{"id":682095,"date":"2025-11-12T23:47:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T20:47:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=682095"},"modified":"2025-11-12T23:47:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T20:47:15","slug":"is-the-swedish-concept-of-lagom-the-secret-to-embracing-slow-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=682095","title":{"rendered":"Is the Swedish Concept of Lagom the Secret to Embracing Slow Travel?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Travel<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Is the Swedish Concept of Lagom<\/em> the Secret to Embracing Slow Travel?<\/h1>\n
By <\/span>Dobrina Zhekova<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

November 12, 2025<\/p>\n

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    Photo: Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n
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    Lagom<\/em> is an idea rooted in balance. Roughly meaning \u201cnot too little, not too much, just the right amount,\u201d it influences all aspects of Swedish culture and daily life, and is as quintessential as fika,<\/em> ABBA, and sm\u00f6rg\u00e5st\u00e5rta<\/em> sandwich cake. The concept has played a crucial role in shaping Swedish culture\u2014from how Swedes avoid burnout by embracing work-life balance to how they decorate their homes and embrace nature. In essence, it\u2019s about finding contentment in moderation, avoiding extremes, and finding happiness in the middle ground\u2014\u201can ethos that tries to reduce stress within your own control,\u201d explains Lola \u00c5kerstr\u00f6m, an award-winning travel photographer and author of Lagom: Swedish Secret of Living Well<\/em>.<\/p>\n

    Naturally, this plays into the culture\u2019s embrace of slow travel, too. But as slow travel has become part of the global travel vernacular, its emphasis on slowing down and connecting with nature in off-the-beaten-path destinations isn\u2019t always easy to apply. Switching from one extreme to another\u2014such as transitioning from a packed itinerary of activities, meals, and sightseeing to a more reflective pace\u2014can be challenging.<\/p>\n

    Building new habits calls for a gentle and balanced approach. So, when Sweden recently launched the Stockholm Archipelago Trail, a hiking route encompassing 20 islands and 170 miles of rugged landscapes easily accessible by public ferry from Stockholm, I decided to put lagom into practice.<\/p>\n

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    A ferry along the Stockholm Archipelago.<\/p>\n

    <\/span>Photo: Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    The sky was heavy with thick clouds as I boarded Gr\u00f6nkvist\u2019s 50-foot yacht in Vaxholm, an island just 30 minutes from Stockholm and the gateway to the archipelago. As we sailed further east past hilly islands and rocky skerries to Sandhamn, the landscapes became flatter, wilder, and more rugged. Until the 19th century, the islands that now comprise the Stockholm Archipelago were predominantly inhabited by fishermen and served as military fortifications to protect the capital. However, Stockholmites\u2014especially those in the creative community\u2014eventually began venturing to the islands in search of tranquility and a deeper connection to nature. Many built summer homes that have been passed down from generation to generation.<\/p>\n

    At the turn of the 19th century, the Royal Swedish Yacht Club, one of the oldest in the world, established a clubhouse in Sandhamn, transforming the tiny island and its picture-perfect red and yellow houses into a sailing hub for well-off Swedes. Every summer, the island\u2019s marina overflows with boats for Gotland Runt, the world\u2019s largest annual offshore race, which starts here. Now, as a world-class sailing hub, Sandhamn usually buzzes with activity in the summer when Swedes and international visitors arrive, causing the island population to swell. But during my shoulder season visit, the island was eerily silent. I wandered alone down late spring forest trails, following root-covered paths through lush carpets of moss and wildberry bushes, edged by wind-blown pine trees. Falu-red beach cottages with shuttered windows and Adirondack chairs faced the calm, steel-gray waters of the Baltic Sea.<\/p>\n

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    The exterior of Sandhamn Seglarhotell.<\/p>\n

    <\/span>Photo: Dan Kullberg<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    \u201cTake your time. Tranquility goes hand in hand with lagom,\u201d Mimmi Gr\u00f6nkvist, co-owner of the yachting company Out, had told me over cinnamon rolls and coffee the day before I arrived.<\/p>\n

    Since lagom focuses on achieving personal balance, there is no universal formula for it. However, according to \u00c5kerstr\u00f6m, it involves cultivating habits that are effortlessly sustainable instead of making drastic changes that prove unsustainable long term. Walking epitomizes that sweet spot for me, somewhere between exerting myself and not doing anything at all. Thus, I committed to two daily hikes along the Archipelago Trail: one in the morning and one in the afternoon, which left me plenty of time to enjoy other activities, as well as simply doing nothing at all.<\/p>\n

    \u201cLagom is a mindset that requires you to stop, take a break, have a coffee, and then just people watch, because you can also tell a lot about a destination by doing that,\u201d \u00c5kerstr\u00f6m explained, adding that fika<\/em>, the Swedish concept of taking a daily coffee and pastry break, is similarly meant to \u201crecalibrate\u201d the mind and bring inner balance.<\/p>\n

    Sandhamn Seglarhotell is the island\u2019s most prominent accommodation, located in a 19th-century building that was once the headquarters of the Royal Swedish Yacht Club. I checked into a freshly renovated suite that overlooked the marina with a private sauna in the bathroom. Finland might be the top destination for practicing sauna culture, but Sweden is a close second. \u201cThere\u2019s a big sauna and massage culture [in Sweden], much of it tied to nature as well,\u201d \u00c5kerstr\u00f6m told me.<\/p>\n

