Sweden

Nelles Guide/Sweden by Gerhard Lemmer, Birgit Kramer, and Otto Steiger not only gives the reader and traveler great information about the country but also is beautifully done with numerous exquisite photographs of all regions of the country. The layout of the book is very user friendly from its captivating narration of the history and culture of Sweden to it's well organized information on 9 travel areas throughout the country as well as detailed discription and advice on the best way to get around and see all of the metropolis of Stockholm. Throughout each section on the various regions to be explored, excellent maps correlate places and points of scenic interest through numbering in the narrative that corresponds to numbers found on the maps of the region. This along with giving specific distances between places and time needed in travel gives the reader a great orientation. At the end of each section about a particular region the authors have added a helpful cataloging of hotels, restaurants, hostles, nightclubs, and significant points of interest by town or specific area with telephone numbers, dates open, and price range. By coming at the end of each section this information does not break up the flow of the narrative and detract from the enchantment of the area to be explored. The photography coupled with the narration made this one of the most enticing travel books I have read. I felt lured to Sweden and found myself facinated by the discriptions of what one would see and experience traveling through the countryside. The authors did a wonderful job of bringing in the main historical dates and happenings when describing a town or area without losing sight of the scenic interests. I found other travel books on Sweden did not give me a feeling for the country as this Nelles Guide did. Although some books like Frommer's Sweden gave more overall information, they lacked the wonderful pictures and narrative that bring out the character of the country. My desire to visit Sweden was greatly increased from reading Nelles Guide of the country; whereas, the other travel books on Sweden left me with no feeling for how Sweden might differ from any other European country. I would greatly recommend Nelles Guide to Sweden to those wishing to visit the country as well as anyone that would like to know what the country of Sweden is like.