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50 Interesting Pics From Sweden That Show What’s So Special About It
Sweden is the largest and most populous of the Nordic countries and has a roughly 1,000-year-long continuous history as a sovereign state.
It rose from backwardness and poverty into a highly developed post-industrial society, with a standard of living and life expectancy that rank among the highest in the world.
So let's take a closer look at how this constitutional monarchy looks today.
We at Bored Panda put together a list of photos that paint a pretty accurate picture of Sweden's land, people, and culture, so continue scrolling to check out just how unique it is. Just beware, you can also end up opening a new browser tab and buying some plane tickets...
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
A Pharmacy I Stumbled Across In Stockholm. It Has Been A Pharmacy Since The 1800s And Maintained The Original Decor
RELATED:
#2
What Is This, A Record Store For Mice? Well Yes It Is And Someone Built It Yesterday In The Swedish Town Of Lund
#3
Sunrise In Sweden
#4
In Sweden, We Get A Text Message When Our Blood Has Helped A Patient. This Is My 3rd Time Donating
#5
Stockholm Underground Stations Look Like Mystic Caves
#6
Northern Lights Over My House In Luleå, Sweden
#7
Town Of Kiruna, Sweden
#8
This "No Cars Allowed" Sign In Sweden
#9
Nappies In Sweden Have A Father On The Packaging
#10
Rare Phenomenon Called Nacreous Clouds. They Are Formed High Up In The Atmosphere, At An Altitude Of 30 Kilometers. The Picture Is Taken In Jamtland, Sweden
#11
Shopping Carts In Sweden Have A Map Of The Supermarket
#12
A Stand For Bikers To Hold On To While Waiting For The Traffic Lights In Sweden
#13
In Sweden They Sell Chocolate Next To Pads
#14
This Is A "Wall Of Kindness" In Stockholm, Sweden. Where People Can Leave Clothes, And Take Clothes If They Need Them, During The Cold Months Of Winter
censorshipsucks 4 years ago (edited)
I am surprised by the english title. Anyway, the swedish reads: "take one jacket if you need (behoove) - give one jacket if you have over". If you only speak english, try learn swedish, it's very similar.
#15
Some Mice Have Opened A Miniature Shop (70 X 30 Cm) In Malmö, Sweden
#16
Sweden Has The Largest Scale Model Of The Solar System In The World Stretching 950km Across The Country
#17
The Speed Camera Lottery In Stockholm, Sweden. Drive At Or Under The Speed Limit And You'll Be Entered Into A Lottery. The Prize Fund Comes From The Fines That Speeders Pay
Average speed reduced from 32 km/h to 25 km/h (a reduction of 22%).
#18
Øresund Bridge Tunnel, Connecting Sweden To Denmark
Dorte Høgh 4 years ago
I live in Denmark, the other side of the bridge/tunnel. We call people from Sweden and Norway, our brothers❤
#19
Venue In Sweden Called Dalhalla. Made From An Old Quarry
DennyS (denzoren) 4 years ago
Well that's a positive spin on a large manmade hole in the ground. Lol
#20
Twinkies And Pop-Tarts In Swedish "Disgusting Food Museum"
#21
In Sweden Trees Can Send Texts When They Need Water Using An Implanted Moisture Sensor
#22
“Vapenkassuns” Are Armories Scattered Across Sweden In The Event That The USSR Would Ever Attack
Civil commanders would open the caches and grab weapons, armor, supplies, etc to enact “total defense” and protect Sweden.
#23
Street Art, Sweden
#24
This Is A Solitary Confinement Cell From The Toughest Prison In Sweden
Anna Nowak 4 years ago
Yeah but it works. Scandinavian countries have lowest recidivism rate in Europe (if not in the World). Yet we still believe that prison life should be as gard and traumatising as possible, while it is proven that once you go to prison you can never get your life fully on track.
#25
A Complaints Drop-Off Box For The City Of Gothenburg, Sweden
#26
Here's A Picture Of What Swedish Fika Looks Like. Fika Is A Concept In Swedish Culture That Means "To Have Coffee, Cake, And Chit-Chat"
It's a big part of the culture and most companies have two daily Fika breaks at 9 am and 3 pm.
#27
Spotted In Sweden
#28
3,500-Year-Old Petroglyphs Found In Tanum, Sweden. Some Of The Carvings Are Boats, Animals, People And Mythological Creatures
#29
Mchive, Sweden: The World's Smallest McDonald's Aims To Save Bees
#30
Trainy Mctrainface, Christened Today In Gothenburg, Sweden
censorshipsucks 4 years ago
I like the way the swedes' english is so good that they make english jokes.
