Summer in deep south Sweden, four days of cycling gravel tracks, narrow lanes, wild camping

I took my Brompton on another cycling and camping adventure, this time in southern Sweden, with my trusty Hilleberg tent and little old Trangia stove. Responsible wild camping is legal here, and is a beloved part of life that everyone is encouraged to enjoy. There is loads of space. It's a joy to pitch quietly by a Swedish lake or in a wood, and sit there and listen to the birds and the wind in the trees. This region is really accessible actually, if anyone is thinking to try something similar. I started in Malmö, which is only 20 mins by train from Copenhagen airport. As soon as I left the city, I was straight onto gravel tracks and empty narrow lanes in the countryside. I picked wild strawberries and wild raspberries and had summer berry pancakes for my breakfast every day, and saw interesting and cool Scandinavan stuff such as a Viking-age 'ship burial' tucked away in an old oak copse. Lovely trip. This is part one. Part 2 coming up soon!
Actually this area is quite easily reachable from London by train too, instead of flying, and of course the train is a better way to do it really - Eurostar etc to Hamburg then the night train, arrive Malmö next morning. I tried the journey by train with my Brompton and camping gear (in the reverse direction actually, ie Sweden to London) and it was great.
About wild camping in Sweden, the Swedish "Freedom to Roam" rules are here visitsweden.com/what-to-do/na... "The only thing you have to pay, is respect for nature."
Anyway I hope you enjoy the film!

[@johalford708]

What a treat - suddenly realising you have a new video out! Lovely mix of great scenery, tranquillity, informative and candid running commentary with lots of tips and examples of how to do things. Slow travel at its best. Message to self - "be more Susanna".

[@susannathornton]

Aw Jo thanks for the lovely comment, glad you liked the film, yeh slow travel, human pace, nice... thank you for watching!

[@m__r1100]

I can get on with a 'be more Susanna' ideal

[@kevinmcguire4537]

Absolutely love your videos . Look forward to the next one . mycket Bra 🙏

[@davidharris4062]

Another cracking video, good to see you back and looking well, you and Miriam Kennedy are two inspirational women

[@zensascha8690]

Thanks for inspiration. What a perfect combination: Sweden and Bikepacking. 😊

[@sanneholm2010]

One of my favourite things: A new video from Susanna 🙌thank you so much for sharing💖

[@lizziel4876]

Yes indeed - a new video from Susanna! It's like having a favourite chocolate that you save for later....

[@kristofferhellstrom]

You're such a lovely person! I really enjoyed watching this video.

[@davidniven6665]

What a master piece in its simplicity! It is so beautifully edited that catches the flavour of those human moments that any adventurer faces. Your own health journey has inspired me to not give up hope as my Refurbished Brompton awaits to take me on its own adventures. In the mean time I’ll sit back with no effort and enjoy this brilliant series. thank you 🙏

[@WalksInCamera]

Relaxing! A big fan of Beech woodland a forest here too! Thanks for sharing. Really enjoyed watching.

[@colinwellman9480]

Love your trip, so very much like the part of France where I live. Everyone thinks it's flat, it's not!! It's also very windy. I admire your way of doing things, not planning to the nth degree and making it up as you go. Thanks for the video.

[@WiltshireMan]

Another lovely episode Susanna, I wish we had a Freedom to roam and camp act over here in the UK. It was good that you were able to add lots of wild edibles into your diet as you rode along. The Brompton is a great bike for this type of adventure where you may have to use trains etc to get to the start or end points.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Sandy! aw thanks for the lovely comment. Yeh a folding bike and public transport, love it. We have got mainly maps of railway lines on the walls of the flat. Haha. But so nice to stand and look at them and think oh could go here, ride here, connect to there... endless places to go...

[@micksoden7064]

Marvellous.lovely presentation, understated.

[@stephencrowther9226]

I really enjoy watching your travels. Thank you for taking the time and trouble to record them for us to enjoy vicariously

[@kady5398]

Thank you for this video, it’s a special one. My great grandma’s family is from Skane and Va. We have a lot of family history with the church in Va. Thank you for adding the history and video that goes with these areas.

[@pauljenkins2501]

Thank you for a lovely video. I eagerly await part two.........

