In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From Uppsala via Falun and Lake Siljan to Mora, through the Hälsingland farmsteads to the Baltic coast and across the High Coast Bridge to Skuleberget: around 930 kilometres through central Sweden, where you should keep an eye on the clock at dusk – because of the elk.
The spirit of the route
Central Sweden is slow to drive, and that is its gift. Beyond Uppsala the forest closes in, the roads run straight and quiet, and then, at Rättvik, Lake Siljan suddenly opens up like an inland sea, with boats, bathing jetties and red-painted farms along the shore. It smells of pine resin, wood smoke and, in high summer, of cloudberry jam from the farm café. In Hälsingland the farmsteads with their painted ceremonial halls stand on the hills as if out of time, and on the High Coast the land is still rising out of the sea by just under a centimetre a year. From your sliding door you will see pine-covered rock, black water and a sky that never quite gets dark in June. This route demands attention at dusk, but rewards you with open spaces, calm and places where you can leave the door open.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Uppsala to Falun (approx. 200 km)
- The drive
- From Uppsala take the E4 north to Gävle, then the Rv 80 through the mill town of Sandviken to Falun. Well-built roads, mostly with a central barrier or wide hard shoulders; only the last stretch is plain country road through forest. Just over 2.5 hours of pure driving time; the leg also suits the arrival day after the drive in from Stockholm.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Gamla Uppsala with the three Viking-age royal mounds and the museum, a few kilometres north of the city – a good start before setting off.
- Falu koppargruva, the copper mine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001 and the origin of Falu red paint, with guided tours underground.
- The Dalälven floodplain and forest along the Rv 80 with several rest areas where you can stretch your legs.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: First Camp Lugnet Falun at the Lugnet sports grounds, close to the town and the mine, with electricity, sanitary facilities and water/waste disposal. For the day before in Uppsala, Fyrishov Stugby & Camping on the Fyrisån is an option. Check season and opening times in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Sweden has the right of public access (allemansrätten), which applies mainly to tents and not across the board to motorhomes. At rest areas and public car parks you may stay overnight where parking is not prohibited by signs; on private land you need the owner’s permission. In Falun, city car parks are unappealing for campers; it is better to plan on the campsite here.
- Insider tip for campers
- Uppsala and Stockholm have environmental zones (miljözon), which mainly affect lorries and buses over 3.5 t with older diesel engines; for ordinary motorhomes up to 3.5 t, driving through town is usually unproblematic, but check the current rules beforehand. The Stockholm congestion charge (trängselskatt) is billed to foreign vehicles by invoice – use the online payment points. Fill up before the forest stretch.
2Stage 2: Falun to Rättvik on Lake Siljan (approx. 90 km)
- The drive
- From Falun go to Borlänge, then take the Rv 70 along the west shore of Lake Siljan via Leksand and past Tällberg to Rättvik. Wide, well-built road with village sections and speed limits of 50 to 80 km/h; heavy traffic in high summer from Dalarna holidaymakers. About 1.5 hours of driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Leksand with the church on the shore of Lake Siljan; at the Midsummer festival the Dalarna folk-costume groups dance around the maypole here.
- Tällberg: a village of red wooden houses on a hill above Lake Siljan, with a view across the whole lake basin.
- Långbryggan in Rättvik, at around 630 metres Sweden’s longest wooden pier, and the lakeside promenade.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Rättvik you will find Siljanbadets Camping and Enåbadets Camping, both with electricity, sanitary facilities and lake access. On the west shore there is Tällbergs camping in Tällberg, and in Leksand also Vastanviksbadets Camping. Check motorhome pitches and opening times with the operator in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Around Lake Siljan there are many bathing spots and car parks where signs prohibit overnight stays. Nature reserves and shoreline zones have their own rules; fires on the shore and in wooded spots are often banned by decree in dry summers.
- Insider tip for campers
- Visit the Dalhalla quarry near Rättvik, an amphitheatre in a limestone quarry with summer concerts – check the events calendar and parking beforehand. Shopping and filling up with water are easy in Rättvik and Leksand.
3Stage 3: Rättvik to Mora (via Nusnäs and Sollerön) (approx. 75 km)
- The drive
- Take the Rv 70 along the east shore of Lake Siljan via Vikarbyn and Utanmyra to Mora; detour to Nusnäs and across the bridge to Sollerön. Mostly well built, though the side roads to the Dala horse workshops are narrow. About 1.5 hours of driving without stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Nusnäs: the workshops where the Dala horses (Dalahästar) are carved and painted, with a visitor entrance and workshop shop.
- Sollerön: an island in Lake Siljan with villages, shoreline and a village church, reached by a bridge.