#31
A Beautiful Afternoon Above The Swedish West Coast. Gullholmen, Sweden
#32
The Air Vents On A Subway In Stockholm Have A Hidden Pacman Easter Egg
#33
The Only Taxidermied Blue Whale In The World Located In Gothenburg, Sweden
A couple got caught “making love” inside the creature, so now they open the mouth only on special occasions.
DennyS (denzoren) 4 years ago
I guess that was a "special occasion" too. Lol....also why would you of all places.
#34
The Guardians
At a campsite in Näsåker, Sweden, these figures can be seen sitting around a fire (at night a lamp with an orange glow can be seen in the campfire).
They are called "Väktarna" which means "The Guardians".
#35
Järnpojke, A Little Boy Looking At The Moon, The Smallest Public Monument In Stockholm At 15 Centemeters (5.9 Inches). Created By Liss Eriksson
#36
Coolest Hotel Ever. Report From An Ice Hotel, Which Turns Out To Be Less Boring Than I Expected
Auntriarch 4 years ago
I bloody love this place, I've been 3 times, and have every intention of going again
#37
This McDonalds In Sweden Has A "McSki", Instead Of A Drive Thru. In Fact, It’s The Only One
Courtney i 4 years ago
In Half Moon Bay in California there used to be a fast food place (Taco Bell I think) with only a walk-through (no drive thru) for surfers.
#38
Santa Has A Reserved Parking Spot At This IKEA In Sweden
#39
Bus Stop In Sweden. Talk About Personal Space
Aryaan Kasi 4 years ago
Yeah well . They aren't really that into strangers. They mind their own business which makes it one of the places i want to move to
#40
Internet Speed In Sweden
#41
Treehotel - Unique Treerooms With Contemporary Design In The Nature In Harads, Near The Lule River, Sweden
#42
Hanging In A Pizzeria In Stockholm, Sweden
#43
In Sweden, If You Work For The State For 30 Years You Receive A Gold Medal
Mimi La Souris 4 years ago
real gold ? because in France, we also have one for 20, 30, 35 and 40 years of work, but it is certainly not gold :D
#44
University Of Uppsala's Anatomical Theatre Where Bodies Were Dissected In Front Of An Audience (Built In 1663, Sweden)
#45
Sweden Has Started Selling Portable Ashtrays That Completely Seal And Don’t Smell At Local Gas Stations To Minimize Littering
#46
In Sweden We Celebrate Something We Call Midsommar On Friday 19th (Midsummer)
#47
In Sweden We Have Trash Cans With WiFi
#48
Valborg In Stockholm. Large Bonfires Are Lit Across The Country As Symbols Of The Passing Of Winter And The Approach To Spring
RoanTheMad 4 years ago
We have Bonfire Night/Guy Fawkes Night/Firework Night in the UK. Traditionally, you would build a "Guy" effigy and burn that at the bonfire... there has been some very ..choice.. "guys" over the years lmao, especially so at the Lewes bonfire night. (which I'd say is definitely worth travelling for because it's the best bonfire night I've ever experienced) 161105-don...265357.jpg 
#49
Sweden Has Baby Stroller Parking Spots
Gaya Knust 4 years ago
Oh, this is brilliant! And I bet people don't have to worry about it being stolen.
#50
This Art Installation In A Subway Entrance In Sweden
DennyS (denzoren) 4 years ago
Whenever I see these things I always feel like my country is sooo boring and bland.
#51
There Is A Tradition In Malmö, Limhamn Where Divers Put Down These Clowns And Other Stuff Just To Mess With The New Divers
#52
This National Park In Sweden Refused To Cut Trees In The Way Of The Bridge So They Just Left The Trees In The Way
#53
This Crosswalk In Stockholm
#54
Saw Someone Else From Sweden Post One Of These So Thought I'd Share One I Saw In Skånes Part Of Sweden. Mices Own Pharmacy
#55
One Of The City's Smallest Residential Buildings In Stockholm, Sweden
#56
In Sweden There Is A Huge Straw Goat Known As Gävlebocken (The Gävle Goat) Which Gets Burned Down Or Destroyed By People Almost Every Year
As of today, it has survived for five years in a row which is a new record.
Freddie Torsten 4 years ago
Like ten years ago an American tourist burned it down because someone told him it was a tradition. He got huge fines.
#57
The Kinnevik Tree In Stockholm Is The Tallest "Real" Christmas Tree In The World
#58
In Sweden, We Watch Donald Duck Every Christmas Eve At 15:00
LisaMarie 4 years ago
I googled this as I was thinking 'why?' and the end of this article on it seems to sum it up nicely 😊 "For many Swedes, there is something comforting about knowing that every year there is one hour, on one day, when you sit down with everyone in your family and just be together. “People always want to change everything, and make everything new,” Feldreich, Sweden’s Jiminy Cricket, told the Swedish newspaper Länstidningen in 2008. “And then, like in a fairy tale from when we were kids, there’s something familiar.” Kalle Anka, he said, “offers security in a confusing world.”
