hotel.
Sweden ferry
We had a pre-paid card to swipe like an Oyster card, which made travelling on the ferries very easy and it was a wonderful way to see the archipelago.

Island Life

Church in Sweden
This is a late 19th Century church on Ornö, the largest island of the southern archipelago at 15 km long and 3–4 km wide.
Sweden forest by lake
After a lovely lunch, where we enjoyed delicious gravlax and our son tried Swedish meatballs, we cycled a loop on Ornö before taking the ferry to Utö.
Letterboxes in Sweden
With so much space on the island, houses and barns are beautifully spread out, but they have a very ingenious and easy system for the delivery of post!

Seeing Beautiful Stockholm

Streets of Stockholm
We’d definitely recommend adding some extra time in Stockholm. The city, which is spread over 14 islands, is so unique and full of colour and there is a lot to see; The Old Town known as Gamla Stan, the Vasa Museum with its almost fully intact 17th-century ship and Skansen open-air museum are good places to start.
Stockholm buildings
We loved exploring the cobbled back streets and finding little cafes to taste wonderful cinnamon buns!

Here's a short video with a bit more from our cycling holiday in Sweden:

Find out more

If you would like to know more about this holiday, please visit the tour page.

Alternatively, make an enquiry online or speak to one of our team by telephone: +44 (0)1273 224066 (Office Hours (UK time): Monday to Friday: 9am - 5.30pm)

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