Presumably (and hopefully) many people who come to Sweden for a semester abroad already are intending to experience the Swedish winter. So did I. The winter allowed me to see transformed surroundings, being able to experience it from a new angle. Cities and forests look a lot different when covered in snow. Because of that, I was able to explore the things I previously encountered on a daily basis in a new perspective. For me, cities and nature become more beautiful when they turn white because, coming from Germany, it is a rarity.
Besides the beautiful snow, the winter also brings a lot of darkness, which can be hard to deal with sometimes. The cold and the darkness can make it quite difficult to stay active and connect with people (more specifically on how to deal with the darkness mentally in this article by Samhita). So, here I want to share some activities that I really enjoyed the past few weeks and that brightened up my winter. Besides the ones presented here, you can find more ideas mentioned in the word cloud on top.
Activities outside
Although the cold, snow and the darkness can be tough sometimes, you can use it to your advantage. There still are a lot of activities that one can do in and around Borlänge and Falun in winter.
Fritidsbanken supports you in many of those activities. Fritidsbanken is like a library for any equipment you might need for outdoor activities like skiing, camping, ice-fishing, sledding or outdoor games. You can borrow items, like thermos cans, sleeping bags, sleeping mats, skis or even bikes, for up to two weeks at a time for free and without any membership.
1. Hiking
Hiking seems like a very easy, maybe even boring activity to do. That’s why I like to do it to calm down and connect with nature once in a while. The snow really adds a magical atmosphere to the forests, showing a side very different from their state in the summer. Because it gets dark pretty quickly (in December around 15 o’clock) when you make it to the top of a mountain or a viewing point, you also can have a great look over glowing cities in the distance.
However, the dark also has the potential for injuries because one quickly can overlook a root or a stream ahead. I advise you to go hiking with a light source or to stay on wide paths, so you minimize the risk of injuring yourself. To be better visible for others on the streets, you can also wear reflective gear to your clothing like bands, belts or hats which you can find in many normal clothing stores in Sweden.
Close around Borlänge there are great opportunities for hiking in forests which makes it easy to do in cold temperatures as well because the way home isn’t that long. And when you get home you can reward yourself with a hot chocolate.
2. Snow-Sports
Skiing, sledding and ice skating are further activities to enjoy in the winter. You can meet up with friends and be active. Fritidsbanken provides the equipment for all of them.
You can find a lot of opportunities to go for sports on skies near you. In Borlänge, about 20 minutes’ walk from the student accommodation Locus, there is Paradisbacken. It provides a ski slope with a lift as well as a barbecue area. Further, a bit outside of Borlänge, you can find Romme Alpin. It is bigger in size, offering 34 tracks to ski down on, from up to 275 meters. You can get to Romme Alpin with a 30-minute bus ride. (photo credits: Ahmed Farag)
In Falun you can find the sports and leisure facility Lugnet which is great for cross country skiing and ice-skating. They also offer a lot more activities, so it is worth having a look at their website.
In Borlänge you can also go ice skating at the sport field (“Sportfältet”) which is only about ten minutes away from Locus. In winter the football field is turned into a skating field where it is free to go. Maybe you even get the chance to skate on some frozen lakes!
3. City trips
As already established, everything looks quite different when covered in snow, so it really is worth it visiting cities more than just once.
During the different seasons I find Swedish cities to give off a whole other character. During warm seasons everything feels very inviting to me, there is a light atmosphere that people share. In winter, the snow changes this, often even enhancing the beauty. To me it feels like an entertaining challenge getting through the stinging cold to see the transformed environment as an award.
Cooperating with the darkness, many cities present light festivals in the winter. In Stockholm, from the 2nd till the 10th of December this year you were able to see them throughout the city. If you missed them and don’t want to wait till the next year, you can see more artistic light installments till the 28th of January 2024 in the open-air museum Skansen, in this case combined with a ticket price though.
Activities inside
I also found myself having days on which I felt like staying inside, accompanied by the warmth and coziness. To not fall too deep into boredom, spending the time on the phone, I found that there are a lot of activities one can do inside as well.
1. Board games
Organizing a games night is a great way to socialize with people, laughing together and bonding over the shared experience. I carry the cart game “Wizard” almost everywhere with me, allowing me and companions to enjoy the moment, maybe pass some time in the train or at a lake and entertain ourselves. (photo credits: Anna Baumbach)
If you don’t have any games yourself, you can find some at Tenoren in Borlänge. This student house for events is open in the evening every Thursday. It is not possible to borrow the games, but you can bring some friends or connect with people on the spot and play right there.
The library of Borlänge is another possibility to find card games, board games and even role play games. It is located in the center of the city. To get a library card to borrow the games you need to have a coordination number or a person number though, for which you have to contact the Swedish tax office. If you don’t find an interesting game for you to play, there is the opportunity to request games of your interest which they will buy to add to their collection. In Falun you can find a lot of games in the community rooms of the student accommodation as well.
2. Crafting
There are a lot of big holidays in the winter season like Halloween and Christmas. To get into the mood of celebration and at the same time get some DIY-decoration for my apartment I really enjoyed crafting décor. It is an activity that you can do on your own, accompanied by a good music playlist or a show but it also adds a lot of fun when doing it together with other people.
It is a great activity to feel productive, live your creativity and it adds differentiation to your daily life, working with your hands apart from having to think about your assignments. Of course, you can craft anything, it doesn’t need to be tied to certain holidays or limited to functioning as decoration. You can get inspiration from all over the internet.
3. Heymakers
This last suggestion is not in the comforts of your own home but as it is still inside, you are protected by the cold and darkness weighing you down, being able to lighten up your mood with some fun activities. Heymakers in Falun is a location offering clubbing but also other kinds of entertainment. It is possible to bowl or sing karaoke for example. It portrays a great opportunity to join a celebrating atmosphere. (photo credits: Anna Baumbach)
During the winter, on first sight it might seem like the snow and cold cancel a lot of leisure activities, trapping one inside. And while there are of course a lot of things that you can’t do or enjoy the same way as in summer, winter also gives you many opportunities for other activities.
There is a lot to enjoy about the winter in Sweden, having presented just a few in this article, so be here to experience it!
Dalarna university student blog 