5 Cities To Visit In Sweden That Aren’t Called Stockholm
Småland Campers
23.06.2026
∼ 8 min. read
Credits: Per Pixel Petersson/imagebank.sweden.se
There’s no point in arguing: Stockholm is Sweden’s headline act: It’s the capital, the arrival point for most travellers, and its where we’re based at Småland Campers. But don’t be fooled into thinking there’s nothing else to see and nowhere else to visit in this Scandinavian gem. Sweden is the fifth largest country in Europe by land area, making it ripe road trip material, with plenty of other large and characterful cities to visit. So once you’ve taken in the architecture of Gamla Stan and the Royal Palace, why not collect your campervan and hit the road, making your way to some of Sweden’s lesser-visited cities?
The joy of a campervan journey is that you can travel at your own pace, visiting as many or as few places as you wish, lingering however long you like and knowing that you’ve always got a place to rest your head. With Sweden’s right of public access (Allemansrätten), you’ve got even more freedom to explore Sweden how you like.
In this guide, we’re going to focus on five of the best cities to visit in Sweden that aren’t Stockholm: the second city of Gothenburg, coastal Malmö with its links to Denmark and Copenhagen, historic and riverside Uppsala, Arctic Kiruna and medieval Visby, located on an island in the Baltic Sea. Each has it’s own charm, and each is perfectly reachable on a campervan road trip from Stockholm: even Visby, thanks to a regular ferry service.
So, reach for your seatbelt and a flask of coffee, and let us at Småland Campers take you on a journey across Sweden. Ready to book your own campervan adventure? Visit Småland Campers today.
Table of contents
5 Cities To Visit In Sweden That Aren’t Called Stockholm
Gothenburg
Located on Sweden’s south-west coast, Gothenburg is the country’s second city and it has a notably different feel to Stockholm. World-class seafood restaurants, a walkable canal network and historic architecture combine to make this one of the best places to visit in Sweden.
Credits: Per Pixel Petersson/imagebank.sweden.se
Best Things To Do In Gothenburg
Gothenburg is a very walkable city, and exploring on foot is one of the top ways to take it all in. Leafy streets and the city’s canal network make for a pleasant walk, and Gothenburg is famous for its green space. Slottsskogen is the main city park, home to a zoo, playgrounds and walking trails, and the Gothenburg Botanical Garden is one of the largest in Europe.
The Haga district is one of the city’s oldest areas, and its pedestrian street, Haga Nygata, is a particular highlight. Well-preserved historic buildings line the street, many constructed in classic Gothenburg style: “landshövdingehus”. This is when one floor is made from brick and the rest in wood. Today, these buildings house all manner of independent cafes and shops.
For panoramic views, one of the best things to do in Gothenburg is to make your way up to Skansen Kronan, the old fortress perched above the city. If you’re short on time or just passing through Gothenburg on your road trip, this is a great way to take everything in.
Just off the coast of the city lies a collection of islands, divided into the northern and southern archipelagos. The southern archipelago in particular is worth visiting, as it’s car free and home to quaint villages, nature reserves and beaches. You can leave your campervan in the city and make use of public transport to the islands of Styrsö, Brännö and Vrångö.
Good to know: If you’re visiting Gothenburg by campervan, don’t miss Bohuslän. This beautiful coastal region is not far from the city and is perfect for a scenic detour, with fishing villages, rocky islands and some of Sweden’s best seaside views
Getting Around Gothenburg And Staying In A Campervan
Staying just outside the city centre is a good way to camp in Gothenburg, as parking is less restricted and you’ll still be able to reach everything by public transport or on foot. As one of Sweden’s larger cities, Gothenburg is also a good place to stock up on supplies before you continue your journey.
Getting to Gothenburg from Stockholm is quite straightforward: it’s a 470 kilometre drive, which will take around five hours with no stops. The journey is mostly on smooth and well-maintained motorways and can easily be broken up with a stop at Lake Vänern for a leg-stretching walk.
Malmö
Malmö is Sweden’s third largest city, home to 365,000 people. It’s further south than Gothenburg and is much more international than the rest of Sweden, which probably isn’t surprising given it’s location: the nearest city to Malmö is Copenhagen, in Denmark!
