You know about the reasonably priced home furnishings at IKEA and the addictive pop of ABBA, but do you really know Sweden?  A nation on the cutting edge of style, décor, and cuisine, Sweden has a thing or two to teach you on tour.  Take in the beauty of the 100,000 clear lakes, the never-ending forests that cover more than half the country, and the wonderful sandy beaches.  Delve into Viking history, and even encounter the Sami people, Sweden’s indigenous northerners.  There are fourteen islands to explore in Stockholm alone, and the rest of the big, beautiful nation will have you singing “Mamma Mia” right along with the pop sensations – My, my! How can you resist Sweden?

Vasa Ship Museum:  Visit the almost fully intact 17th-century ship, the Vasa, which sank on her maiden voyage in 1628, after sailing less than a mile.  The story of how the wreck was recovered is almost as entrancing as the ship herself.  Stockholm’s maritime museum is well worth a visit to the island of Djugården.

Uppsala Cathedral:  An hour from Stockholm is a university town with sightseeing galore.  The Uppsala Cathedral is the tallest building in Scandinavia, the seat of the Church of Sweden, and the burial site of many Swedish royals.  You feel pulled to an impromptu performance – it’s almost impossible to resist singing under the high, resonant ceiling.