Scandinavia… Not a country, but a beautiful area. Scandinavia is the collective name for the following Northern countries; Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Looking at the history, Finland and Iceland also belong to Scandinavia: according to the Norwegian council they also belong. All in all, Scandinavia is huge (more than a million square kilometers) while about 24 million people live there. For comparison; The Netherlands is over 41,000 square kilometers with about 17 million inhabitants.

Of all western European countries, the Scandinavian countries probably have the most more or less untouched nature. In addition, they are countries that are easily accessible from the Netherlands. Norway is characterized by, among other things, the fjords and the Trollstigen known to many motorcyclists. And where Sweden is known as wide and peaceful, everyone knows Finland as the land of 1000 lakes. All in all, legitimate reasons to traverse this beautiful nature in the north of Europe by means of a number of routes.

When leaving the ferry in Stockholm, the participants of the Arctic Challenge were given the following coordinates to report to: Hamburg. A trip of almost 1000 kilometers ...

The route starts at the Viking Line Terminal in Stockholm. The first 25 kilometers you drive through urban areas, then you quickly drive between meadows and forest.
When you arrive in Södertälje you can visit Tom Tits Experiments. Tom what? Tom Tits Experiments! Science and technology are fun when someone explains them correctly. Only when you really start testing something can you understand it. Welcome to a science center for the whole family!
You will find four floors and a park (open from May-October) with experiments for you to enjoy. The experiments entice you to learn a little bit more about technology, physics, math, geography, biology, how humans work, illusions and much, much more.
All experiments are real hands-on experiments. No prior knowledge is required and most things can be done by anyone no matter how young or old. You will have the opportunity to use all your senses, and many of the experiments you experience very simply with your whole body, by twisting, jumping or bouncing.
You can test the experiments in any order. There are TV screens on every floor showing the day's program.

After all this experimentation you drive further westwards where you have the opportunity to visit the Swedish Urban Transport Museum in Malmköping. The museum has more than 40 wagons from the 12 Swedish cities that have had trams. One third of the cars have so far been renovated for use on the tram line of the museum in Malmköping. The oldest is from 1903; the newest is from the 50s.
You will also find the Swedish Bus Museum, which is also part of the City Transport Museum. It shows the development of the bus service in Sweden with vehicles, models, text and photos, and much more. The museum opened in the summer of 1999 to celebrate 100 years of bus service in Sweden.

If you pass Sweden's third largest lake, you have to stop there of course. It concerns Hjälmarenmeer, with a size of 484 square kilometers not a small one. There are numerous islands in the lake, of which Vinön is the largest. Coincidentally you look exactly at that island from the indicated place.

A few kilometers further, at Kvarntorp the route runs over the highest point in the area. You will find Kvarntorpshögen here. Kvarntorpshögen is an approximately 100 meter high slag heap. At 157 meters above sea level, it is the highest point in the Närkeslätten. The pole is associated with the art project Art on High. In winter there is a slalom slope here. There is a way up and in the summer there is a kiosk with easier handling and information. There is a 427-step staircase leading to the top which has become very popular for training. There are also several hiking trails in the area.
Art on High is a sculpture park with about 30 works of art. Concerts and theater performances are organized in summer. It was voted the most remarkable attraction in Sweden in 2010, nice to see.

A little further you will pass the Stone Working Museum. It is a museum that shows the history of the local stone treatment, with a marble collection and a unique marble floor, as well as a unique collection of full-size plaster models modeled by the sculptors. Organized stone treatment in the Hälla Quarry already existed during the Middle Ages. Hällabrottet stone was used in the reconstruction of Örebro Castle and also in the construction of a number of churches.
The large limestone quarry at Hällabrottet has long been the property of the Crown. It can be understood that it was important because King Gustav I visited it on several occasions, as did the son Duke Charles, later Charles IX.
The company became the private Yxhults stunhuggeri in the 1820s, which became a limited company in 1879.
In 1980 the quarrying business was closed, while the company, Yxhult AB, production of lightweight concrete, survived and enjoyed great success for a while. Over time, demand declined and the company closed in 2004.

After 270 kilometers you reach the final destination of this route, the Garvaregården Hotel in Askersund. A hotel with a restaurant and good reviews, located near the harbor and a gas station.

Two camping sites are signposted for campers in the vicinity of the end point: Husabergsudde Camping and Tivedsporten Eco Camp.

Have fun driving this route!