Nils Holgersson's Journey Across Sweden: route guide

In the novel Nils travels from 20 March to 8 November 1898, a counter-clockwise loop of more than 4,000 km from Scania up the east side to Kiruna and back down the west. That is the fiction, not a schedule you can copy.

As a real trip the loop is a long one: allow roughly two weeks by car for the main stops, or three to four weeks at a relaxed pace (check). The stops most readers rate highest are the Scania start at Västra Vemmenhög near Skurup, Kalmar and the Öland bridge, Stockholm and Uppsala, the Bothnian coast at Sundsvall and Umeå, Kiruna at the northern end, and the Lagerlöf country around Sunne in Värmland.

Do it from late May to early September if you want the whole route including Lapland (check). April to May and September suit the southern and central sections. If you only want Kiruna and the far north, go in midsummer or accept a winter trip on a different itinerary.

The book's route is a counter-clockwise loop: south from Scania up the east coast, north through Svealand and Norrland to Kiruna, then back down the western side through Dalarna and Värmland. It is a literary line, not a marked trail, so you build your own version from ordinary roads and railway lines.

The table below lists the main stops in order with straight-line distances between them, so you can judge how much driving a leg involves. Road distances are longer; treat the figures as planning estimates and check current routing before you book (check).

Scania is the start. Västra Vemmenhög, the farm village, sits near Skurup, roughly 13 km from Malmö Airport and within reach of Copenhagen Kastrup. From there the book heads north-east along the Baltic coast, and so should you: Kalmar, with its castle, and the Öland bridge are the first stops worth a night.

The middle section is the lake country and the capital. Stockholm and Uppsala are the easiest places to join or leave the route, since Arlanda is Sweden's main flight hub. North of Uppsala the coast road runs through Sundsvall, Umeå and Luleå, with the High Coast between them the most scenic stretch of the whole drive.

The northern end is Kiruna, the point where the geese turn back on 1 October. From Kiruna the return leg heads south-west through Lapland and Dalarna. Sunne in Värmland is the literary detour: Selma Lagerlöf's childhood home Mårbacka is here, and the surrounding lake Fryken country appears in several of her other novels.

The final run back to Scania passes through the western provinces. Halland is the one traditional province Nils never properly visits, so a short stop there closes the loop.

The novel's calendar is March to November, but that is a fiction. In practice the far north is only comfortable from about late May to early September; outside that window you can meet snow, closed mountain roads and short daylight (check). Midsummer in late June is the classic window for the northern legs, though accommodation books out early.

Spring in Scania starts in April and is pleasant for the southern half alone. September is quieter and still workable for much of the route, but Lapland can already see frost (check). If you want the northern lights, that is a winter trip and a different route entirely.

Book along the route rather than in one base: the loop is too long for day trips. Malmö, Kalmar, Stockholm, Sundsvall, Umeå, Luleå and Kiruna all have a full range of hotels and hostels, and the smaller stops have guesthouses and campsites.

In the north, summer cabins and camping are common and often the only affordable option near the national parks. Around Sunne, guesthouses near Mårbacka make a natural overnight. Prices peak in July, so reserve the northern legs weeks ahead.

A car makes the smaller stops much easier; the main north–south corridor is also served by rail and bus, but the western return leg and the Mårbacka detour are simpler with your own vehicle (check). Sweden drives on the right, speed limits are strictly enforced, and wildlife on the road at dusk is a real hazard in the north.

Fuel stations thin out in Lapland, so fill up when you can. Cards work almost everywhere, but keep a little cash for small campsites. Summer daylight in the north is long, which makes late driving tempting; watch for reindeer and moose instead.