The best trekkings in Sweden
Welcome to this extensive article with the most beautiful trekkings in Sweden. The Swedes really like to head out with their backpacks into nature all year round. In the summer with hiking boots and in the winter on their skis. Often with friends or with the whole family. You shouldn’t be surprised when you see a whole family including a baby in a backpack and a dog coming along on the multi day hike. In Sweden there are countless long distance hikes, from short to long and from easy to difficult. In this article I share the most beautiful multi day hikes in Sweden with you.
Table of Contents | Inhoudsopgave
Kungsleden
The Kungsleden or King’s Trail is definitely the famous one when it comes to hiking in Sweden. This 425-kilometre-long hiking trail in the far north of Sweden takes you across the endless fjälls of the arctic part of the country, largely above the Arctic Circle.
The trail is open all year round, but is only completely snow-free in the months of July and August. The trail has a summer and winter option. Along the way, you can sleep in huts where you can also buy resupply. Freedom camping is permitted in most places, except within the borders of Abisko National Park. If you want to do a short option, you can opt for a separate section, which generally takes 5-8 days to complete.
Length: 425 kilometers
Start of the trail: Abisko National Park
End of the trail: Hemavan
Best period: July and August
Resupply: along the way in most huts
Difficulty: medium
Want to read more? Read my article about the Ammarnäs – Hemavan section here or the Kvikkjokk to Saltoluokta section here. Looking for other hikes in Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve? You can find them here.
Jämtlandstriangeln
The best short trekking in Sweden is Jämtlandstriangeln. This is a three-day hike through Jämtland where you sleep under glaciers and have beautiful views over the border area with Norway. The Jämtland triangle is a not too difficult hike that starts and ends at Storulvån Fjällstation. The trails are generally wide and relatively easy, the streams are bridged and you can buy food and drinks in the mountain huts.
You can hike the trail both clockwise and counterclockwise and you will regularly encounter reindeer along the way. Almost the entire trail is above the tree line, which provides beautiful views. It is a relatively busy trail, something to keep in mind.
Length: 47 km
Start of the trail: Storulvån Fjällstation
End of the trail: Storulvån Fjällstation
Best period: late June to September
Supplies: in all huts and at Storulvån
Difficulty: easy
You can read my article about Jämtlandstrianglen here
Skåneleden
One of the hikes in Sweden that is increasing in popularity is the Skåneleden. This 1.300-kilometre long hike can actually be done all year round due to its southern location. Most people do not walk it in one go because of its length, but just take few sections at a time. One of the most famous sections that is part of the Skåneleden is the Kullaleden, a circuit from the Kullaberg nature reserve on the west coast of Skåne. Freedom camping is permitted in most places.
Length: 1.300 kilometres
Start of the trail: various
End of the trail: various
Best period: possible all year round
Provisions: in the villages along the way
Difficulty: easy
Vålådalens fyrkanten
A relatively unknown but certainly no less beautiful hike in Sweden is the four-day hike through Vålådalen Nature Reserve. This nature reserve is located west of the city of Östersund and receives considerably fewer visitors than Storulvån at the Jämtlandstriangeln.
It’s good to know that this four-day hike has a few not too difficult river crossings, where if you do not miss any stepping stones and wear ankle-high shoes, your feet will stay dry, under normal weather conditions. The huts at Vålådalen are staffeed in high season and you can buy food and beverages there. Freedom camping is permitted.
Difficulty: medium
Length: 56 kilometers
Start of the trail: Vålådalens Fjällstation
End of the trail: Vålådalens Fjällstation
Best period: late June to September
Read more? Then read my the blog about my trek in Vålådalen here.
Padjelantaleden
Last summer (2023) I hiked the Padjelantaleden. Wow, what a beautiful trekking this is! I didn’t have too high expectations after speaking to Dutch people a few years ago who thought it was disappointing, but I was pleasantly surprised. Only the first 2-3 days are tough, but once you reach the borders of the Padjelanta National Park after Kvikkjokk, the trail becomes easier and more beautiful.
As with most other well-known hikes in Lapland and the north of Sweden, the huts are also staffed most of the time and you can get supplies here. There are several river crossings, I had quite good weather and got wet feet a few times. In bad weather they can be considerably more difficult.
Difficulty: medium
Length: 140 kilometers
Start of the trail: Kvikkjokk
End of the trail: Ritsem
Best period: July and August, from September there is only limited boat transport possible and you can no longer hike the entire Padjelantaleden.
Höga Kustenleden
The Hoga Kustenleden or the High Coast Trail takes you along the east coast of Sweden and the bays of the Gulf of Bothnia. Although a lot less well-known than, for example, the Kungsleden, more and more hikers are finding this trail these days. One of the most beautiful parts of the Höga Kustenleden is the section through Skuleskogen National Park.
The huts along the way are not manned and very basic. However, you will regularly pass through villages where you can do your shopping. Keep in mind that you will regularly walk on asphalt and main roads. Freedom camping is permitted in most places.
Length: 128 kilometers
Start of the trail: Hornöberget
End of the trail: Örnsköldsvik
Best period: all year
Supplies: along the way in the villages
Difficulty: easy-medium
I have hiked the entire trail in the summer of 2024 and will soon publish the blogs about this trail!
Verder lezen? Bekijk dan hier mijn artikel over de Höga Kusten in Zweden.
Sörmlandsleden
The Sörmlandsleden is a hiking trail of over 1.000 kilometres long, located to the south of the city of Stockholm. It’s divided into 100 stages of between 7 and 13 kilometers long. With these types of distances, you can easily combine multiple stages or have relatively short hiking days. The trail, like the Skåneleden, often goes through populated areas, so you regularly have the opportunity to stock up on supplies or spend the night in accommodation.
Length: 1.000 kilometres
Start of the trail: various
End of the trail: various
Best period: possible all year round, spring and autumn are the best periods
Resupply: in the villages along the way
Difficulty: easy
Maps for hiking in sweden
Before you go on a trekking in Sweden, buy a local Fjällkartan, a hiking map of the region. You can do this easily upon arrival at the starting point of your hike at the mountain stations mentioned. Sometimes they also sell the maps at gas stations and outdoor shops. Nowadays, the old paper maps have been replaced by anti-tear maps, which are unfortunately a lot harder to fold and therefore make more noise. I strongly advise against heading out on the trail without a Fjällkartan. You can not only navigate with it when the weather is bad, but also determine the places where you can find drinking water and see where and when you can expect river crossings. This is usually indicated on the map as a ‘ford’, although this was not the case on the Kungsleden.
For easier hiking trails such as the Sörmlandsleden and the Skåneleden there is no fjällkartan and a GPS track (downloadable on the trail’s official websites) is sufficient for navigation as they are excellently marked.
Book your trip to Sweden
If you’ve found this article useful, I hope you make use of the following links to book your trip to Sweden:
- Planetickets can be booked via Skyscanner.
- Rental car rates and availability can be found here.
- Buy your Sweden guidebook here.
- Book your accommodations on Booking.
- Find tours and excursions here.
- Book your bus tickets here.
- Find prices and book your ferry here.
Conclusion
Hopefully I have given you some inspiration for beautiful multi day hikes in Sweden. If you have any questions and/or comments, please leave a comment below. f you want to read more about hiking in Sweden, you may also enjoy the following blogs:
- Freedom camping in Sweden: these are the rules
- The most beautiful places in Sweden
- Or visit my Sweden homepage with more than 50 articles about travel to Sweden.
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