Sweden:The Edible Country

TO highlight healthy and natural food available in nature, #Sweden, together with four Swedish Michelin-starred chefs, is launching The Edible Country - a 100-million-acre-DIY gourmet restaurant. The restaurant, with a menu created from ingredients found in Swedish nature, is free of charge and open for reservations.

In this new global initiative, Sweden is showing the world how easy and accessible healthy food can be. The Edible Country consists of a nine-course menu that visitors can prepare and cook themselves - in the wild. It is co-created by Swedish Michelin-starred chefs Titti Qvarnström, Niklas Ekstedt, Jacob Holmström and Anton Bjuhr.

As part of the initiative, seven handmade wooden tables have been placed across the country with ready-to-use kitchen kits and cooking tools. The tables are bookable between May and September through visitsweden.com/ediblecountry or bookatable.co.uk/theediblecountry


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Stockholm: A city for all

STOCKHOLM, the Swedish capital situated on 14 small islands, is famous for its closeness to nature, booming tech-scene, gender-fluid fashion, colorful LGBT community and the Nobel prize. The one thing that really makes the city stand out internationally is its progressive values: #Stockholm is a city for all.

In the spirit of openness, the city’s tourism board, Visit Stockholm, has come together with its national counter-part Visit Sweden, to publish an open letter addressed to “lovers, haters and hesitators”. The open letter is the city’s way of welcoming the global public to a city built on the idea of an inclusive and open society with democracy at its core.

The ‘Open Letter’ is published on www.visitstockholm.com/open-letter and on social media, and is accompanied by a https://youtu.be/AyF3rs9Q5ks shot in Stockholm last August. The video features real tourists live casted on the streets of Stockholm, and marks the start of the city’s effort to both show and communicate the values of the Swedish capital.

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BMI flies to Gothenburg

BMI has announced plans to launch a new route from Bristol to Gothenburg. Launching on 22 January 2018, bmi will be operating a twice weekly route between the two cities.

This brings the number of destinations served by bmi from Bristol to nine. The bmi network out of Bristol includes Paris, Milan, Munich, Brussels, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Aberdeen. Bristol is bmi’s biggest UK hub and with onward connections via the likes of Munich, Brussels and Frankfurt, customers from the South West can travel further into Europe and other global destinations.

Gothenburg is the airline’s first Swedish route from Bristol. It is the location of Scandinavia’s largest port and is a hub for global trade, currently enjoying unprecedented economic growth. It is a popular mini break destination thanks to its fabulous food, eclectic culture and vibrant nightlife, as well as being the gateway to the stunning coast of West Sweden.

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Finnair brings Nordic flavours to business and economy class

FINNAIR is investing in its food offering as part of the acclaimed carrier’s drive to present customers with a unique Nordic experience. Finnair General Manager – Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia, Geoff Stone said food was one of the items that frequently comes up in airline customer satisfaction surveys, especially on long-haul flights, where dining has a strong impact on the overall customer experience. 

Finnair has been delighting its business class customers with signature menus designed by top Finnish chefs since 2013, and is now introducing its first Nordic cooperation with top Swedish chef, Tommy Myllymäki, a nominee for Chef of the Year in Sweden and Creative Director for five Stockholm restaurants who has also represented Sweden, enjoying great success in the prestigious Bocuse d’Or competition.

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Sweet on Sweden

THE past year has seen UK visitor numbers to #Sweden soar, a wealth of new campaigns, exciting new tourism products and the launch of three new flights from the UK.

Annual figures from Visit Sweden show that UK traveller bed nights hit a record number of 857,570 in 2016. With 600,170 UK traveller bed nights recorded in 2013, this represents a 43% increase in the space of just three years. Here are some exciting new experiences to try out.

New mountain biking trails in Småland Known as Sweden’s mountain biking mecca, Småland has much to offer all enthusiasts, from beginners through to professionals. Its Isaberg Mountain Resort offers 12 trails and pump tracks for all abilities, with a new, challenging technical trail featuring jumps and drops launching in 2018. Meanwhile, at Huskvarna, bikers can try out the very track used for the European championships, which contains climbs, lifts, and extreme uphill and downhill sections, all with a fabulous view over Lake Vättern. www.visitsmaland.se/en/experiences/nature-and-adventure/mtb

Stay in an Igloo at the Iglootel Lapland in Arjeplog The ultimate winter wonderland experience for many, the boutique igloo hotel Iglootel Lapland is now in its 5th incarnation and visitors double every season. Built completely from snow and ice, the Iglootel features an Ice Bar, two Event Igloos, a Fire Igloo, Lounge Igloo, outdoor area with heated hot tubs and a sauna, plus ten individually designed Sleeping Igloos for two to six guests. www.iglootel.de

