Stopover #1: Hiking and mountain biking on the Kulla Peninsula

Many campers who travel to Sweden by ferry or across the Öresund Bridge will start their holiday in the southernmost Swedish county of Skåne. At first, this region may appear to be rather flat and agricultural, but soon enough you will also come across landscapes that bear no resemblance to this initial image. For instance, just a few kilometres north of Helsingborg is the Kulla Peninsula where the landscape has an impressive rocky coastline as well as secluded beech forests, moorlands, heathlands and small picturesque coastal towns. The biggest attraction for most tourists is the Kullaberg Nature Reserve at the western end of the peninsula. The Naturum Kullaberg information centre at the lighthouse offers information, hiking maps and guided tours. However, most visitors tend to be more interested in the rocks at the lighthouse, close to which they can find some natural and artificial rock grottos. However, some sections of the descent are very steep.

Stopover #2: Hiking through Store Mosse National Park

A completely different landscape awaits visitors to Store Mosse National Park north of Värnamo in the province of Småland. There's a reason that this national park is roughly translated as big marsh: it is the largest bogland in Sweden south of Lapland. There are about 40 kilometres of signposted hiking trails, some with shorter or longer loops, so that everyone can choose the route that best suits them. The trails are on boardwalks that take you through areas of peat moss and fen as well as moorland and sections of forest. You will see stunted pine and birch groves paired with countless blueberry bushes, cotton grass and carnivorous sundews, various birds and plenty of dragonflies, too. However, when the weather is good, insects such as mosquitoes and horseflies are not too far away, so don't forget to pack protective clothing or other insect protection. And wear non-slip shoes when it's wet.

The prettiest and most diverse trails include the short Tärnekullerundan loop (1.3 km from Vitsand car park) and the Stenkällerundan loop (2.2 km from Huvudentrén main car park), which can be connected, for example, to sections of the Trehörningsrundan loop to form a longer trail – obviously with a break and swim at the sandy beach at Lake Stora Trehörningen. The almost 5 km loop to the large Troll's Church is also perfect for anyone who likes wild nature, rocks and lakes. However, sturdy shoes are more than just a recommendation on all of these trails – which, by the way, are not at all suitable for prams. Nor are they suitable for mountain bikers as you will end up carrying the bikes more often than actually riding them. But the national park has set up bike trails in the outskirts of the park, parts of which are shared with horse riders. However, they are not really trails per se, instead slightly wider gravel and forest paths. If you want to ride technically demanding trails, you can ride parts of Bergslagsleden, a long-distance hiking trail, which goes through the middle of the national park.

Stopover #4: Mountain biking around Pershyttan, a former mining settlement

The Bergslagen mining district in central Sweden was one of the most economically important regions in the country from the Middle Ages until about the mid 20th century. Falun is a well-known mining town, but there are still a few smaller places where you can trace the history of mining in Sweden. If you want to combine some cultural history with beautiful mountain bike trails, you should stop over at the Pershyttan Culture Reserve near Nora. Parts of the former mining settlement are very well preserved, with some buildings serving as an open-air museum village, while others are inhabited. You can still see the old blast furnace, remains of the former wooden shaft pumping system, which is still powered by a waterwheel at specific times, slag heaps, the former train station and many smaller buildings.

Stopover #5: Mining history & mountain bike adventures in Falun

Popular places around the lake include Mora, Leksand, Rättvik and Nusnäs. The latter is known for the colourfully painted Dala horses, and you can visit the factories there and see how they are made. The small town of Leksand is one of Sweden's largest producers of crispbread and is famous for hosting the country's largest midsummer festival. With a 600 m long bathing jetty, Rättvik attracts countless swimmers in summer and is a favourite with families, not least because of the very shallow and long sandy beach. The small town of Mora is traditionally the finish of the long-distance cross-country Vasa Race in winter, which can now also be completed by mountain bike in summer. The former home of the painter Anders Zorn and the Zorn Museum next to it are also worth a visit.

But you will also find what you are looking for if you just want to relax by Lake Siljan for a few days and escape the tourist crowds, e.g. on the small island of Sollerön, south of Mora, which is connected to the mainland by two bridges. There are also several campsites and small motorhome sites here. The Kulåra Camping campsite, for instance, is perfect for relaxing and swimming. There's not a lot of infrastructure here, but that's what makes it all the more idyllic and tranquil.

Stopover #7: Paddling in Dalsland

If you want to go canoeing or kayaking when heading back south, then the Dalsland region is perfect for you, especially around the Dalsland Canal. After all, the area around the Dalsland Canal is made up of countless small and large lakes and watercourses, therefore strictly speaking not actually a canal. Only ten of 240 navigable kilometres go through the manmade canal sections. The rest of the lake system is pure nature. Accordingly, there are also a number of canoe rental companies, including Silverlake, which is based both in Bengtsfors and in the northern part of the Dalsland Canal in Kråkviken at Lake Västra Silen. The banks are surrounded alternately by high cliffs, green meadows and small fir, birch, spruce and beech forests – and naturally by a scattering of the typical red and white summer houses.