Travel during Corona Times

Travel safely

Corona-safe and sustainable ways of travelling in Uppsala county

Corona has been around for over a year now. And even though Sweden’s approach is a bit more relaxed than other countries, travelling outside of Sweden or even your area is not recommended. That’s why I am going to write about some Corona-safe holidays activities you can still do, right in front of your door!

Hiking always sounded something that required mountains and was primarily done by elderly persons. That is definitely not the case! Uppsala county has some beautiful nature reserves in which you can follow many different paths, the most prominent one being the Upplandsleden . Upplandsleden covers 400km of hiking paths all around Uppsala city with good bus connections to further away places. It is very well marked and difficult to get off the paths (even though I managed once because it was getting dark and I forgot to bring a torch..)

If you are new to hiking, you can always just pour a thermos full of delicious coffee and take some Fika with you to enjoy a small hike in the beautiful nature of Uppsala and Uppsala county.

You probably heard about the Allemansrätten that exists in Scandinavia. Everyone is allowed to hike, camp, and pick berries and mushrooms in nature! Keep in mind that you do leave no trash and do not disturb the wildlife. Apart from that, I can really recommend to go and grab a tent, sleeping mat and sleeping bag and try it yourself! Upplandsleden has some round-trips that can be done in two or three days or you go by public transport and walk from bus stop to bus stop via the Upplandsleden.

My biggest tip is to check out naturkartan.se. Select Upplandsledens naturkarta or Uppsala läns naturkarta to see some more local tips. There you can see all the hiking paths and even water places, camping places, fireplaces, wind shields, and the best parts: free cabins! You read correctly, Uppsala län provides some free cabins where you can sleep with a roof on your head, fire up the fireplace and cook on it, light some candles and play card games. They have a big campfire place outside of the cabins, so you can enjoy some grilled marshmallows as well.

Florana is a nature reserve north of Uppsala with some really nice forests and wetlands. Within the nature reserve are three cabins in which you can sleep, but also fireplaces with nice places to pitch your tent, if you feel a bit more adventurous. Be aware that the closest bus stop is a bit further away, so you’ll need to walk more than 10km in one day.

So, tie your comfortable walking shoes, and go for a hike!

Tabea Haverkamp