Hang out with huskies on a Northern lights pack walk New for this season, Husky Home in Kiruna is offering visitors the chance to experience the Northern Lights in a completely different way. Run free with a husky dog pack on a nightly walk through the splendid scenery of their extensive land. Following the walk, bond further by giving the dogs a massage over Swedish fika in the farmhouse. www.huskyhome.se

New luxury hotel in Riksgränsen, famed for its midnight sun skiing Launching in March 2018, the Niehku Mountain Villa is likely to be northern Sweden’s newest mecca for ski enthusiasts. Located in Riksgränsen, known for its lengthy ski season, which allows for midnight sun skiing and incredible off-piste, the boutique hotel will offer just 14 luxurious rooms. The owners aim to create a home from home for nature and skiing devotees, who love creature comforts as much as they do the slopes. www.niehku.com

Houseboating in Swedish Lapland AquaStay Arctic is providing a unique way to access stunningly beautiful yet otherwise impenetrable areas of Swedish Lapland, by renting out houseboats along the Lule river, surrounding Jokkmokk. Absolute peace amongst a serene and beautiful natural environment. www.aquastay.se

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Come to Stockholm in 2018

STOCKHOLM is widely regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful cities, built where lake meets sea, on fourteen island, with eight centuries of history and culture to choose from. #Stockholm is a ground breaking, welcoming and innovative trendsetter.

EuroPride 2018 - Stockholm, together with Gothenburg, will host Europride 2018. Two cities, one country – for a united Europe open to the world. Stockholm held Europride 1998 and 2008. We now have the opportunity to celebrate 20 years in Sweden, while simultaneously carrying out the 25th EuroPride event.

ÖTILLÖ (meaning island to island in Swedish) is the original and the world’s longest swimrun race, renowned as one of the toughest one-day races in the world. At the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Championship competitors alternate trail running and open water swimming for a total of 75 km in the beautiful Stockholm archipelago, passing over and between 26 islands. www.otillo.se

Stockholm Marathon 40 years - Stockholm has a long tradition of arranging running events, and on Saturday 2 June 2018 the ASICS Stockholm Marathon will take place for the 40th consecutive year. www.stockholmmarathon.se

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Switch off and relax in Sweden

#SWEDEN introduces ‘The 72 Hour Cabin’ to demonstrate how spending three days in Swedish nature enables people from all over the world to switch off and increase their well-being. Sweden’s life quality index ranks high, and its ‘close to nature’ #lifestyle is believed to be one of the secrets. 90 percent of all Swedes believe spending time in the open makes their everyday life more meaningful and almost 50 percent spend time in nature once a week or more. 

The freedom to roam gives everyone the right to access authentic nature in Sweden. With 95 percent of the country uninhabited, there is a lot to discover – from sitting by the fire, to looking out over Sweden’s 100,000 lakes, or picking berries and mushrooms.

In a new case study, five people with some of the world’s most stressful, among them the British Broadcaster and nature enthusiast Ben Fogle, a German police officer and a French taxi driver, will get the chance to experience Sweden’s ‘close to nature’ lifestyle first hand.  The case study will take place between the 7th and 10th of September 2017 and the results will be published to a global audience on the 10th of October. 

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Sweden continues to grow in popularity

SWEDEN continues to be a popular #destination for foreign tourists. With 351,000 more international overnight stays through July this year, the strong growth for international tourism in #Sweden continues. In July, US and Indian travelers increased fastest.

Between January and July this year, more than 10 million international overnight stays were made in Sweden. With 3.6 percent or 351,000 more overnight stays so far this year, interest in Sweden is growing as a destination.

There is a great interest in Swedes' balanced lifestyle, active experiences in nature, modern and trendy cities, shopping and family attractions. A strong Swedish brand, new routes and a sigh for new destinations are some of the opportunities that Visit Sweden makes use of in marketing. 

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The Great Nordic Feast

THIS autumn, the vivid and soothing flavours of Nordic cuisine will take over London’s Southbank Centre as eight Nordic destinations come together to serve up the tastiest treats from the lands of the midnight sun, for all food lovers to enjoy.

Taking place from 20 – 22 October, The Great Nordic Feast aims to introduce the best tastes and culinary talents from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Iceland as well as the more unknown Nordic countries of the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland to London foodies, through inspiring artisan breakfasts and dinners, hosted by a collaboration of renowned chefs. The autumn feasts will be infused with Nordic flora, talks and music and cooked using traditional Nordic techniques, inside Scandinavian style tipi tents on Southbank Centre’s Festival Terrace.

Gastronomic experts from across the Nordic regions and the UK will combine their talents to serve up a creative Nordic eating experience for food lovers.

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Raise your glass

PM & Vänner in Växjö is the first and only restaurant in Sweden to be awarded the Grand Award by Wine Spectator. 

