Skip to main content
A woman is sitting on stone steps outdoors, reading a Stieg Larsson book in English.
Reading Stieg Larsson
Stieg Larsson was a relatively unknown writer when the Millennium trilogy was published. The books became an enormous success with readers all over the world.
Photo credit: Cecilia Larsson Lantz/Imagebank.sweden.se

Swedish crime fiction and Nordic noir

Swedish crime fiction books, TV series and movies are global hits. The settings and crime scenes are all here in Sweden.
Last updated 19 November 2020
Scenic view of the west coast archipelago at winter. The houses and islets are covered in frost and a little snow.
West coast archipelago
Winter sneaks up on the west coast archipelago. In the summertime a bustling tourist magnet, the archipelago quiets down in the winter, though many still visit (and live) there. The average precipitation in Sweden (including snow) is approximately 500–800 mm per year. On the west coast it is around 1,100 mm.
Photo: Per Pixel Petersson/imagebank.sweden.se

Literature

The big hitters of Swedish crime fiction literature are Stieg Larsson (Millennium Trilogy), Henning Mankell (Inspector Kurt Wallander) and Camilla Läckberg (The Ice Princess and The Stone Cutter). Having sold tens of millions of copies worldwide the books, film adaptations and TV series have put Stockholm, the southern town of Ystad and the fishing village of Fjällbacka on the Bohuslän coast on the map. 

And for fans wanting to walk in the footsteps of their favourite characters there are guided walking tours available in all three locations. 

A woman with a weaved basket sits in a park overlooking Lake Mälaren and Stockholm City Hall.
Monteliusvägen, Södermalm
From Ivar Los park at Monteliusvägen, Södermalm, you have a nice view over the City Hall and Kungsholmen.
Photo: Tove Freiij/imagebank.sweden.se

Film and TV

With the worldwide success of Swedish crime fiction, Hollywood came calling and several of the biggest selling books have been turned into films, such as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and major international TV hit Wallander. Not adapted from a book, blockbuster television hit The Bridge is a joint Swedish/Danish production set on both sides of the Öresund Bridge that connects Malmö with Copenhagen.  For fans there is The Bridge-themed bus tour of the city narrated by an expert, that takes in key locations and scenes from the television series.

Popular tours