Sweden, unlike much of the rest of Europe, remains fairly stabilized. It is not a land of violent upheavals and changes, and has maintained more or less the same hotels and sightseeing attractions as it did at the turn of the 20th century.
Although part of the European Union, Sweden has opted -- at least for the moment -- to keep its time-honored currency, the Swedish krona, going along with the policies set by its neighbors, Norway and Denmark. Of all the Scandinavian countries, only Finland has opted to abandon the Finnish mark and go under the euro umbrella.
The one event that has had the greatest impact on Sweden as it moves deeper into the 21st century is the opening of the Øresund Bridge, that 16km (10-mile) motor and railway link that links Sweden to Denmark. Of course, pre-bridge Swedes who wanted to visit Denmark could easily take a trip over there by boat -- perhaps via a link between Helsingborg, a west coast Swedish city, and Helsing¿r in Denmark (famed for its so-called Hamlet's Castle).
Somehow the water caused a psychological barrier greater than it actually was. As one resident of Malmö, Selma Linden, told us, "There is something about being able to get in your own car and drive over to Denmark that's different from traveling by boat. This past summer my family and I made frequent trips to the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen whereas in the past we went over there only once a year."
The opening of the bridge has brought Sweden closer to the heart of the Continent as never before. Many foreign visitors rent cars in Germany and, after seeing that country, drive through Denmark all the way to Stockholm without having to take a car ferry, a feat once thought impossible.
Although not earth-shaking, here are some late-breaking developments in the far northern country of Sweden.
Gothenburg
In Sweden's second city, Quality Hotel 11, Maskingatan 11 (tel. 031/779-11-11; www.hotel11.se), has burst onto the scene at a harborfront location lying west of the center at Eriksberg. It's worth the trek over to spend the night. The owners took a 19th-century warehouse and successfully converted it into this winning choice with multi-level terraces. Each room opens onto a vista of the water. Furnishings are in the attractive modern Scandinavian mode, with wooden floors and pastel fabrics.
In dining, Chef Stefan Karlsson has become a media darling in the wake of his opening of Fond, Götaplatsen (tel. 031/81-25-80; www.fondrestaurang.com). Each dish is prepared with market-fresh ingredients. Memorable taste sensations and flavors have created a steady stream of devoted foodies who are putting Fond on the Gothenberg culinary map.
Among night clubbers, no one ever accused Gothenburg of being Las Vegas, but it does have a casino with the opening of Casino Cosmopol at Packhusplatsen 7 (tel. 031/333-55-00; www.casinocosmopol.se). In a building that dates from 1865, this amusement palace offers games of chance but also food, drink, and entertainment. You can also have an elegant dinner here at the second-floor Casanova with its panoramic views of the harbor.
Gotland
On this Baltic island, Villa Alskog (tel. 0498/49-11-88; www.villa-alskog.se), is undergoing an important expansion and improvement and is in line to become the choice address on this windswept but historical island. The core building is from 1840, but improvements, including full spa treatments, are keeping the well-run establishment up with the times.
In other developments on the island, Donners Brunn, Donners Plats 3(tel. 0498/27-10-90; www.donnersbrunn.nu) has become the number one choice for dining in the wake of Bo Nilsson's arrival. He was the former chef at Stockholm's Operakällaren, hailed as one of the greatest restaurants in Sweden. He has taken his skill and imagination to Visby where he fashions a premier French-inspired Swedish cuisine. Based on fresh ingredients, his dishes often reach the sublime.
Helsingborg
In this western coast port city across the sound from Denmark, S/S Swea, Kungstorget (tel. 042/131516; www.swea.nu) is bringing some culinary excitement to this staid old city. The restaurant is installed on a permanently docked ship furnished like a luxury liner. It doesn't rely just on this gimmick for its sudden success. Its fresh seafood and Swedish specialties are among the best in Helsingborg.