[@RSCphoto-Savannah]

Lovely video. You are so generous with your insights and information. Thank you. I will be in the UK next week then on to France and Italy on my Brompton. Can’t wait. Wish me luck! Cheers.

[@roberthunter5398]

Good to see you again Susanna. Oh my word that old church with those paintings, so fascinating. Beautiful countryside too. Look forward to seeing more. Thanks so much for sharing 😊

[@susannathornton]

Thanks for writing Robert. Yeh really cool to see those paintings. Those eyes and everything. Thanks for watching!

[@rolfschattschneider]

Your trips are the best on KZbin!

[@angelaaz6282]

I was just thinking about you Susanna! How great to see a new biking backpacking video 😊😊from you!

[@Merlin-fl7vy]

I always look forward to your adventures Susanna 😀 I can't cyce at the moment as my disability has flared up but watching you travel is the next best thing. Good to see you so happy, take care for now.

[@susannathornton]

Aw I'm sorry to hear you cant get out on the bike at the moment. Glad you enjoyed the film. Best wishes! Thanks for writing! take care you too

[@enricoflor3601]

Hooray for Susan's adventures!

[@23Gears]

As a Brit living in Göteborg who has picked up bikepavking the last year or so, your videos have been really inspiring. One of the main challenges I find, is finding suitable places to camp. There is an abundance of forest and fields and the right to roam, but often, finding a pretty camping site is difficult. But what you show is that a lityle perseverance and flexibility is actually all that is needed to solve the issue. Thanks for the great stories and the inspiration.

[@susannathornton]

yeh I think you're right actually, mainly I find it tricky in the parts of sweden with more arable farming and also cows in the fields etc, eg I rode north through Småland and into Östergötland a couple of years ago, up to Norrköping and it was really tricky to find camp spots, made a film about it..

[@penny6658]

Delighted to see another video. Thank you. As usual so relaxing and inspiring to watch. Can't believe you left us on a cliff hanger!!! There was an audible 'Oh no!' as your video finished...... I have no doubt you worked it out and we'll see part 2. Even though it will have passed by now, I am still crossing everything for you 🙂

[@susannathornton]

Hi Penny! aw thanks dont worry yeh got myself into a bit of a twist but it worked out!

[@jellyartist]

Hey Susanna - Looks like a great trip. Some lovely story book architecture over there. Much flatter than I would have imagined too - so far that is! I hope all’s well with you. Great to see how your channel has grown too. Best wishes.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Vin! Thanks for writing! Hope you are well!! yeh I love seeing the architecture, the cottages and things how they thatch them and the churches and manor houses etc... Pity I kind of missed Kristianstad cos the centre is all fancy renaissance and things like that I think, would have been nice. Never mind. You know, I really saw on this trip how "national" my understanding of architecture cos is in my mind I have baked in that there are "Norman" churches and "Jacobean" houses and whatever... Hello romanesque! renaissance! I have to kind of rethink and relearn everything Anyway, thanks for writing! hope you are having a good summer so far

[@MiriamKennedy]

Such a great idea to make the trip from Malmö to the cottage and to see what adventure would unfold! 🤗 Looks like Chapter 2 will have some dramas after that cliffhanger! 🫣 Fab background info explaining the sights as you went along…a really enjoyable watch as ever Susanna!! 😍 xx

[@susannathornton]

Aw thanks Miriam! yeh I love just doing a journey that I need to do anyway, but instead of train or whatever doing it slowly, by bike... I have done that journey so often by train, which is nice too, but totally different. You dont get any *feeling* for what the place is really like. Whereas on a bike, going slowly, even though I am in places I have been through many times, a whole new Narnia world opens up. It was @pootlingalong who said the thing about Narnia, such a great comment she made on a film a while back, forests at the back of wardrobes... Anyway! bla bla! She put it much better than me! Hope you are having a good day! I have got kit and pasta and maps everywhere here again, super excited about to set off on another little trip, got about 10,000 things to do but it will all come together I am sure! 😎🙃 x x x

[@MiriamKennedy]

@@susannathornton wahoooooooo!!! Great to hear 🤗

[@alethearobinson8132]

Nice to see you back on the bike. This is one of your best videos so far. Mainly due to the extra work of putting titles on all the special places with their history. Thank you. Cheers 🌞🚴‍♀️🖖

[@rsb62rsb]

That was so interesting! landscapes, history, geography and cycling and camping! 😀👍🏽thank you

[@susannathornton]

Glad you enjoyed it! yeh I just do what I think is interesting... yes your list kind of nailed it! thanks for writing!

