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.

The participants of the Arctic Challenge are on their way from Stockholm to Hamburg, a journey of about 1000 kilometers. She awaits one more night in Hamburg. After that overnight stay, it is now the last of the challenge, they will return to the starting point, Twente air base in Enschede.
However, the coordinates they receive are close to the border between Nordhorn and Denekamp. In the parking lot, the tracking devices, which have ensured that the participants have all been via a website, are being expanded. After this action they drive in a column to the airbase where they are met by family, friends and acquaintances.

The route starts in the town of Värnamo, which is located at the northern tip of Lake Vidöstern. Värnamo is the capital of the municipality of Värnamo in the Småland countryside and the province of Jönköpings län in Sweden. The place has 18 469 inhabitants (2005) and an area of 1189 hectares.

During the first 30 kilometers of the route, you drive along the shore of Lake Vidöstern. This is a lake in the Swedish landscape of Småland and the province of Jönköpings län. The lake has an elongated shape, has an area of 45 km², is located 144 meters above sea level and has a maximum depth of 45 meters. The river Lagan runs through the lake.
For a long time iron ore was extracted from the bottom of the lake. After this was initially done manually from the ice sheet that was closed in winter, excavators were used from 1909. In 1922 one of the excavators sank, but it was recovered. In 1932, another excavator sank in a storm, but it was not salvaged. In 1942 ore mining was ended.

In the town of Ljungby, through which the route passes, you have the chance to visit the funeral museum. Sounds a bit gloomy and perhaps lugubrious, but it is still interesting to see how the funerals have changed over the years.
The funeral museum in Ljungby shows customs and customs in death and burial in the 19th and 20th centuries. In small room settings, death and burial during these two centuries are shown and told.
During the 19th century and well into the 20th century, death was constantly present in every person. And when it happened, they helped each other, neighbors and relatives, with whatever needed to be done. It was a mixture of practical necessities, church customs and shock that formed the basis for the ceremonies and rituals. At the funeral museum in Ljungby you have the opportunity to see and learn how it happened.
Although it is a topic that you might prefer not to think about, it can still be interesting to take a look here.

You continue towards the end of this last route in the 26-part tour through Scandinavia. You pass small places where a coffee stop or lunch break is planned. Also an occasional viewpoint over a beautiful lake or other attraction. After having completed more than 200 kilometers of the route, you will arrive in the town of Lund. Lund is the capital of the municipality of Lund in the Swedish landscape of Skåne and the county of Skåne län. The place has 82,800 inhabitants (as of 2010) and an area of 24.99 km2.
Lund has existed since about 990. It is home to 27 churches and monasteries, some of which are now museums. The largest, the Dom Church in honor of Saint Laurentius, was completed in 1123.
Lund has a university with 39,000 students and several museums. The open-air museum Kulturen is one of them and is housed in an original old part of the city. However, many of the old houses have modern exhibits.
Many streets in Lund are still built in Renaissance style and left as is. Close to these streets a quiet parking lot is indicated from where you can walk into the area. The Dom Church is also within walking distance. During the walk, settle down on one of the terraces for a cup of coffee or something fresh.

After the circular walk through Lund, it is another 50 kilometers to Trelleborg. You will pass through the village of Klörup, among other things. The former district prison can be found here. The red brick building of the district prison is located on the old country road in the village of Klörup. The prison, built in 1809 and colloquially called "Tjyvaholled", is the only building today that commemorates the village's role as an important court building in the Skytt district for more than two hundred years.
The village's central location in the district, where the main Malmö-Ystad country road intersected with the Lund-Trelleborg country road, formed the basis for the courthouse that was established here in the years 1690 to 1905. Here was an inn with stagecoach traffic and horses here were exchanged, mail was brokered and travelers stopped for car changes or overnight stays. The prison building is now a museum.
You may expect a gigantic structure as we know it from the movies, but nothing could be further from the truth. The Swedes must be good people ...

After the visit to the district prison it is a few more kilometers to the almost southernmost point of Sweden, Trelleborg. The boat to Travemunde or Rostock awaits you in Trelleborg. Before you get on the boat, you may still have time and feel like seeing some sights in Trelleborg.
For example, along the route is Trelleisjes, this is a reconstruction of an old Viking castle. In 1988 the remains of what must have been a ring wall were found at this place. This fortification was probably built by the famous Danish king Harald Blåtand. A small museum has also been built near the fortifications.
You can also visit the Axel Ebbes art gallery. Here are his collected works, everything from beautiful sculptures to whimsical graphics and poetry, donated by Axel Ebbe and his wife to the city of Trelleborg. Smaller exhibitions are also regularly shown, usually art or handicrafts. Axel Ebbe is an artist from this area, born in 1868 and died in 1941.
While you are waiting for the boat that brings this beautiful adventure in this beautiful country to an end, you may still be able to walk to the viewpoint 'Utkiken'. From this spot a beautiful view over the water and the harbor.

The participants in the Arctic Challenge took the ferry from Trelleborg to Travemunde because the next point where they had to report was in Hamburg.

Have fun driving this route!