We kicked off a travel series in January 2019 featuring traveling photographers from around the world (most recent feature here; to date, the list includes Italy, Canada, United States, Vanuatu, Iceland, Switzerland, France and Australia). We make no secret of the fact that we love travel. We love learning about other cultures. We love contributing to a smaller, more interactive space. With this in mind, we are going to be sharing local stories by local photographers from around the world throughout our posts this year.

This month’s feature takes us to beautiful Sweden and we are very excited about it! Lovely Evelyn, from Evelyn Wallin Photography, has been a pleasure to work with. Living in Australia and having no personal ties to Sweden, it is a bit of an obscure country for me (Em). I know that Swedes are great at social distancing but that was about the extent of my knowledge! I was thrilled when Evelyn joined in this project and could share about her stunning country with the inside information that only a local could. Thank you for joining in, Evelyn, and for sharing stories that make us want to experience your part of the world firsthand! Enjoy!

Tell us about where you live?

Hi there!

I live in Stockholm, Sweden - aka The Venice of the North. Why? Well, there are over 21 000 islands outside of Stockholm - and that’s pretty cool!

What makes your town/state/country unique?

It is a special place: not only because it is a clean city with lots of water surrounding it, but also because of the different seasons we get to experience. You can find Sweden covered in snow during winter. You can enjoy spring blossoms - a beautiful element of our springtime. During summer, we have all the beaches and outdoor bars and restaurants. Finally, you can also experience a blanket of autumn leaves in the open royal parks. Stunning to say the least! Also, Sweden is known for the open spaces in nature called Allemansrätten, which basically means the right for people to walk in nature almost everywhere!

If I traveled from the opposite side of the world, what should I visit in your country?

If you care to travel from the other side of the world, I would say to you to go backpacking on the boats visiting islands in the archipelago! Then take a plane up north to visit the Ice Hotel. Then go to the stunning island Gotland, an old coral reef which makes the entire island unique in terms of lights - but also it has zone 1 so everything grows there! Best place in the world!

Coffe or chai/tea?

Coffee maniac here and I would say that Drop Coffee has the best coffee in town!

Best breakfast café?

The best breakfast place is the champagne breakfast at Grand Hotel. Try their blueberry American pancakes - they are to die for!

Three reasons for why someone should visit your country?

Stockholm offers a brilliant experience for three reasons:

You can walk everywhere and just stop by great cafe, arty place or just have a picnic in a park
There is a long history to the city; you can easily go on a guided tour in the old town by the castle!
You can take a boat to one of the many islands and visit a distillery or a chocolate maker!

Any local legends?

There are many local celebrities from Sweden: Dag Hammarsköld, ABBA, Björn Borg and Ingmar Bergman, to name a few.

Train, bus or walk?

I would suggest walking when out and about but, having said that, buses and trains make getting to the different islands easy!

Best accommodation?

There are so many great hotels to choose from. Personally, I would suggest Grand Hotel or Kung Karl Hotel.

Must see vantage point?

On the South Island, you have an elevator called Katarinahissen. If you take it, you have a stunning view of the city and also access to a great restaurant and bar, Gondolen.

Most colorful character in your hometown?

Astrid Lindgren was born in Sweden and wrote Pippi Longstocking, among many other children’s stories!

Number one thing you miss when you’re away?

The water surroundings - I’m lucky to live here! And I would say being able to walk home during summer nights as it rarely ever gets dark!

You will find Evelyn here:

Instagram: @evelyn.wallin
Facebook: @EvelynWallinPhotography