#59
The Oldest Piece Of Furniture In Sweden, Kungsårabänken, A Sofa Dating From The Viking Age (1000-1100 A.D.)
#60
Carina Sees Everything, So Never Forget To Recycle
#61
Borders - Here's Sweden & Norway At Winter
#62
Here In Sweden, The Ice-Cream Truck Goes Around. All. Year. Long
Nadine Debard 4 years ago
Yay, there's no specific season for ice cream! Ice cream in winter is good too!
#63
Grodkällan Lake In The Middle Of The Forest In Northern Sweden
#64
People Like Their Bikes In Uppsala, Sweden
Rata Robinson 4 years ago
I love that they're old fashioned bikes too - not racing/road bikes. It's like that in The Netherlands too :)
#65
The Grass Carpet Leading To The Door Of This Old Building In Stockholm
#66
Viking Runestone Overlooking A Golf Course – Risbyle, Sweden
Gaya Knust 4 years ago
I love how something so trivial like a golf course has an ancient and historic stone just next to it.
#67
Sweden Has The Densest Population Of Moose In The World. Although 300 000 To 400 000 Of Moose Inhabit Sweden It Can Still Be Difficult To See A Moose In The Wild
About 100 000 of them are killed in autumn, and the same number is born each spring, keeping the summer population rather stable.
Gremlan jonnson 4 years ago
Oh you should be happy about not being face to face with wild moose, they'll f**k you up. Freaking terrifying they are
#68
10 Minutes From Where I Live Lies Anundshög. One Of The Oldest Viking Graves In The World. It's Located In Västerås, Sweden
#69
LED Bathroom Handles At Train Station In Sweden Change Colors Based On Occupancy
#70
Crazy Flooring Between Two Shops In Gothenburg, Sweden
#71
Couple Friendly Benches In Sweden
#72
Fat Tuesday In Sweden Today. Time To Overeat And Celebrate This Thing We Call "Semla"
Every year we celebrate this day we call "fettisdagen" or fat Tuesday. This holiday dates back to the year 1594 and occurs 47 days before easter every year. The name of the day comes from all the fat food you'll eat during this day before the fasting begins till the easter holiday starts. The American version of our fat Tuesday is Mardi Gras.
The tradition in Sweden is to eat this pastry during this day. It's called Semla and as the day suggests it's filled with calories. It's made by a simple bun either just white flour or with added cardamom (which is my favorite). Then you scoop out the bottom half and fill it with almond cream. Top it off with whipped cream and lid with added icing sugar. IT'S SO DELICIOUS! If you go to Sweden during this time you really have to try Semla! Everyone is crazy about it and the pastry shops with the best semla usually have queues going outside the shops.
#73
Candy In Sweden. This Is A Common Candy Section That Exists In Every Supermarket In Sweden
Before the checkout, you are surrounded by sweets. You have to pass this section before going to the checkouts to the left. It's all candy.
censorshipsucks 4 years ago
yes we have these in south africa as well but mostly in dedicated sweets stores. Otherwise they also put the sweets at the checkout so you are tempted to take one as you leave. evil.
#74
In Sweden They Have A Crossing For Ducks And A Caution Not To Hit Them
#75
This "Mouse Barbershop" I Found In Malmö, Sweden
#76
A 1st Pilot “Indoor Bus Stop” Here In Gothenburg. With Connected Cafe, Informal Space, Chargers, And Charging For The New Pilot Electric Buses
#77
Stockholm Metro Art Is Pretty Neat
#78
The Mother Of All Round Buildings: Globen, Stockholm
It is the largest hemispherical construction in the world. In the Swedish Solar System, it represents the Sun.
#79
"The Umbrella Project" In Stockholm, Sweden
#80
In A Swedish IKEA I Found Pillows With Coordinates On Them. These Coordinates Lead To A Small Fishing Village In Sweden
#81
Local Supermarket Trying To Troll Tourists. It's An Acquired Taste
#82
Found This In A Hotel In Sweden. Don't Make Me Get The Can Opener
#83
This Hospital In Sweden Has Dots On The Floor To Indicate Which Way The Doors Open For Their Patients
Anna Tribe 4 years ago
All doors should open outwards so that in case of an emergency and the patient has fallen over in front of the door the staff can still open the door and help the person.
