Ten of the most 'Instagram-able' places in Sweden

1. The High Coast Bridge – Ådalen

What do you get when you combine a 180 metre tall suspension bridge with rolling forest as far as the eye can see and a river valley? Instagram magic. We have no idea how the person who took this picture got to the top of Sweden’s High Coast Bridge, but we’re glad it happened.

2. Digerhuvud – Fårö

Gotland has no end of pretty places to see, but the strange rock formations at the Digerhuvud nature reserve on the smaller Fårö island to the northeast are pretty unique even by the local area’s high standards. There are hundreds of columns of rock (known as 'stacks') in the area, and when pictured against the backdrop of the Baltic Sea, they’re special.

3. City Hall – Stockholm

Stockholm’s City Hall is surely one of the most photographed buildings in Sweden, but no matter how many times you lay eyes on the Nobel Prize banquet venue, it’s still a breath-taking sight on those perfect summer days when the sunlight dances across the Mälaren lake and the boats are out in force. It isn’t exactly bad in the winter when the lake freezes over, either.

4. Gammelstad Church Town – Gammelstaden

Located in the chilly far north of Sweden, the oldest part of Gammelstaden looks like something straight out of a medieval drama, particularly when it’s covered in blankets of snow (which is unsurprisingly common in an area just south of the Arctic Circle). Add the Northern Lights to the equation, and it’s even prettier.

5. Ribersborg beach – Malmö

There are almost too many nice views to take in from Ribersborg beach in southern Swedish city Malmö. There’s Danish capital Copenhagen sitting across the Öresund strait, and the mighty Öresund Bridge itself crossing the water, but just as impressive is the view inland towards Malmö’s iconic turning torso tower, particularly at night.

6. Slåttdalsskrevan – Skuleskogen National Park

No, this isn’t a set from The Lord of the Rings, it’s a real place. The Slåttdalsskrevan canyon on Sweden’s east coast is a magical sight at any time of the year, but the summer mist in this shot adds even more fairy dust to the occasion.  

7. Varberg Bathhouse – Varberg

Swedes have been flocking to west coast spa town Varberg for centuries, but the local bathing spot that stands out from the rest is the waterfront Kallbadhuset. Built in 1903, it’s a bizarre example of orientalist meets gothic architecture that makes for a memorable photograph – particularly when the sun is setting behind it.

8. The Lapponian Gate – Abisko National Park

From a distance the Lapponian Gate looks like Thor himself took a hammer to the earth and left a huge dent in its place. While gazing in awe upon this northern Swedish wonder it’s easy to understand why people may have believed that sort of thing once upon a time.

This orange-tinged autumn shot taken at the start of October shows how quickly the colour of the landscape changes in Sweden’s north.

9. The Älvsborg Bridge – Gothenburg

Sweden’s second city has fewer examples of grand architecture than the country’s capital, but the Älvsborg Bridge is an exception. Whether you first see it while coming inland over the hill from Majorna, or it creeps up on the horizon as a welcoming glimpse into the city from the deck of a ferry heading into port, the bridge is an impressive sight, and one of Gothenburg’s most distinctive symbols.

10. The Ice Hotel – Jukkasjärvi

No list of photogenic spots in Sweden would be complete without at least one nod to the country’s Ice Hotel. The hotel has been rebuilt in a different form every year since 1990, and regardless of which guise it takes, it’s always a beautifully crafted sight to behold. There’s even a church on site, which inevitably leads to undeniably special wedding shots like this one.