Today I was asked by a woman who was curious about Sweden in particular and she asked a question that made me start this article. Today is the 23rd of May 2023 and I thought of putting together a page here about reasons to go to Sweden and WWOOF? I myself am Swedish and since I initiated the non-profit association WWOOF Sweden I have also wwoofed on most continents around the world, so I have gained some perspective on different ways of living life in the countryside. So that this doesn’t turn into an anxiety project with performance anxiety as a guiding light, I’m going to start a little today and then publish it without thinking too much about how I spelled or what I got into the article, but instead, I’m going to complete the text during the year when I have some time to spare and when I get some inspiration.
If you don’t like the written text I suggest that you start by browsing the host list and check out each host’s photo galleries. https://wwoof.se/en/hosts
Or sign up for a webinar and you’ll get to meet up with me in person and we’ll talk about your questions about WWOOFing in Sweden in person. Having said that I will now start making my list here below.
- The first thing that came to my mind is of course Allemansrätten, the unique Swedish law that means that everyone should have access to nature, all nature. See this clip to understand more. Sweden is 1,500 km tall from Smygehuk in the very south and trerikröset in the very far north. In Sweden, it is everyone’s legal right to roam freely in nature, light a small fire by a lake and pitch your tent. It provides great opportunities to, for example, cycle or train for a relatively small cost but with large areas to explore.
- I mentioned camping by a small lake. The largest lake is called Vänern, but it is far from alone. Sweden is one of the most lake-dense countries in the world with over 100,000 lakes, not to mention that we have Europe’s longest coastline. In Sweden, you are not allowed to build houses along the beach because it too must be accessible to everyone, including you! You can of course find the occasional fishing shack at the shoreline, but the idea is that everyone should be able to get to the beach without being stopped by someone who claims to own the beach. If you want to fish, there are fishing licenses to buy in places where fishing is regulated, but it is often possible to catch a perch or mackerel and grill it over the fire without paying a penny.
- Traveling by bus and train is also very good as there are bus connections throughout the country. Buy tickets in time and they cost less. Ask your farm host to help you with tickets to the WWOOF farm, often you can download an app and buy the ticket online.
- Language, the majority of Swedes speak frequently good English but our own language is called Swedish or Svenska in Swedish.
Here I pause my writing, and will continue writing when I have a little more time. If you don’t have time to wait, you can take a look at visitsweden.se where you will find more information about Sweden.
Click the upper right corner to register as a WWOOFer in Sweden or start by browsing the host list for free https://wwoof.se/en/hosts and decide later on if you would like to choose Sweden as your next WWOOFing destination.
