A large village in the new forest, heavily aimed at tourists and offering various crafts, knick-knacks and speciality foods and drinks. Cafes and cosy pubs are easy to find, and numerous stores for unique (for a certain value of unique) gifts line the streets.

Sitting between Uppsala and Umea, Gävle is an old port city. It is the oldest city in historical Norrland, receiving its charter in 1446 from Christopher of Bavaria. With approximately 100,000 residents its one of Sweden's larger cities and is primary known for Gävlebocken, the Gävle Christmas Goat.

Trakai was previously the capital of Lithuania, and the Grand Duke used the heavily fortified castle as his base of operations. After the capital moved to Vilnius, the castle fell to ruins and was renovated, though not unobviously.

Vãsterås is Sweden's sixth largest city, sitting on the banks of a lake, filled with small islands Vãsterås comes alive during the summer months when boats and ferries run regularly out to the islands and water-sports are common. During the colder months, the town goes into hibernation. Many restaurants are closed on Sundays and the streets are empty during the morning.

During the summer Gotland comes alive as vacationing swedes come for their summer holidays on this small island off the coast of Stockholm. During the first week of August, the city is taken over by the Medieval Week, as events, demonstrations and tourists all pack the city, dressed in medieval garb and eating like their ancestors.

Once a refuge for outlaws during the Middle Ages, Tiveden National Park is now a sanctuary for nature lovers. Whether you're drawn to the towering 15-metre boulder known as the Junker Jägare's stone or the serene forest trails, Tiveden offers a unique blend of history and natural beauty.

The town seems much larger than it is when you first start looking around, partly because it is so tourist focused and so there are a lot of bars, restaurants and cafes squeezed into a few blocks by the ferry terminal, and partly because everything in the town is centred around the ferry.

Helsingør, also known as Elsinore, is a port city in eastern Denmark. Overlooking the Øresund strait, the 15th-century Kronborg Castle provided the setting for Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” On the pier is “Han,” a polished steel sculpture of a man.

Tucked away in the bay of Skälderviken, in the north-western corner of Scania, Sweden, you'll find the quaint locality of Arild. With a population of just over 500, Arild is a gem of a place that's steeped in history and natural beauty. The village is nestled on the mountainous shoreline of the Kullen peninsula, offering breathtaking views and a unique coastal charm. The heart of Arild beats around its small harbour and the Arilds Chapel, both of which date back centuries. The village is also a haven for artists, with its picturesque landscapes serving as the perfect muse.

The Höga Kusten guide book describes Ullånger thus: "The section ends in Ullånger where you can find a wide selection of services. There is a grocery store, café, specialist shops and handicrafts." This is technically true, but highly misleading.

Örnsköldsvik, often shortened to just Övik, is a charming locality in Västernorrland County, Sweden. Known for its natural harbour and archipelago in the Gulf of Bothnia, it's a place where nature and industry coexist. The city is renowned as an exporter of pulp and paper products and heavy machinery goods, but also for its strong environmental record. It's a place where you can feel the pulse of industry, yet also find tranquillity in the surrounding nature. The city's history is rich, with traces of human activity dating back to the Nordic Bronze Age.

I stopped in Katrineholms for a few hours in between connections to Gothenburg. I'd originally planned to only have thirty minutes there, but once I'd finished at the Parken Zoo in Eskilstuna, there wasn't much keeping me there, so I thought I'd see a bit more of Katrineholms.

Tuna is a tiny place outside of Eskilstuna (which was itself originally called just Tuna) and is a retail park, the Zoo and amusement park and an ancient castle. Tuna itself has a population of under three hundred people.

Not the famous Mora of Sweden where the knives are made, this tiny town in Södermanland has an ancient rune stone.

There is iron everywhere in Eskilstuna. In the soul of the city. Full of swords and steel. Nicknamed Stålstaden, there are traces of the dying smelting and manufacturing everywhere. The city guideposts for tourists are constructed of curved steel, the curbs in the Munktel factory area are all metal beams riveted to the street. Everywhere you look, there are subtle and not-so-subtle signs of the cities pride in its smelting history.

Älmhult is a peculiar place. As the birthplace of IKEA, it has slowly been subsumed but the company it created. The town is not very big any more, but the Ikea campus on the other side of the train tracks (and the huge Stena factory) dominate the landscape.

Stopping in Ryd town is likely a matter of necessity rather than desire for a traveller. It is a tiny village with a population of under 1,500. Despite this, it has three distinct pizza restaurants, an ICA and two Godis shops. There appear to be no other restaurants, cafes or bars nearby.

Växjö gives the impression of being larger than it actually is. With a population of under 70,000 people, it is smaller than Halmstad, but the combination of the large lake in the town center, the sports arena and a sizeable shopping district gives it the impression of being a much larger location.

Umeå is a university town. As such, it has a good number of decent bars and restaurants for its size. Overall it is a small town of about 120,000 people. Most shops can be found within a few blocks of each other, but there are several large shopping malls in that space, no doubt because of the heavy snow that falls for half of the year, making indoor shopping a preference.

Old Uppsala is a trove of Viking history, featuring a museum, and a series of long walks to see the Thing, old churches and other history. A short bus ride from Uppsala itself, it is a vital thing to visit