Soft adventures – all the adventure, less of the effort

Sweden’s cold bath houses are an institution and they range from the traditional to the bracingly modern, from spa-style luxury to simple wooden sheds on lakes. Gothenburg boasts perhaps the most modern variant, with the corrugated iron ‘Sauna in Frihamnen’ that rises out of the harbour like a scene from a science fiction film. You could barely get more traditional than Malmö’s Ribersborgs Kallbadhus, opened in 1914, where you can get sweaty facing the Copenhagen skyline before leaping into the water. Centralbadet, on one of Stockholm’s main shopping streets, Drottninggatan, offers a luxurious sauna but it’s worth a visit for its art nouveau architecture alone.

At Hellasgården, a 15-minute bus ride away from Stockholm’s centre, you can sauna with locals before jumping into the lake (through a hole in the ice in wintertime). Hellasgården is also a popular place to go ice skating or cross-country skiing in winter. You can hire the gear there. In summer, you can simply walk, jog or cycle around its forest trails, and also hire kayaks. It might be more fun however, to hire kayaks in the city centre. In Stockholm, head to Kayak Shop on the island of Djurgården, Kungsholmen’s Rålis Kayak or Långholmen Kayak on the island of Långholmen. All three make great starting points for getting a duck’s eye view of central Stockholm and its medieval Gamla Stan. Långholmen also offers two of the best swimming spots in the city.

In Gothenburg, hire kayaks or Stand Up Paddling boards (SUPs) at Kajakbryggan in the city centre. Lake Rådasjön is popular with ice-skaters as are the ponds in the main city park Slottsskogen. In summer, the public pool by the sauna in Frihamnen is an unforgettable place for a dip.

In Malmö, you can hire open canoes at the Malmö Canoe Club in Kungsparken, pedal boats near Gustaf Adolfs Torg, and electric picnic boats from Goboat Malmö near the station.

Cycling is another excellent way to see Sweden’s cities, taking you through parks, along canals and waterfronts. In Stockholm you can hire a ride at Rent a Bike at the dock of Strandvägen or Cykelstället on Kungsholmen. In Gothenburg, rent bikes at Cykelkungen or Rent a Bike, and enjoy the main city park, Slottsskogen.