Sweden’s Prescription for Wellbeing Led Me to the Forests of Småland — and It Actually Worked

Sweden has calm in its DNA, but nowhere does it better than Småland. Endless forests, quiet lakes, and winding country roads make it easy to forget what rushing feels like.

In this post, I’m sharing how you can follow “The Swedish Prescription.” This is a new kind of “travel therapy” that blends nature, good food, and slow design.

So, here’s the idea: across the world, doctors have started prescribing time in nature or cultural experiences as a way to improve mental and physical health. But Sweden has taken it one step further; it’s now the first country you can actually be prescribed to visit.

The concept, created by Visit Sweden with Swedish professor Yvonne Forsell, is backed by research showing that things like spending time in forests, taking fika breaks (aka Swedish coffee breaks), sleeping well, and simply slowing down can lower stress and boost overall wellbeing.T he ‘prescription’ includes everyday Swedish habits, forest bathing, foraging, sauna culture, cycling, and even live music—simple routines proven to restore both body and mind.

I’ve spent a few weeks in Sweden this year, biking along the Göta Canal in summer and dog sledding and skiing through snowy Dalarna in winter, and what I’ve learned is that Swedes don’t just visit nature, they live in it.

But this trip through Småland takes that idea to its purest form. It’s where the prescription really comes to life: cooking from the land, sleeping in the forest, and finding that rare mix of luxury and calm.

And let’s just say, I can see why this country is literally being prescribed for wellbeing!

Ready for your own Prescription for Wellbeing?

Now, if you’re planning your own travel therapy trip, plan for at least five or six days. This gives you space to slow down and really sink into Sweden’s pace of life.

I would start in Gothenburg… Sweden’s relaxed coastal city on the west coast. If you’re flying in from abroad, it’s an easy entry point, and a great way to shift gears after the bigger, busier capitals of Europe.

You can spend a day wandering the canals, taking a fika (that’s the Swedish version of a coffee-and-pastry pause), and browsing through Haga, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. The cobblestone streets are lined with vintage shops, bakeries, and cafés that make it easy to linger.

If you have time, head to the Botanical Gardens or catch a ferry out to the nearby islands. Gothenburg gives you a soft landing; it’s a city that already feels like an exhale before you even hit the countryside.

After a night or two, rent a car and drive east into Småland. It’s about three hours through forest and farmland that get greener by the mile. And that’s where Sweden’s “prescription” really starts to take hold. Each stop feels designed to help you slow down in its own way.

And another option is to take the train from Copenhagen to Alvesta if you’re heading to the southern parts of Småland. Then, rent a car. This is also just as easy and a more sustainable option.

Now, let’s get into the relaxation!

Asa Herrgård – Slow Food, Fire, and Fairytale Forests

The first stop is Asa Herrgård, a 17th-century manor tucked beside a forest lake in southern Sweden. Getting there means winding through miles of pine and birch until suddenly, the road opens to still water and silence.

This place captures what Sweden means by balance. There’s a lakeside sauna and a few hot tubs where you can alternate between warmth and a quick, shocking dip in the lake. It’s a great routine that can really reset you, just as well as a fancy spa experience.

But food is what’s at the heart of Asa Herrgård. You can book a hands-on cooking experience with the head chef, Pontus, who makes traditional Småland dishes using ingredients from the surrounding farms and lakes. This is genuine, slow cooking where everyone joins in.

And then there’s The Edible Country. You head into the forest with a guide, forage for ingredients, and cook lunch over an open fire at a table tucked deep in the woods. When I visited in October, we foraged for mushrooms to make with our lunch. It’s truly a magical experience… unlike anything I’ve seen in all my travels. I kept waiting for a fairy to pop over the mossy hills.

You can book the experience guided, let the chefs cook for you and set the beautiful table, or have the kitchen pack a lunch box so you can make your own. However you do it, it’s truly a one-of-a-kind experience that needs to be on your Sweden travel therapy itinerary.

Trakt Forest Hotel – Design in the Wild

About an hour south sits Trakt Forest Hotel, which features the fanciest set of treehouses I have ever seen. The suites float above the forest floor and are minimalist and glass-lined.

There’s no television, just the sound of the forest and light filtering through the trees. Every detail is intentional.

Here you will also find a cozy restaurant that turns local ingredients into something elegant without feeling fussy.

The Silva Spa might be the most peaceful spot in Sweden. You can soak in wood-heated tubs beneath the trees, warm up in a private sauna by the pond, and even slip into a hidden bath deep in the forest surrounded by moss and smoke from the fire.

It’s pure, simple therapy…the kind that resets your mind as much as your body.

Wallby Säteri – Life by the Lake

Thirty minutes farther south, you’ll reach Wallby Säteri, a countryside estate that looks like something out of a Jane Austen novel. I’m talking rolling meadows, still water, and oak trees that have probably seen centuries.

It’s perfect for travelers who can’t sit still but still want to unwind (like me!). You can hike, row, or wander the trails that loop through the woods, or simply sit by the lake with a cup of coffee and do what the owner Magnus jokingly calls, “the thing we’re best at here — doing nothing.”

Meals are simple and seasonal, made with fresh ingredients from nearby farms and producers, berries, game, fish, whatever’s freshest that week.

Magnus himself brings so much personality to the stay and is usually joined by Pimms, his dog, who seems to be everyone’s best friend.

Wallby is one of those places that feels personal without trying. You’re in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nature, yet you still have every comfort with cozy rooms, strong coffee, and a view that makes you forget you even own a phone.

It’s hard to explain what makes it so special, but it’s an incredible reset, a slower world you’ll wish you could stay in just a little longer.

Vandalorum – Art and Design as a Reset

Now, before heading back to the city, stop at Vandalorum, which is a modern art and design museum.

The buildings look like sleek red barns scattered across a field, and inside you’ll find Swedish and international artists displayed in spaces that somehow feel calm even when they’re busy. The gardens outside were designed by Piet Oudolf, the same landscape architect who created New York’s High Line.

It’s a perfect final stop with art, architecture, and a café that serves a fabulous lunch. It ties everything together: beauty, simplicity, and attention to detail.

The Prescription That Works

The Swedish Prescription isn’t about escaping your life…it’s about remembering how to live it.

Here, wellness isn’t something you schedule. It’s in the air, the design, the food, the quiet moments that remind you to slow down.

If you’re craving a trip that actually leaves you feeling better, this might just be the prescription you need.

If you’d like to learn even more about visiting Sweden and slowing down, be sure to check out my recent piece about cycling the Göta Canal and where I found the best meal of my life in Sweden.