It could be a peculiar pizza flavor, a unique set of social rules, or even a building made out of ice that only lasts for a season — Sweden is always a never-ending source of amazement. Sweden is already present in our daily lives, and we don’t even notice it: that oat milk on your breakfast, the zipper on your jacket, the 3-point seatbelt on your car, and that ABBA song on your speakers? Thank Swedes for those!

Here, at Bright Side, we’re always delighted to share the most surprising things we’ve discovered about different places around the world, and today we invite you to explore the uniqueness of Sweden with us! By the way, have you ever wondered why the legendary musical group, ABBA, used to wear crazy costumes during their concerts? We’ll tell you the reason at the end of this article! Let’s go find out together!

8. A country with forward-thinking sustainability goals

If you want to know what it’s like to lead an eco-friendly lifestyle, you need to book a trip to Sweden as soon as possible. This is one of the countries with the highest usage of biofuel in all of Europe. The Swedish zero waste production and recycling system has set an excellent example for the rest of the world.

7. A hotel that gets rebuilt every year

The first ice hotel in the world is located in Sweden and it’s rebuilt annually and opened from December to April. The thick walls, furniture, the bar, and even the glasses are made of ice. The rooms in the “Ice Hotel” are never the same, as different artists and architects from around the world are invited to work on the design of the hotel every year.

6. Living according to the Law of Jante

The Swedes are very attentive to the personal space of others and they will never disturb you unless it’s urgent. Even at bus stops people stand at a certain distance from each other.

2. National entertainment

If you want to check your aim, you should participate in the Swedish carnival game of throwing herrings into a barrel. The winner of the game gets a stuffed fish.

1. Cashless payments

In recent years, the amount of cash in circulation has rapidly decreased in Sweden. Even public toilets accept payments exclusively from credit cards. By the way, there are LED lights installed on the door handles of the public toilets. Red signals that the stall is occupied, while green shows that it is free.

Bonus: The reason why the members of ABBA wore strange outfits.

EAST NEWS

The musicians from the famous pop band ABBA used to wear extravagant and colorful costumes in order to pay less taxes. According to the Swedish law at that time, the clothes were tax-deductible only if it could be proven that they weren’t used for daily wear.

What surprised you the most about Sweden?

Please note: This article was updated in July 2022 to correct source material and factual inaccuracies.