Sweden’s National Parks The concept of national parks was born in the USA with Yellowstone National Park in 1872. Since then, Sweden was the first to introduce this in Europe in 1909 with 9 national parks, now there are 30 in total. The idea of ​​creating national parks is to preserve the natural landscape that exists both for us and for future generations. A lot of Swedish […]

The concept of national parks was born in the USA with Yellowstone National Park in 1872. Then Sweden was the first to introduce this in Europe in 1909 with 9 national parks, now there are 30 in total. The idea of ​​creating national parks is to preserve the natural landscape that exists both for us and for future generations.

Much of Swedish nature is protected by law in various ways, but only 1.6 percent of Sweden’s area has the strongest nature conservation national park. National park is the finest a nature area can be. Together, Sweden’s national parks form a magnificent whole of different landscape types from beech forests, mountains, coral reefs, dunes and magical forests.

Sweden’s Nature Types

Lakes and streams

Almost a tenth of Sweden’s surface consists of lakes, which makes Sweden one of the world’s most sea-rich countries. There are also some rivers that are completely unaffected by hydropower development such as Vindelälven, Torne älv, Kalix älv and Pite älv which are protected as national rivers.

Mountain

About 90 percent of the national parks’ total area is in the mountain area, which has everything from mountain birch forests, coniferous forests to glaciers. Scandinavia’s largest mountain lake, Torne swamp, is found in Abisko and flower meadows in Padjelanta. The areas are worthy of protection with great geological and biological values.

Coast and sea

The coastal landscape offers everything from Skuleskogen’s highest coast, the Haparanda archipelago’s low sandbanks and the salty cliffs of the Koster Sea, as well as the only coral reef in Sweden that is also found in the Koster Sea National Park.

Hardwood forest

Desert deciduous forest is a very old nature type that was developed around 6000 years ago and which includes beech, ash, oak and elm as well as very rare animals and plants. Today, deciduous forests are only found in the national parks Söderåsen, Dalby Söderskog, Stenshuvud and Ängsö.

Wetland

About one-fifth of Sweden’s land area is covered by wetlands such as bogs, bogs and marshes. This type of nature is extremely important because many plants and animals are adapted to these wet places and they are important for many birds. Sights wetlands are found, for example, in Muddus and Store Mosse national parks.

Coniferous forest

The coniferous forest dominates Sweden’s nature. In the north, the mountains have a barren and ancient character, with upwards of seven hundred-year-old pines in Muddus. To the south, as in Norra Kvill, the forest is more often denser and more tall. In Tyresta there are also many centuries-old pines and tall spruces. Nowadays, national parks are based on international, scientific requirements for what is nature worthy of protection and interesting sights. One difference from the past is the size of the parks. New national parks will be large, untouched areas that show a typical Swedish landscape. A few hours’ walk along the paths in a national park usually does not require special equipment, other than comfortable shoes and reasonably warm clothes. But if you are going to visit a national park in the mountains, you need to be extra prepared. In the winter mountains, your equipment is put to extra hard tests and it is important to keep track of the weather.