[@Kent.]

Was looking forward to see Kristianstad from your view but got pretty disappointed when you totally missed it, there is very nice cycle patch through the city that had taken you were you where going so dodging the city Centre was not the best way to go through it, it's a beautiful city that have been called little Paris för some of the beautiful old buildings we have here.

[@keithgarland3404]

Lovely scenery, very relaxing to watch, sat on my comfy sofa, whilst you do the pedaling. Thank you for taking us with you. I was wondering recently how you were, and hoping you were well, so glad to see you are still alive and kicking, be well, God bless 👍

[@kristofferhellstrom]

No wonder your pronunciations of the different parts of south of Sweden is so good :P You're fluent in Swedish.

[@alphaomega6062]

Thank you. Looking forward to the next episode. You've left us on a bit of a "cliff hanger"! It is always fun to see your adventures.

[@hanshavinga5574]

What a surprise, a new video. As always inspiring and uplifting. The cliffhanger really makes me look forward to the next episode ;)

[@alextr3a640]

Wow nice villages and churches, love those red painted houses on stone walls, lovely! Looking forward to see part2, thanks for sharing

[@brendacupryna631]

This was such a lovely watch especially on our TV instead of the phone. It’s really good of you to post these. I must say cycling in western Sweden and in Norway we can’t recall seeing roadside veg stalls. Looking forward to part 2

[@Vacaverde787]

Greetings Susanna! What a spectacular video, the old bridge, the little white church with its extraordinary paintings and all that wonderful forest made my day. The truth is that in your country the tourism company should pay you to show those beautiful lands. Anyone who loves history, green areas and a little peace would definitely pay to be there. The strawberries on the road reminded me of my childhood in Puerto Rico. During the week we went out with my grandmother to pick wild strawberries and she made us a spectacular cake! Thank you for sharing your story, experiences of the road and your peace! May you be well, long life to you Susanna!

[@susannathornton]

Aw Carmen thanks for writing, that is so nice, especially about your grandmother and the cake you remember from when you were small 🥰🍓

[@ingegerdandersson6963]

What a nice video, but you forgot to mention Blekinge when you described how to cycle

[@yvonnethorpe5224]

Fabulous scenery. Thanks for letting us join you on this beautiful trip.

[@chrispriddey4594]

Looking forward to this one. It was lovely to briefly say ‘hi’ to you in London a few weeks back. Thanks for the videos!

[@susannathornton]

Hi Chris! Yeh it was nice to meet you too!!

[@chrisw1090]

Brilliant as always, a great mixture of countryside, history and camping. Thanks for showing the Dutch Army bowl on the last film, I bought one on Ebay and have used it even on my campsite camping - absolutely great and takes up no room.

[@pootlingalong8928]

So brave! I love the cliffhanger but the raspberry pancakes made it for me. Beautifully filmed as always and thank you for sharing! Come on then, part II ! 🤗

[@susannathornton]

Hello pootlingalong!! Aw thanks yeh the raspberries! and then wild strawberries, the taste somehow reminds me those old parma violet sweets if you know the ones I mean. Anyway hope you are well! Part II on the way!

[@hikesaroundkyoto]

Really pleasant cycling video! Lovely countryside with a lot of enjoyable spots. Thank you for sharing the nice tour. Greetings from Japan.👍

[@AnnaUKSheepstar]

What a great film! Thank you for taking us along with you 😊

[@susannathornton]

Thanks Anna!

[@carmeltravers6371]

Thankyou Susanna , loved that 😊

[@johnmilner0859]

Love your cycling adventures in Europe

[@davidginn8448]

Susanna, what a simply lovely wee video. The countryside is glourious, together with your ability to make every video so interesting. I'm so glad you are doing this trip over two videos as it give me something to look forward to in part 2. Thanks as always for going to the trouuble to take us along. ATB Big Dave Scotland....ps, I also love beech woods in th summer

[@susannathornton]

Hello Big Dave thanks for the lovely message!