- Mora with the Vasaloppsmålet, the finish building of the classic cross-country ski race, and the Zorn Museum.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: First Camp Moraparken in the centre of Mora on Lake Siljan, with electricity, sanitary facilities, water/waste disposal and close to town. Alternatives are Kulåra Camping, Åsengården Camping Stugby and Caravan Club Sollerön on Sollerön. Check the season in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On Sollerön and along the Siljan shore road the right of public access applies to tents, not reliably to motorhomes; the narrow roads, private drives and parking bans make wild camping unappealing. Mora Gästhamn is intended for boats.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Dala horse shop in Nusnäs is crowded in summer – go early in the morning. Parking right on the waterfront in Mora is scarce; motorhomes are better off at the campsite, from where you can walk into the centre. Alcohol over 3.5% ABV is sold only at the state-run Systembolaget, with ID checks.
4Stage 4: Mora to Delsbo (Hälsingland) (approx. 200 km)
- The drive
- From Mora go via Orsa through the forests into Hälsingland and on to Delsbo (near Hudiksvall). Long, lonely country roads with forest, lakes and small villages, hardly any oncoming traffic, but drive attentively, especially in the evening, because of wildlife crossing. There is no single direct road: depending on the variant, routes run via Bollnäs or Alfta/Ovanåker; check road numbers and route in your satnav beforehand. Pure driving time about three to three and a half hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Delsbo Forngård, an open-air museum with farmsteads from Hälsingland.
- Hälsingland farmsteads, Hälsingegårdar (UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012): Pallars and Jon-Lars are at Långhed near Alfta, Gästgivars in Vallsta with a visitor centre and café. The farms can usually be visited only in summer and often only by prior booking or on a guided tour.
- Norra Dellen, a lake with bathing spots and forest, near Delsbo.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Delsbo Camping and the motorhome stopovers Delsbo Forngård ställplats in Delsbo and Femettan Ställplats a few kilometres to the north. On Norra Dellen there are Norra Dellen Camping and Ställplats Dellenbaden. Check facilities, season and electricity with the operator in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On the car parks of the Hälsingegårdar, staying overnight makes sense only with the operator’s consent; individual farms offer pitches – ask. At rest areas (rastplats) along the roads, overnighting is commonly tolerated where no signs say otherwise.
- Insider tip for campers
- Plan the farm visits in advance: Pallars and Jon-Lars can be seen only by prior booking; ask Region Gävleborg or the farm about opening times and tours. Fill up in Orsa or Bollnäs; automated petrol stations sometimes require card payment with a PIN.
5Stage 5: Delsbo to Sundsvall (approx. 150 km)
- The drive
- From Delsbo go to Hudiksvall on the coast, then take the E4 north to Sundsvall. The E4 is well built here, partly four-lane, with short climbs and bypasses. About two hours of driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Hudiksvall: a harbour town with the historic warehouses in the harbour (Fiskarstan) and the timber-house district by the river.
- Rest areas on the coast with views of the Baltic Sea, mostly with toilets.
- Sundsvall with the Stone City (Stenstan) from the 1880s, built after the great fire.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: First Camp Fläsian near Sundsvall by the water, with electricity, sanitary facilities and water/waste disposal. Alternatively Bergeforsparkens Camping & Stugby near Timrå, about 15 kilometres to the north. Check opening times in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): There are many rest areas along the E4; near Sundsvall, city car parks and harbour areas usually have time limits and overnight bans. If you want to stay free, you are better off using the designated stopovers (ställplatser).
- Insider tip for campers
- Sundsvall has a city harbour with parking and water – check the current situation on site. Fill the tank here before heading north; the distances between petrol stations get longer.
6Stage 6: Sundsvall to Skuleberget (High Coast) (approx. 135 km)
- The drive
- Take the E4 north via Härnösand and across the High Coast Bridge (Högakustenbron) over the Ångermanälven, then on to Docksta and Skuleberget. Well-built trunk road with several bridges, hillier and more winding beyond Härnösand. About two hours of driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- High Coast Bridge: a suspension bridge over the Ångermanälven, total length around 1,800 metres, pylons around 180 metres high, opened in 1997 – rest areas and viewpoints at the ends of the bridge, check the current situation on site.
- Skuleberget: a 295-metre-high mountain near the coast, with Naturum Höga Kusten at its foot and a hiking trail to the summit.
- The High Coast has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000; the land has been rising since the Ice Age and still rises by just under a centimetre a year.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: At Skuleberget you will find FriluftsByn at the south foot of the mountain and Ställplats Gällstasjön, as well as Skuleberget Havscamping in Veåsand and, in Docksta, Docksta Vandrarhem och Camping “Kustlada”. Check with the operator in advance whether and how motorhomes are accepted, plus electricity, water/waste disposal and season – in autumn some sites are closed.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Skuleskogen National Park motor vehicles are not allowed, and camping is permitted only at designated spots. Around Skuleberget and Docksta (nature reserve, car parks) wild camping with a motorhome is unusual and often prohibited by signs; plan on a campsite or stopover.
- Insider tip for campers
- To the best of our knowledge the bridge is toll-free. The Naturum at Skuleberget provides information on hiking trails, visitor rules and weather. Elk are particularly active here – see the practical section.
