Arguably, the most important exhibits that appear in museums are those that document the times in which our ancestors lived and what influence that has on our collective history. This point is beautifully illustrated at the Tanum World Heritage site that includes the Vitlycke Museum. The rock carvings, that are the highlight of the show, depict life in Bronze Age Sweden. The artist(s) of 3,000 years ago tell their story through 350 highly varied and richly-coloured groups of rock art vividly depicting people, animals, ships and sleighs, as well as hunting scenes and domestic life. The Vitlycke Museum meanwhile is worth a visit for its bronze age site reconstruction and its rock carving reference library.
Accidents of history are not a topic often covered by museums, but this is done in breathtaking style at the Vasa Museum in Stockholm. The museum is built around the Vasa, the world’s only surviving 17th century ship and the story of her rescue is as dramatic as her sinking. The sheer scale and the beauty of Vasa is stunning: almost 700 wooden sculptures and figures adorn her length and breadth. The museum tells the story of how she was built, how and why she sunk and how she was lifted from the murky depths of Lake Mälaren in Stockholm and then perfectly preserved for future generations to admire. Don’t miss this one whatever you do.
On an equally grand scale the Malmö Art Museum houses a comprehensive collection of Nordic art encompassing paintings, sculptures, furniture, decorative and applied arts, drawings and prints. It shares Malmöhus, a 15th century castle, with several of Malmö’s other museums and it houses a stunning collection of several of the big-name Scandinavian artists from the 1980s and 1990s as well as earlier works.
A museum with a difference is the Mine Museum at the Great Copper Mountain in Falun, an unnatural wonder that is as renowned for its size as its importance to the economy of Sweden down the ages. On the edge of the Great Pit, the site of a giant cave-in in 1687, is the Mine Museum. The museum tells the story of the mine and the company that ran it. The mine and museum have both received two stars from the Guide Michelin. So they must be pretty good.
If ‘kooky’ is what you are after then the Surströmming Museum at Skeppsmalen near the High Coast is the place for you. This is a museum dedicated to everything surströmming (soured herring). It should be mentioned that fermented herring carries a weight in Swedish culture that goes far beyond the delicacy itself and it is an important part of the festive calendar in Sweden. The museum is set in the utterly delightful surrounding of Skeppmalens fishing village.
Perhaps, given its pungency, the soured herring museum should be in an open-air setting. Like Skansen open-air museum in Stockholm. This living, working Sweden of the 1900s hosts events, festivals and celebrations and spreads out across a large area dotted with farm building, mills, ‘olde worlde’ shops and a stunning wooden church. It also has a zoo that features elk, wolves, lynx and brown bears.
Indoors, this time and the very impressive Universeum in Gothenburg. This is a giant learning centre that encourages visitors to discover and learn about the natural sciences and technology. It is divided into seven zones, including a Rain Forest Zone and an Ocean Zone where you can see how sharks and reef creatures live and feed. These are just two of the seven zones that take you on a fascinating journey of discovery and learning. Kids love this place.
Around 1,400 km from Gothenburg, in the north of Sweden, lies the town of Jokkmokk and the Ájtte, Swedish Mountain and Sami Museum. This museum tells story of Lapland and the Sami, the indigenous Swedes and how they live and have survived for generations in this hostile, albeit beautiful land. There is much of interest to see and do here and it is well worth visiting.
Most Swedish museums are also great places to eat or have a coffee. Very often you can find funky postcards to send to the folks back home, or even buy some quality local handicraft.