Culture and tourism in Sweden

Ski under the midnight sun, swim in the town centre of Stockholm, sleep in a hotel made of ice, celebrate the Saint Lucy and do some shopping in the Christmas market, rent a boat or a chalet to feel like being in its own kingdom, get to know a people always curious about
foreigners and proud of sharing its hidden treasures.

In literature, the Nobel prize has been awarded to numerous Swedish writers: in 1909, Selma Lagerlöf (1858-1940), whose naïve and extraordinary imagination breathed new life into Scandinavian legends, in novels such as The Story of Gösta Berling or The Wonderful Adventures of Nils Holgersson, the story of the crossing of Sweden by a child and offering a complete panorama of the history and geography of the country.

In 1916, Verner von Heidenstam (1859-1840), for his tales celebrating the glorious periods of Swedish history: The Charles Men, (companions of Charles XII), The Tree of the Folkungs evoking the founding of the kingdom.

In 1951, Pär Lagerkvist (1891-1974): poet, novelist and playwright, he published numerous novels -The Hangman, The Dwarf, The Holy Land- and poems. However, the beginning of the century is marked by the work of August Strindberg, (1849-1912) better known abroad for his plays. Among his novels: Svenska Folket, glorifying the daily heroism of poor people; The Red Room; The People of Hemsö, a tender and amusing tale of life in Stockholm, a moment of clarity in his work that grew darker with Alone, a disturbing work on the theme of solitude.

Carl Milles (1875-1955) a pupil of Rodin, enriched Stockholm with twenty or so fountains - including the Orpheus fountain - and bronze statues, highly original in their design. In the same period, architecture was marked by nostalgia for the monuments of the Renaissance. Carl Westman (1866-1936) drafted the plans of the Palace of Justice in Stockholm, where pride of place is given to brick. The same style is found in the Town Hall in which Ragnar Östberg (1866-1945) mixed national and Venetian architecture.

One of the great names of the Swedish cinema is Ingmar Bergman, whose films range from light comedy to profound psychological and philosophical drama. The themes of relationship of humanity to God and to death and incommunicability are always present, in his comedies - Smiles of a Summer Night - as in his dramatic films - Cries and Whispers, Wild Strawberries.

For additional information:

• Swedish tourism office in France
• Visit Sweden: official website for tourism in Sweden (in English, French, German and Danish)
• Documentation on Swedish society and culture. Published by the Swedish Institute (available in twenty languages)