Credits: Werner Nystrand/Folio/imagebank.sweden.se
Best Things To Do In Malmö
Malmö is a cycle-friendly city, with more than 515 kilometres of bike paths, so renting a bike and exploring on two wheels is a great way to take in the sights. The modern Western Harbour area is a good place to start, dominated by Malmö attractions including the Turning Torso, an iconic twisting skyscraper that’s become quite the city landmark. The surrounding waterfront is a nice place for a stroll, offering views back to Øresund Bridge – this engineering landmark connects Denmark and Sweden.
Sweden is hardly a top beach destination, I’ll admit. But Malmö is about as far south as you can go, so during the warm summer months, Ribersborg Beach attracts travellers and locals alike to swim, sunbathe and enjoy that “city beach” feeling that can only be found in a few cities around the world.
Like Gothenburg, Malmö is also a very green city. A walk in Kungsparken or Slottsparken is one of the best things to do in Malmö after a drive, and they both sit close to the Malmöhus Castle complex which is worth a visit. And you can’t come to Malmö without a walk through Gamla Staden, the Old Town. Home to cobbled streets and historic architecture, it’s dominated by Lilla Torg square.
Getting Around Malmö And Staying In A Campervan
It’s pretty easy to drive around Malmö, but like with all big cities, parking in the very centre can be tricky. Especially if you’ve got bikes to get around on, you may find it easier to park near the more open waterfront or in the quieter areas of the city and head into town on foot or by bike.
Malmö is about 615 kilometres from Stockholm, so it’s a longer drive than Gothenburg, usually 6 or 7 hours. You could break the journey up with a day in Gothenburg, or perhaps head into the southern region of Småland (where we get our name from) to enjoy a natural paradise of forests and lakes as you journey between cities.
Make It a Southern Sweden Road Trip: A visit to Malmö can easily be combined with our “Magical Stones Down South” itinerary. Follow Sweden’s south-east coastline through Kalmar, Karlskrona, Åhus and Kivik before reaching Ale’s Stones in Skåne — then continue on to Malmö for a perfect city finish to your campervan adventure.
Kiruna
Kiruna is the most northernmost city in Sweden, located 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle in Swedish Lapland. It’s famous for the Northern Lights, but the city’s roads are tricky to navigate in winter, so for a campervan adventure, you may be better to visit this unique location in summer.
Credits: Jann Lipka/imagebank.sweden.se
Best Things To Do In Kiruna
Surrounded by dense forests, marshes, mountains and lakes, Kiruna is a summer paradise for adventure enthusiasts: hiking, fishing, and cycling are just some of the activities on offer. Blessed by midnight sun during the summer months, visitors can experience the wonder of a never-setting sun and almost 24 hours of daylight – 3am hike, anyone? Kiruna is also not far from Abisko National Park, one of the best-preserved natural landscapes anywhere in Scandinavia.
Kiruna is the gateway to the Arctic, and so a winter visit can be tempting, especially with the incredible Northern Lights to witness. If you wish to visit Kiruna by road at this time of year, just make sure you take precautions: winter tyres and essential equipment including supplies for a breakdown, a shovel, first aid kit and a power bank for your phone.
If you’re up for the challenge, then Kiruna offers typical winter activities like snowmobiling, dog sledding and cross-country skiing. Staying in a glass igloo is another of the best things to do in Kiruna, especially if you don’t mind a night outside of your campervan: they’re the warmest and most comfortable way to see the Northern Lights.
Kiruna itself is an interesting place. Due to excessive mining, the city has been forced to shapeshift, with buildings including Kiruna Church being relocated to more sturdy ground, ground unaffected by mining activities. And Kiruna is a great place to learn more about the indigenous Sami people, who have their roots in the Scandinavian Arctic.
Getting Around Kiruna And Staying In A Campervan
When it comes to camping in Kiruna, the key is to pack warm. Even in summer, temperatures only just creep into the mid-teens (Centigrade), whilst in winter, it can get as cold as -20°C. If exploring Kiruna in winter, making use of designated campsites and their facilities is a good idea: Ripan, Alta Kiruna and Caroli are all decent options to consider. In summer, you have more flexibility.
Kiruna is around 1,200 kilometres from Stockholm, so you’ll want to spread the drive over at least two days. This can be a great way to head into the lesser-visited towns and cities of central Sweden along the way.
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Uppsala
The university city of Uppsala is Sweden’s fourth largest, and with its close proximity to Stockholm, it’s an easy city to build into any Sweden itinerary. It’s a historic place, with ancient burial grounds and a Viking past, well worth a visit for those with an interest in Scandinavian history.
Credits: Emmie Bolmstedt/imagebank.sweden.se
Best Things To Do In Uppsala
It’s nicknamed by some as the “Cambridge of Sweden” in reference to one of the UK’s top two university cities. And like Cambridge, Uppsala is incredibly historic. The medieval core is home to all sorts of attractions, including Sweden’s oldest botanical garden, a series of Viking rune stones and Carolina Rediviva Bibliotek, the university library. Overlooking the town is Uppsala Castle with its magnificent panoramic views, and a stroll along the River Fyris, which cuts through town, is another of the best things to do in Uppsala.
Other landmarks include the 13th century cathedral and the burial mounds of Gamla Uppsala. These require a short drive away from the town centre, but are well worth the mileage: these 300 burial mounds are the subject of all sorts of myths and legends.
Getting Around Uppsala And Staying In A Campervan
Whilst getting to and around Kiruna can be tricky, Uppsala is the easiest place on this list to reach from Stockholm, with a journey of only 70 kilometres. It’s way less hectic than the capital too, with quiet edges where you can park and reach the compact centre easily: it’s no wonder so many Swedes move to Uppsala to live a relaxed life, whilst commuting into Stockholm to work.
Visby (Gotland)
Visby is perhaps the place you didn’t expect to see on this list, but it’s one of the best cities to visit in Sweden. Located on the island of Gotland, it’s straight out of a fairytale, and once you’ve crossed the Baltic Sea, you will feel like you’ve left Sweden altogether.
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Credits: Tina Axelsson/imagebank.sweden.se
Best Things To Do In Visby
The highlight of UNESCO-listed Visby is undoubtedly the 3.4 kilometre city wall, the ringmuren, which surrounds the Old Town and is the best-preserved city wall in Scandinavia. It features towers and other features dating to the 12th century. You can even walk along this city wall for impressive views of the city and the Baltic Sea.
St Mary’s Cathedral is a medieval architectural highlight, whilst the ruined skeleton of St. Nicolai Church is arguably even more impressive. If you are interested in Visby’s history, then the Gotland Museum delves into the city’s Viking past and is also home to the largest hoard of silver ever found in Europe.
Whilst exploring Visby, getting out of the town is also worth it, and easy if travelling by campervan! Högklint Nature Reserve offers excellent hiking trails, whilst a short ferry to the smaller Faro Island rewards you with empty beaches and its unique limestone rock formations.
Getting Around Visby And Staying In A Campervan
It goes without saying that to get to Visby with a campervan, you’ll need to take the ferry: services are affordable and regular, with the quickest routes departing from Oskarshamn or Nynäshamn. When reaching Visby itself, you’re best to park your campervan outside the medieval centre, which wasn’t designed with such large vehicles in mind: Visby is better explored on foot, anyway.
Take the Scenic Route Around Gotland: The island is made for slow travel, so don’t rush your visit to Visby. With a campervan from us, you can turn it into a full island adventure, continuing along the coast to quiet beaches, limestone sea stacks, small fishing villages and peaceful nature spots that show a completely different side of Sweden. Check out our Ultimate Gotland Road Trip itinerary.
Conclusion
Your Swedish campervan adventure with Småland Campers will begin in Stockholm, and it’s important that you spend some time in the capital to take in all its best bits. But the point of this article was to show that there’s more to Sweden than Stockholm, and a campervan road trip is the best way to take it all in. Uppsala, Gothenburg and Malmö are easily combined on a trip without the need for huge driving days. A wild adventure to the Arctic Circle and Kiruna is possible with a bit more time, whilst Visby and the island of Gotland are less often visited by foreign travelers, but well worth the extra effort required. With a campervan, you can travel under your own steam and in comfort, with everything you need onboard and the ability to plan your route as you go, and discover Sweden’s best secrets.