Karlstad
In the capital of the ancient province of Värmland, Comfort Hotel Bilan, Karlbergsgatan 3 (tel. 054/100300; www.choicehotels.se), has been converted into a 68-room hotel of coziness and taste. But back in the 1800s it was a dreaded address -- the local prison for convicts. The rooms are a bit small (just ask Martha Stewart what these are like) but otherwise it's a first-class address.
Luleå
Most tours of the north of Sweden begin at the port city of Luleå on the east coast at the northern end of the Gulf of Bothnia, 113km (70 miles) south of the Arctic Circle and a long 930km (578 miles) north of Stockholm. Once you arrive here, the chillingly named Arctic Hotel, Sandviksgatan 80 (tel. 0920/109-80; www.arctichotel.se), warms considerably once you go inside its inviting precincts. Both functional and stylish, the restored hotel is becoming more and more the point of choice for visitors who are using it as their first night's stopover before heading even farther north into the bone-chilling Lapland of Sweden. The first-class cuisine served in the hotel's on-site restaurant makes the Arctic even more of a desired stopover.
Malmö
Sweden's third city, the port of Malmö, has seen the opening of Salt & brygga, Sundspromenade 7 (tel. 040/611-59-40; www.saltobrygga.se), serving an inspired cuisine based on cues from both the Swedish and Mediterranean kitchens. This is the most successful of the post-millennium restaurants in the city. A local food critic hailed Salt & brygga as "the restaurant of the moment." Built at quayside, its courtyard tables open onto a panoramic view of the Öresund.
Skara
This town, 350km (217 miles) southwest of Stockholm, makes one of the best stopovers between Karlstad (capital of Värmland) and the western port city of Gothenburg for motorists touring Sweden. The Skara Stadshotellet in the center of town has long been one of the best hotels in the area. Recent improvements in its restaurant, Rosers Salonger, Järnvägsgatan 5 (tel. 0511/240-50; www.rosers.se), have made an overnight visit more interesting than ever. A finely honed Swedish and international cuisine is served, featuring thoughtful menus of well-prepared dishes served with style and flair and based on the highest quality of raw ingredients available in the area.
Stockholm
Hotel grand openings are scarce in Stockholm, then along comes Hotel Rival, Mariatorget 3 (tel. 08/545-789-00; www.rival.se), which originally opened in 1937 as a hotel-cafe-bakery-cinema. After a massive dose of money from Benny Andersson, former member of ABBA, the hotel has been given a new lease on life. Today its restored Art Deco styling and luxury makes it one of the most charming of the boutique hotels of Stockholm. It lies on the gentrified island of Södermalm in southern Stockholm and is creating a lot of press excitement in Sweden. It has also become the favorite hotel for visiting pop or rock stars because of the ABBA connection.
In Dining, Stockholm has a heavenly new restaurant serving the finest Italian food in the city. It's the aptly named Divino, Karlavägen 28 (tel. 08/611-02-69; www.divino.se). Backed up by an excellent selection of vintages from a mammoth wine cellar, the cuisine is never dull. Chefs create unusual variations of the classics, and do so exceedingly well. Wait until you try their guinea fowl with morels.
Other press excitement is being generated by Johan Lindqvist's new restaurant, Spring, Karlavägen 110 (tel. 08/783-15-00; www.spring.se). East meets West in this showcase of fusion cuisine, mostly blending the finest recipes of Scandinavia with trendy Asian-influenced dishes. Dishes arrive on your plate in delicate hues and brimming with flavor. Where else in Stockholm can you order Japanese eel with foie gras and maki tempura?
Another fashionable eatery has opened: Vassa Eggen, Birger Jarlsgatan 29 (tel. 08/21-61-69; www.vassaeggen.com), serving one of the city's most cutting-edge international cuisines. Its chefs borrow gastronomic ideas from around the globe to concoct a cuisine pleasing to both eye and palate. The Swedish edition of Gourmet magazine raves about the oxtail tortellini with mascarpone cheese served in consommé.
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