7Stage 7: Skuleberget to Örnsköldsvik (via Skuleskogen) (approx. 80 km)
- The drive
- From Skuleberget take the E4 north towards Örnsköldsvik, with a detour to Skuleskogen National Park (entrances Entré Nord and Entré Syd, Näsvik) and to the coast. Winding country road through forest with views of the coast, narrow access roads to the park. Just under one and a half hours of driving time without hiking.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Skuleskogen National Park: hike to the Slåttdalsskrevan, a narrow rock cleft, and to the Tärnättvattnen.
- Höga Kusten-Leden, a long-distance hiking trail along the coast, with stages from Skuleberget.
- Ulvön and Trysunda: islands with fishing villages, reached by boat (departures from Köpmanholmen, among others; check the timetable in advance); motorhomes stay on the mainland.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Örnsköldsvik there is Överhörnäs Camping, and there is also Örnsköldsviks gästhamn at the harbour, where motorhomes can sometimes park. Check electricity and water/waste disposal in advance, and note the season.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the national park the following apply under the regulations (NFS 2009:4): dogs on a lead only, fires and camping only at designated spots, motor vehicles prohibited. Overnighting in a camper at the car park is not provided for. At rest areas on the E4 it is commonly tolerated.
- Insider tip for campers
- If you want to return to Uppsala, you have around 480 kilometres ahead of you – split the journey into two days. The return trip is not included in the total length of this route.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- The Swedish right of public access (allemansrätten) allows mainly camping in a tent and short rests in nature. It does not automatically apply to motorhomes: you may stay overnight at public car parks and rest areas where no signs prohibit it, and on private land you need permission.
- Nature reserves and national parks have their own rules. In Skuleskogen National Park, camping and fires are allowed only at designated spots, dogs must be on a lead and motor vehicles are prohibited in the park.
- Fires and barbecuing are often banned in dry summers (eldningsförbud); heed notices from the municipalities.
- Useful apps: park4night, Campercontact and the Swedish stopover directories; ställplatser are widespread in Sweden.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Waste disposal is called “latrintömning” (toilets) and “gråvattentömning” (grey water) in Sweden; many campsites, stopovers and petrol stations have stations. Empty the cassette only at designated places.
- Drinking water is good throughout Sweden; tap water is drinkable.
- Gas: German exchange cylinders are not swapped; Swedish cylinders have different connections. Bring refillable cylinders with an adapter or two full cylinders when you enter the country. Autogas (LPG) is rare in Sweden.
- Alcohol over 3.5% ABV is sold only at Systembolaget, and opening hours are limited. Petrol stations are regular in central Sweden, while in the north the distances get longer; many are unstaffed (card payment).
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Elk warning: elk are widespread throughout central Sweden, especially at dusk and at night, in autumn and spring. Drive slowly then, brake in good time, do not swerve, and report accidents immediately on 112 or to the police. Take game fences and warning signs seriously.
- Speed limits: motorhomes up to 3.5 t follow the car limits (outside built-up areas mostly 70 to 100 km/h, on motorways up to 120 km/h). Cars and motorhomes with a trailer (combination) may drive 80 km/h. Heavy vehicles over 3.5 t are treated like heavy lorries: mostly 80 km/h outside built-up areas, 90 km/h on motorways – clarify the classification beforehand with Transportstyrelsen. Read signs carefully; cameras are in use.
- Dipped headlights are compulsory in Sweden in daytime too. The alcohol limit is 0.2 per mille; using a mobile phone while driving is prohibited.
- Winter equipment: from 1 December to 31 March, winter tyres are required in wintry road conditions (minimum tread depth 3 mm); in northern Sweden snow and ice can occur as early as October.
- Tolls: Sweden has no motorway vignette; to the best of our knowledge the High Coast Bridge is toll-free. In Stockholm and Gothenburg a congestion charge is levied, billed to foreign vehicles by invoice. Environmental zones (miljözon) in Stockholm, Uppsala and other cities mainly affect lorries and buses – check the current rules beforehand with Transportstyrelsen.
- Dimensions: the usual maximum is 4.5 m in height and 2.55 m in width (Swedish law partly allows 2.60 m), 12 m in length for single vehicles; if yours differ, ask Transportstyrelsen beforehand. Carry a warning triangle, hi-vis vest and first-aid kit.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Insect repellent and a mosquito net for windows and the sliding door – in Dalarna and Hälsingland mosquitoes and black flies are common in June and July.
- Hi-vis vest and torch for driving at dusk: in the event of an elk accident, call the police (112) and secure the scene.
- Gas adapter and two full cylinders, as German cylinders cannot be exchanged in Sweden.
- Walking boots, rain jacket and a map for Skuleskogen and the Höga Kusten-Leden: trails are rocky and the weather changes quickly.
- Card payment with PIN and some cash: many petrol stations and stopovers are unstaffed, and card is standard.
- Waterproof dry bag and towels for the bathing spots on Lake Siljan and the Dellen lakes.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