Only 85 restaurants around the world have received Wine Spectator’s Grand Award. The Grand Award is symbolised by three glasses, which corresponds to the three stars of the Michelin Guide, that means the restaurant is considered to be “worth making a special trip for”. So why don`t you treat yourself with a trip to Sweden and PM & Vänner! 

http://www.pmrestauranger.se

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Gothenburg launches its first indoor street food market

WITH a constantly changing line up of different stalls, the new Lindholmen Street Food Market in #Gothenburg is a food lovers’ paradise. 

Many of the top restaurants from Gothenburg and further afield are popping up at the market, alongside local breweries, coffee sellers and bakers. All the stalls offer tapas style small portions for around SEK 50 (£4.50), allowing market-goers to try several dishes. 

The market is open on Saturday afternoons from 12pm – 6pm (excluding 17 June to 26 August when it is closed for the summer). 

www.facebook.com/lindholmenstreetfoodmarket

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Culinary Cycle in Sweden

SOUTHERN Swedish tour company Robusta Äventyr has launched a culinary cycle adventure around central Skåne, riding across the expansive landscapes, dotted with bright yellow rapeseed fields, verdant forests and heavy fruit trees. 

On the three day trip, fit foodies will meet many of the faces behind the region’s best food producers (ranging from cheese through to eel smokehouses and venison farms), try their hand at some of the techniques and – even better – taste and cook with their wares in the outdoor kitchens. 

Including two nights’ accommodation, meals, tour guide, guided outdoor cooking and bike hire, the trip costs SEK 5,850 (£518 per person). Groups are between 10 and 14 persons in size. 

www.robustaaventyr.se

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Nordic Cuisine New Culinary Tours in Sweden

WITH Nordic cuisine still trailblazing around the world, now is the time to discover Sweden’s iconic food on home turf. With a whole host of new foodie experiences on offer this summer, from seaweed foraging and open fire cooking through to new culinary cycle tours and quirky bar and restaurant launches, #Sweden has plenty to keep even the most avid food fanatic entertained.

New seaweed foraging and cooking class on the west coast

Catxalot, a seaweed producer from Grebbestad in West Sweden that supplies many of Sweden’s top restaurants, has launched a new seaweed foraging and cooking workshop. Food fans are taken down to the seashore to learn which seaweeds are good to eat, where to find them, why they’re so good for you and how to cook them. After foraging for seaweed, oysters and mussels, the group cooks dinner together from the produce they found. The seven-hour class costs SEK 1,450 (£129) per person. This is one of several classes and events that Catxalot organises throughout the year. www.catxalot.se/en-GB

Get back to nature with a forest yurt stay and open fire cooking
At Nyrups Natur Hotell in Höör in Skåne the focus is on enjoying the peace and beauty of nature – right down to the food. Accommodation is in yurts amongst a beech forest, and everything is cooked outdoors over open fires. The hotel owners provide guests with quality local, seasonal ingredients and easy to follow recipes, enabling them to work with the fire and prepare a delicious meal with flavours of the forest. An overnight stay starts from SEK 495 (£44) per person and ingredients for cooking meals over the fire start from SEK 125 (£11) per person. The hotel is reached via a 35 minute drive from Malmo followed by a one kilometre walk through the forest.

Food and farming at Lindegren’s Nordic Viking pig farm

One farm on the Bjäre Peninsula is offering a hands-on farming and culinary experience, centred around its herd of rare breed Linderöds pigs - an ancient, native breed that has been part of the Skåne way of life since before the Viking era. Over two days, guests will gain an insight into raising the animals, processing the meat and modern Nordic cooking. With the help of some of the region’s best chefs and using herbs and vegetables harvested from the farm as well as the pork, guests will prepare meals in the traditional way over an open fire. Available on 18-19 June, 27-28 August and 13-14 September 2017, the trip costs SEK 6,250 (£554) per person and includes all meals, accommodation, guide and clothes needed for working with the animals. www.lindegrens.se

Become a winemaker for the day

As the southernmost region of Sweden, Skåne is gaining quite a reputation for its wines, with leading experts tipping it as the place to watch. Discover why on a day experiencing the life of a Swedish winemaker at the small-scale vineyard of Frillestad. After an explanation of wine growing and its various practical tasks, visitors are able to put this knowledge in to practice, with tasks such as cleaning grapes, pruning, topping the vines or measuring the sugar content of the grapes. Over a light lunch, would-be-winemakers will enjoy a wine tasting and then visit the winery to discover how the wines are made. Lasting around four hours, this experience costs SEK 600 (£53) per person. www.frillestad.com

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Sweden lists entire country on Airbnb

VISIT Sweden, Sweden’s official tourism board, has partnered with Airbnb to turn the entire country into an Airbnb listing. And the best part is - you don’t have to officially book accommodation, because in #Sweden all publicly owned land is entirely free and accessible to everyone!

