About Us
Why We Built
Why We Built
Coldcation
We went to Sweden to escape the heat. We never really came back.
A Coldcation is a holiday designed around cool air, clean nature and lower temperatures — the deliberate opposite of the traditional beach holiday. We coined the term. Sweden provides the destination.
Two weeks in South Europe. Forty-two degrees. Sunburned, sleep-deprived, slightly dehydrated. "Refreshed," we told people, because what else do you say.
The following summer, on a whim, we booked a cabin near Dalarna instead. Within three days, we understood something we hadn't before: the purpose of a holiday isn't to endure heat, it's to restore yourself. And Sweden — with its extraordinary nature, mild air, and the constitutional right to roam freely through any land in the country — is one of the world's most effective places to do exactly that.
You may have searched for a coolcation, a cool holiday, an escape the heat holiday or even an escape45 trip — a shorthand for escaping the brutal 45°C summers that are increasingly common below the 45th parallel. Whatever you called it, you were searching for what we now call a Coldcation. And the answer, consistently, is Sweden.
It works in winter too. The Alps, which once meant guaranteed snow, have become unreliable as winters warm — thin cover, patchy slopes, artificial snow. Swedish Lapland delivers deep, reliable snow from December through March, plus the Northern Lights, the ICEHOTEL and dog sledding through silent birch forests. A winter Coldcation is its own complete argument.
Coldcation.se is the guide to both: the summer escape from heat and the winter escape into real cold. Sweden does both better than almost anywhere. Start with the destinations overview, read about Allemansrätten — the right that makes Sweden uniquely accessible — or go straight to planning your trip.
Every guide on Coldcation is written by people who have been there. We don't publish destinations we haven't visited, and we don't take payment to recommend places.
We live and travel in the region we write about. Our knowledge of Sweden comes from years of visits in every season — not from press trips or tourism board briefings.
Coldcation has been covering Sweden travel since 2021, with content that spans summer islands, winter Lapland, autumn foraging and everything between. We update articles regularly and correct errors fast.
Every destination, activity and restaurant recommendation on this site has been personally experienced by the person writing about it. We don't fill guides with places we haven't been.
We earn revenue through clearly marked affiliate links. This never influences what we recommend — we only link to products and services we would use ourselves. Our editorial judgement is not for sale.
Lead Writer & Founder
Based in Skåne since 2011. Has been travelling around Sweden — coast, lakes, forests and mountains — for over fifteen years across every season. Covers southern Sweden, the west coast and food culture as primary subjects, with regular winter trips to Lapland and Åre for the skiing and Northern Lights coverage. Speaks Swedish. Has personally visited every region and most of the specific restaurants, trails and accommodation options written about on this site. No press trips accepted; every recommendation comes from personal spending.
Editor & Destinations
Grew up in Östergötland and has spent over twenty years navigating Sweden by train, bike and on foot. Covers the Stockholm archipelago, the lake district and Sámi culture — destinations he has returned to repeatedly across different seasons to ensure the guides stay accurate. Every destination article goes through a factual review process: transport times, opening hours, pricing and seasonal access are all verified before publication. If something on this site is wrong, David is the person who hears about it first and fixes it.
Reach us directly at info@coldcation.se — for press enquiries, partnerships or general questions about the site.
Every article on Coldcation starts with a personal visit. We take notes on the ground — specific prices from specific restaurants, transport times from specific stations, water temperatures at specific beaches. We photograph what we find. We eat where we say to eat. We swim where we say to swim. We sleep where we say to sleep, or we don't recommend the place.
When we write about a train journey taking three hours, that is because we have taken that train and it took three hours. When we give a price range for accommodation, that is from current booking searches cross-referenced with personal experience of what is and isn't worth the money. We do not use tourism board quotes. We do not rewrite press releases. We do not aggregate other travel sites and call it a guide.
Articles are updated when prices change, when businesses close, when new options open, or when a reader contacts us to report an error. We take corrections seriously — there is a direct email on the contact page and it is read by a real person.
Affiliate links are used throughout the site and are always marked as such. They do not influence what we recommend or how we describe things — a bad hotel stays a bad hotel regardless of whether it pays a commission. Our independence is the only thing that makes this site useful.
Coldcation exists to make the case for Sweden as a travel destination — and specifically to argue that cool, clean, uncrowded and genuinely restorative holidays are better than the mainstream alternative. We write for people who are done with overheated beach resorts and who want something that leaves them feeling restored rather than depleted.
We cover Sweden in detail because we know it well, and because no other travel resource gives it the attention it deserves. Our guides are written to be genuinely useful — not to drive clicks, generate ad impressions or fill search engine quota. If a guide on Coldcation doesn't help you plan a better trip, it hasn't done its job.
We update content when things change. We correct mistakes when they're reported. Every guide on this site is written, edited and fact-checked by people who have personally been to the places they're describing — the experience comes first, the writing follows.
Coldcation attracts an international audience of quality-conscious, environmentally aware travellers who are actively researching and planning travel to Sweden. Our readers are engaged, intentional and ready to book.
To discuss rates and packages, use the contact form below or email us directly at info@coldcation.se
Coldcation.se uses affiliate links and sponsored content to generate revenue. This means that when you click certain links and make a purchase or booking, we earn a small commission – at absolutely no extra cost to you.
We are registered with several affiliate programs including Booking.com, GetYourGuide, and select Swedish tourism businesses. We only recommend businesses and services we have personally used or thoroughly researched.
Sponsored content is clearly labeled. Our editorial opinions are never for sale.
Booking a trip to Sweden? We use and recommend these services.
Affiliate links — we earn a small commission when you book, at no extra cost to you.
Whether you want to advertise, pitch a story idea, or just say hi after a great trip to Sweden – we'd love to hear from you.