#84
Sweden Is Home To The World's Largest Storage Of Wood
#85
A Road Sign Warns Drivers That They May Encounter Pedestrians Who Are Deeply Absorbed In Their Smartphones, In Stockholm, Sweden
#86
In Sweden, You Can Stand In Three Countries At The Same Time. Treriksröset - The Place Where Norway, Finland And Sweden Meet
#87
One Of The Key Details In Sustainable Community Design Here In Sweden - Underground Separated Waste Management Vacuum Tubes
#88
In A Swedish Museum, They Have Benches That Charge Your Phone Wirelessly And Give Free WiFi
#89
My Friend Sent Me This Picture Of Food In Swedish Maternity Hospitals, I Just Wanted To Know If The Food Is Like This Because I Can't Believe It
Food in our Serbian maternity hospitals are just piece of bread with wurst on the side
Freddie Torsten 4 years ago
It actually is like that! Also when you just go to the for an injury you have a selection of like for different menu choices five times per day (and it's free)
#90
Stayed In A Boeing 747 Converted To Hostel At Arlanda Airport, Sweden (Jumbo Stay)
#91
My Hometown (Örebro, Sweden) Set Up What They’re Saying Is The Biggest Gaming Screen In The World On The Wall Of Our City’s Castle
Gaya Knust 4 years ago
But wait, where do you have to play in order to have your gameplay streaming on the huge screen?
#92
These Completely Round Houses In Stockholm, Sweden
#93
Sweden’s Festive Drink Of Choice Is A Carbonated Beverage Known As Julmust
#94
Only In Sweden You Can Find A Floating House
#96
The Chinese Pavilion, Located On The Drottningholm Palace Grounds In Stockholm, Sweden. It Is A UNESCO World Heritage Site
#97
The Spreadable Cheese Selection At A Swedish Grocery Store
#98
I Visited A Model Settlement In Sweden. Saw This, And My Mind Instantly Went To The Game Valheim
#100
You Could Test A Torture Device Spanish Donkey In Stockholm's Army Museum
#101
Swedish Ads Are On A Different Level. This Is Posted All Over Swedish Public Transport. What The Hell
censorshipsucks 4 years ago
yes this was an advert for a programmer. If you can solve the algorithm it gives you the correct URL.
#102
Female Crossing Sign Spotted In Southern Sweden (Skåne)
#103
The Twisting Torso In Malmo, Sweden Has 9 Identical Sections Which Are Twisted Slightly To Make It Twisted
#104
What Is The Front Part Of The Toilet And What's Its Purpose? I Found It In Northern Sweden
#105
Swedish Shopping Cart Has Magnetic Wheels So It Doesn't Roll Down The Escalator
#106
This Is What You May Get From Santa If You’ve Been Bad Here In Sweden
#107
The Most Swedish Pizza There Is. Pineapple, Banana, Curry
#108
Since Spain Does Nutella Pizza, And Apparently Italians Do Too. I Present You This Swedish Mutant. Yes, That Is Gold
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What do you think ?
censorshipsucks 4 years ago
Thanks, interesting. This post can be summed up as: swedes are super nice and really care for mice, and are technologically advanced.
Freddie Torsten 4 years ago
And you are all very welcome to visit us! We might seem a bit stand-offish at first but we actually like most people :)
Lexipoo 4 years ago (edited)
What’s a crime I can commit to get sent to that self-isolation paradise?
Load More Replies...
Rebecca Broscombe-Adams 4 years ago
Wowzers Sweden looks fantastic, so many ideas to make life less hard. I'm a big believer in higher taxes to fund a better life for all.
MimSorensson 3 years ago (edited)
It’s a downright bargain, that’s what it is. I LOVE paying taxes; I know what I get for them, and I know what other people get for them. I have no problem what so ever to help pay for people who can’t themselves - take my money and keep ensuring equality please. Take mah moneh!
Load More Replies... censorshipsucks 4 years ago
Thanks, interesting. This post can be summed up as: swedes are super nice and really care for mice, and are technologically advanced.
Freddie Torsten 4 years ago
And you are all very welcome to visit us! We might seem a bit stand-offish at first but we actually like most people :)
Lexipoo 4 years ago (edited)
What’s a crime I can commit to get sent to that self-isolation paradise?
Load More Replies... Rebecca Broscombe-Adams 4 years ago
Wowzers Sweden looks fantastic, so many ideas to make life less hard. I'm a big believer in higher taxes to fund a better life for all.
MimSorensson 3 years ago (edited)
It’s a downright bargain, that’s what it is. I LOVE paying taxes; I know what I get for them, and I know what other people get for them. I have no problem what so ever to help pay for people who can’t themselves - take my money and keep ensuring equality please. Take mah moneh!
Load More Replies...
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