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    The dining room at Sandhamn Seglarhotell.<\/p>\n

    <\/span>Photo: Courtesy of Sandhamn Seglarhotell<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Saunas are an essential part of the landscape in the Stockholm Archipelago. In Buller\u00f6n, an island once owned by Swedish artist Bruno Liljefors and now a bird sanctuary and nature reserve, a dark wooden cottage sits on a deck hovering over the cold waters of the Baltic, with the rocky shoreline behind it. It\u2019s a public wood-fired sauna available to all. In many hotels, even small B&Bs, a sauna is a non-negotiable amenity (Sandhamn Seglarhotell has a sauna floating on the sea). In the archipelago, travelers will find many publicly accessible private saunas similar to the one in Buller\u00f6n, available to book for a fee.<\/p>\n

    I have always been skeptical about sitting still in a small, hot room while sweating, finding the experience borderline claustrophobic and uncomfortable. But on that chilly, misty afternoon in charming Sandhamn, I found myself reconsidering the sauna experience, feeling a newfound curiosity and willingness to give it another try. I remembered something Gr\u00f6nkvist had mentioned on the yacht: one of the downsides of lagom is that it could keep you within your comfort zone, avoiding new experiences.<\/p>\n

    With that in mind, I alternated between cold showers and heat until my stress melted away and I felt the quiet sense of euphoria that comes from the release of endorphins.<\/p>\n

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    A forest path on Sandhamn.<\/p>\n

    <\/span>Photo: Courtesy of Sandhamn Seglarhotell<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Turns out wellbeing\u2014both mental and physical\u2014and lagom go hand in hand. That means enjoying nutritious, sustainably sourced, seasonal food. The island of Har\u00f6 in the Stockholm Archipelago is home to Har\u00f6 Natur, a restaurant and a glamping site with a handful of accommodations, including a floating mirrored greenhouse and treehouses tucked in the woods.<\/p>\n

    Owner and chef Staffan Boija has created a cozy retreat tucked along Har\u00f6\u2019s scenic shoreline, where he treats visitors to wood-fired pizzas and a multi-course tasting menu that celebrates the season\u2019s bounty. The dining room, housed in a former grocery store, feels like the living room of a friend, with only a few tables made out of raw wood and surrounded by chairs draped with cozy blankets, sitting over area rugs. Between courses of toasted rustic bread topped with crushed tomatoes and sikl\u00f6ja<\/em> whitefish, and wood-fired lobster tail served with slices of fior di latte pizza, Boija told me that the menu is largely determined by the day\u2019s freshest products. Nothing conveyed a deeper sense of place than his dessert, though\u2014a chunk of rich chocolate cake, topped with a dollop of whipped cream, fresh berries, streaks of basil oil, and, to my surprise, tender pine tips. Earlier that day, as I was roaming the trails of Runmar\u00f6 island, I had snacked on young pine tips after my hiking companion had mentioned they were edible. \u201cThey taste like my childhood,\u201d Boija told me at the end of my meal.<\/p>\n

    As I left the waterfront restaurant feeling completely satisfied (though perhaps not entirely in line with the moderation aspect of lagom), the setting sun had left just a sliver of orange daylight above the dark silhouettes of the forest, casting a warm glow across the softly rippled sea.<\/p>\n

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    An aerial view of Biskops\u00f6n island along the Stockholm Archipelago.<\/p>\n

    <\/span>Photo: Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Both \u00c5kerstr\u00f6m and Gr\u00f6nkvist, along with half a dozen Swedes I chatted with during my trip around the archipelago, agreed that spending time in nature is essential to achieving a balanced travel routine. Sweden\u2019s Allemansr\u00e4tten<\/em> law, also known as \u201cThe Right of Public Access,\u201d allows everyone to roam freely, camp, and forage on private property, as long as it\u2019s done with respect for nature and wildlife.<\/p>\n

    Before I left the archipelago, I sneaked another early morning hike on Grinda, a storybook-perfect island of lush meadows, family-owned B&Bs, and small restaurants, just an hour from Stockholm. As I followed a narrow forest path ascending between moss-covered boulders and towering pine trees, I came upon a makeshift viewpoint overlooking the calm sea, dotted with islets and skerries.<\/p>\n

    After a few cloudy days, the sky was finally a bright shade of monochrome blue. As I stood at the rocky edge of the shoreline, I felt a deep happiness\u2014not the euphoric type that overwhelms with excitement, but rather a peaceful contentment and gratitude for the present moment. This must be lagom,<\/em> I thought.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

    Source URL: http:\/\/vogue.com\/article\/lagom-slow-travel-stockholm-archipelago<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Travel Is the Swedish Concept of Lagom the Secret to Embracing Slow Travel? By Dobrina Zhekova November 12, 2025 Photo: Getty Images Lagom is an idea rooted in balance. Roughly meaning \u201cnot too little, not too much, just the right amount,\u201d it influences all aspects of Swedish culture and daily life, and is as quintessential […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":682096,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[50],"class_list":["post-682095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-vogue-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/682095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=682095"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/682095\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/682096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=682095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=682095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=682095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}