Every lake is your infinity pool, every mountaintop your granite terrace, every meadow becomes a garden and every forest a pantry filled with mushrooms and berries. Feel free to take a morning jog or bike ride across open fields or trek through challenging mountain terrain. Should you want an upgrade, you do not need to ask anyone, just find the best location that suits you and your mood.

Freedom to roam allows everyone and anyone to be free amidst Swedish nature with the right to access, walk, cycle or camp on any land. Only private gardens and lands under cultivation are an exception to the rule. The idea of free nature accessible to anyone is in the DNA of every Swede, but with great freedom comes great responsibility. The general rule for spending time in nature is “do not disturb, do not destroy” – just like in any other home.

“We are very excited to welcome Sweden on #Airbnb for everyone to explore. This partnership is a first of its kind collaboration between a tourism board and Airbnb. It is designed to promote Sweden as a #destination through the power of the Airbnb community which is perfectly placed to showcase the many extraordinary locations to stay throughout the country”, says James McClure, General Manager Northern Europe at Airbnb.

To find out more about Sweden on Airbnb visit http://airbnb.com/Sweden

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How to see Stockholm

SIGHTSEEING in #Stockholm will become easier with the launch of the Stockholm Pass, enabling entry to more than 60 attractions, monuments and museums, plus boat and bus tours. 

Priced from 595 Swedish Krona (£48.75) for a one-day adult pass, it works on a scan-and-enter system, acting as a ticket into the city’s best attractions and tours. It includes a free guide book.

It is available as a one-, two- three- or five-day purchase.

www.stockholmpass.com

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Ice cold in Lapland

Elephant in the room by Anna Sofia Maag
Photo Credit Asaf Kliger

THE ORIGINAL ICEHOTEL in Swedish #Lapland has opened its reindeer-clad doors to guests for the winter season. The amount of snow used to create the hotel’s 55 rooms, church, and bar would be enough to make 700 million snowballs, with its chandeliers alone being made from 1,000 ice crystals. Highlights of the 19 individually-designed ice suites include a life-sized elephant, a 1970s love capsule, a herd of jumping sheep, and an undulating cairn forest. 

Guests can expect two new experiences: a traditional Swedish sauna with an invigorating ice plunge, and a winter wilderness survival course. Also new for this season is ICEHOTEL’s first ever ice beer (Torne Islager), made with melted ice from the nearby Torne River, renowned for its purity.

Exclusive direct flights between Heathrow and #ICEHOTEL (landing in Kiruna after a 3.5 hour flight) are operated by Discover the World and run until late March, with three-night breaks priced from £988pp.

In the village of Jukkasjärvi in Swedish Lapland – 124 miles north of the Arctic Circle – the temperature at ICEHOTEL can drop to -5C/23F. Guests are kept warm with reindeer skins. Adjacent to the ice hotel are buildings that have warm rooms, dressing rooms, saunas, luggage storage, relaxation areas, and restaurants. This part of the hotel is open year-round.

Love Capsule by Luc Voisin and Mathieu Brison
Photo Credit Asaf Kliger

  

www.discover-the-world.co.uk/icehotel

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Picture Credit: www.discover-the-world.co.uk/icehotel

Up in the air …

RYANAIR is to open a base in Gothenburg, Sweden, an expansion which will mean additional flights to and from London.

Ryanair’s Kenny Jacobs said: ‘Our Gothenburg-London route will increase from two to three flights daily from September.’

A MOBILE app for passengers to monitor their health and wellbeing before, during, and after a flight has been unveiled by the International Air Transport Association. 

Used in conjunction with a ‘Jawbone’ fitness wristband, the SkyZen app enables air travellers to view their activity and sleep patterns throughout their flights. 

Tips will enable users to improve their travel ‘experience’ and combat jet lag when crossing time zones. The app is free to download from the Apple iTunes store.

TRAVELLERS in the UK pay some of the world’s highest taxes on flying, according to a study by UHY Hacker Young, an accountancy group. 

According to the study, charges levied in Britain are currently the highest in the European Union and well above the average for G7 countries.

The higher charges, says the accountancy firm, impact tourism; penalize small and medium-size companies trying to expand overseas; disadvantage regional cities; and affect airlines’ abilities to offer less profitable routes. And although taxes on flying are often billed as ‘green taxes’, in the UK, as elsewhere, the revenue raised is not used for environmental protection projects.

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Picture Credit: Ryanair wing Boeing 737-800 by Moviefan - Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons, Ephemera, A trio of 2002 boarding passes - Flickr by Phillip Capper from Wellington, New Zealand - Ephemera: A trio of 2002 boarding passes. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons, Mobile app - ecg by Zacfranks - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons