Sweden is ideal if you’d like to ride deep in nature through wildly unspoilt wilderness with endless forest and bountiful lakes. This is a large country, about twice the size of the UK, but sparsely populated leaving an unspoilt wilderness of endless forests and bountiful lakes (96,000!) to discover on your horseback holiday riding local Swedish cold blood horses. We can offer you a trail ride with camping or a based stay and can accommodate the heavier rider, single riders, families and mixed groups of riders and non-riders.
Sweden, a Nordic country, sits on the Scandiavian Penisular in Northern Europe. It has borders with Norway to the west, Finland to the north east and Denmark via the Oresund Bridge in the south west. However, Sweden's largest border is with the sea - the Baltic Sea to the east and the smaller straits of Skaggerak and Kattegat to the south west. With a coastline of 6760 kilometres Sweden is blessed with hundreds of glorious beaches.
Over the years Sweden had somewhat fluid borders as it gained and lost land to its neighbours, Finland and Norway, but it finally stabilised and is now the peaceful country we know - neutral in wars and independent in foreign policy. It has a fine democracy, as clearly demostrated in its recent European Union 'no' vote, with a constituitional monarchy - along the lines of the UK. The Swedes have a liberal, laid-back approach to life and of-course produce some excellent pop stars!
Thanks to the Gulf Stream, Sweden has a warmer climate that most people expect. In fact the resorts on the south coast can be as hot as those in Southern Europe. The summers in Sweden may be rather short but north of the Artic Circle is the land of the midnight sun where it never gets dark. Midsummer's Day, June 21st, is well celebrated throughout Sweden. Winters may seem long and dark but they are also very beautiful with crisp snow, frozen lakes and air so clean and, if you are lucky, regular sightings of the spectacular Northern Lights. Swedish winters provide a paradise for winter sports enthusiasts - particularly cross country skiing and ice skating.
Sweden's capital, Stockholme, is a collection of islands. It is a very beautiful city and well worth a visit to take in its old Baroque town and its excellent architecture. But it's in central and northern Sweden that you'll find the landscape of huge pristine forests, sparkling lakes and even mountains. You may be lucky enough to spot bears, lynx, moose, golden eagles and reindeer here.
Unicorn has several superb horse riding holidays in Sweden to offer you.
Lapland Summer Trail - Sweden
This Swedish horseback holiday is even further north than the Arctic Circle. It is a magical trail ride in the Kebnekaise mountains of Lapland - in the far north of Sweden and Norway. Very few people venture to this remote but stunning location. Trails are a bonus for single riders as it's a great way to holiday, join in and make new friends. The focus of this riding vacation is the horse, riding, nature, weather and food and to transport you physically and mentally a long way away from the stress of everyday life. Here you will ride even tempered Icelandic horses. This holiday is perfect for adventurous riders, happy to camp out in the amazing nature that will surround you. Sit around a campfire, learn about the Sami culture and sleep in a lávvu which is a Sami tent. Ride up in the mountains with great views. You will ride mainly in pathless terrain or on small paths which means the riding is quite slow. If you would like a day of riding faster then we can offer the Grand Lapland Summer Trail - where we have added an extra day to the Lapland Summer Trail. On this first day, before we start the standard holiday, we ride west in the direction of Kebnekaise with fast riding and ideal places to tölt. Accommodation on this first night is a cabin in Nikkaluokta.
So if you don't mind foresaking luxury for true adventure and exquisite nature then this equine holiday in Sweden is waiting for you.
Winter Wonderland - Sweden
Spend an adventurous and varied week on your hosts beautiful farm near lake Kalix, in the pristine natural landscape just west of Kiruna. This is the land of the Sami people, with whom you will spend part of the week as they guide you through their homeland and share with you their culture and knowledge passed down by their forefathers. We also offer this ride as a short break.
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