There is so much more to souvenir shopping in Sweden than Ikea’s DIY knick-knacks and plastic ABBA tat. Sweden is a country with tonnes of bucket-list-worthy experiences to offer visitors and how better to make the memories of your trip last longer, than to find the perfect little physical reminder? It’s easy to get overwhelmed when seeking out the ultimate memento as the options are seemingly endless, so to help you avoid picking something that could come from any country’s airport, we’ve created a list of our favourite souvenirs from Sweden that will remind you of the things that made your trip great.
- Fun and fashionable Clogs
- Useful Kitchen Utensils
- Authentic Dala Horses
- The fiery and festive Yule Goat
- Bountiful berries
- Classic confectionary
1
Fun and fashionable Clogs
When you travel to a country that’s nearly seventy percent forest, it would be a missed opportunity to leave without an example of the many crafts that draw from this bountiful natural resource. The traditional wooden clog has worldwide variations in antiquity, but the only one that fits the trends of contemporary fashion is the so-called ‘Swedish Clog’, with a wooden sole and leather top. This stylish unisex shoe is naturally available from many retailers in its titular country, so a small part of the woods of Sweden can accompany you, even after you leave.
2
Useful Kitchen Utensils
You can never have too many wooden spoons, especially hand carved and handcrafted ones, making them one of the best souvenirs from Sweden. You probably won’t find a Swedish souvenir shop that doesn’t sell wooden utensils and in typical Swedish fashion, they tend to be minimalistic, practical, and high-quality. For those with a taste for the authentic, a little more searching might offer hand-carved wooden forks, knives, and bowls, painted with traditional designs.
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Authentic Dala Horses
For a dash of Pagan witchcraft and Viking history, keep an eye out (it won’t be hard) for the Dala Horse, a symbol of strength and courage to many Swedes. These colourfully painted and hand-crafted wooden creatures will brighten your home the same way it has the Swedes’ since the 17th century. The simple design and intricate patterns based on local flowers was made popular with the rest of the world when a giant Dala horse was exhibited outside the New York World Exhibition in 1939. You will not surprise anyone back home if you bring them Dala horse from Sweden, but you may disappoint them if you don’t.
4
The fiery and festive Yule Goat
There are multiple stories about the origins of the importance of the Yule Goat (Julbocken) Christmas traditions in Sweden. Does it come from the evolution of folktales of St Nicholas taming a goat-shaped spirit who would ensure Christmas ran smoothly? Or is it simply the result of a tradition of slaughtering a goat around Christmas? Either way, the global reach of Father Christmas has mostly eclipsed the gift-giving Julbocken, but the tradition still remains in Gävlebocken. Every December, the city of Gävle erects Sweden’s most famous, and largest Yule Goat. This wooden behemoth is not only famous for its size – for over 50 years, the poor goat has met a fiery fate 31 times. With the Yule Goat playing such a large part in so many Swede’s Christmas traditions, a bleating souvenir would be a memorable take home. The tiny wooden Christmas goat ornaments adorned with scarlet-red ribbons are available throughout Sweden and will remind you of these fascinating festivities every time you see the little horned figure on your Christmas tree.
5
Bountiful berries
Lingonberries grow wild in Sweden and are an essential part of Swedish cuisine of all kinds. Believe it or not, the berries are not deliberately cultivated on a large scale; in August and September, Sweden’s woodlands and moorlands are overflowing with these ruby red berries, and just like their ancestors, Swedes head out to harvest the fruit. Lingonberry jams make excellent souvenirs from Sweden, but if you arrive in the right season, the berries themselves are sold cheaply and are a much rarer treat for those unlucky to live outside their natural home. Despite their attractive appearance, be sure to look up a recipe as they are quite bitter when eaten raw, but pair perfectly with Swedish potato cakes and of course the infamous meatballs.
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Classic confectionary
Sweden loves its sweets (godis in Swedish). At a rate of consumption of nearly 33 pounds per capita in 2020, their love for chocolate and confectionery is among the highest in the world. The habit is firmly entrenched in Swedish culture: fredagsmys, is the tradition of choosing sweets from the pick-and-mix sweet shop after school or work on a Friday and on Saturdays Swedes indulge in their spoils, known as lördagsgodis. If you can stop yourself from eating your sugary treats before you get home, they make great sweet souvenirs from Sweden for any sweet tooths back home. Bilar is one of our favourite Swedish sweet treats and with the word itself meaning ‘car’, it’ll be no surprise that these are marshmallow-like, car-shaped sweets. Lakridfiskar or Swedish Fish are of course another favourite, boasting sweet or salty liquorice flavours and shaped like little black fish. Polkagris (Swedish rock) is a particularly good souvenir to stash in your suitcase and looks rather familiar to their German cousin, the candy cane. While they also offer classic peppermint rock, adventurous travellers can try flavours such as mojito, gin and tonic, and even strawberries and champagne.