[@francisday3187]

Thanks for making and sharing.🙏 Wonderful video! 👍🇦🇺

[@carolannryan8834]

Thank you for sharing really enjoyed this video.

[@jimmysqueezyronin5623]

Always enjoy your vids. Sweden looks beautiful 💚

[@axelpalmer9682]

Trevligt att träffas i Compton Martin Susanna!

[@susannathornton]

Ja det var det! Mycket trevligt! Thank you for welcoming me, and for such a nice chat!

[@ianmcleod4]

Thanks Susanna great to Sweden be safe 🍀

[@pushBAK9]

My hero! So inspirational :)

[@andrewsmith6674]

Just seen the video drop. Can't wait to watch it.

[@stevesmith3216]

Have been looking forward to seeing your latest video. All good,thanks.

[@rizalsapi007]

Enjoy your adventure Susan, a while the weather is nice. Take care

[@alicejwho]

Ooh, too weird...I was thinking of you this morning, wondering how you are. And here you are today! Shall watch later. Can't wait!

[@susannathornton]

Hope you enjoy it! it was such a nice ride. Thanks for writing Alice!

[@UglyBikeling]

Good to see you again. I always see how grateful you are and so blessed to be in that beautiful area. I try to find the beauty in everything but that place is hands down beautiful 😍

[@alindberg8001]

You can camp in some nature reserve, depends on which one.

[@terra7461]

Labai gražu!

[@johnbayley1109]

As ever, Susanna, a brilliant mix of your musings and practical stuff. The pace of your trips is perfect, never too fast, counting kilometres but pure persistence and keen observations of your surroundings. I’m intrigued that you don’t wear a cycle helmet when you are covering such long distances?

[@andyb3712]

Hi Susanna, Fresh pasta and tinned fish is my staple now. I find it helps with energy the following day and tastes fab. Nigella has wonderful, simple ideas for sardines and, better still mackerel. Buried in the pannier bag, pasta seems to last at least 3 days. Safe travels and bon appetit!

[@susannathornton]

Hi Andy! Oh that is interesting about fresh pasta... thanks for the tip! cooks really fast too doesnt it... Right that is something to try! I will check out the Nigella ideas too. I hadn't thought of looking to Nigella for camping recipes haha

[@andyb3712]

​ @susannathornton Yes, cooks fast - I use the drained water for tea but don't tell anyone. I find Lidl Mackerel is perfectly fine, and almost as easy to heat through as the pasta

[@rolandbrooks467]

Cracking vid as always. I just wondered why you don’t wear a ‘proper’ cycle helmet given the miles you do.

[@Perisa79]

I was just wondering if it's often, or att all, that you cycle the wrong side when meeting someone on a bike-lane.. I mean In the UK you go by Left-lane and in for ex Sweden we drive on the Right side.. So ,I was just wondering if you ever had an awkward near crash or likewise?? Im, sure I would have done it If I was in the UK.. hehe 😊

[@susannathornton]

I know what you mean! I dont really make many mistakes like that, but occasionally I go into a dream and forget, when there's noone else there reminding me, yes. Sweden used to drive on the left too didnt it... I heard a bit about the day it changed and how it was done, with school kids and everyone drafted in to make sure people managed the big switch OK etc...

[@redfraggle525]

Another beautiful video! You are so inspiring. What saddle are you using? The one that came with my Brompton is painful.

[@susannathornton]

thanks redfraggle! sounds like you should try a different saddle. It's horrible feeling uncomfortable on the bike, spoils the whole experience. Maybe pop in and chat to someone at your local bike shop if you have one in the neighbourhood, prob they can suggest an alternative saddle that might suit you. I use the standard Brompton one that came with the bike and find it great kind of dont think about it but my husband didnt get on with his. Everyone is different. You wanna be comfortable, you got such a nice bike definitely you want to get a saddle that suits you so you 100% enjoy it

[@stuartsutherland7664]

Great video! Do the previous Danish lands speak Danish as well as Swedish? Nice to see churches still in use and well kept. In fact most of the buildings you passed by in the countryside looked well kept!

[@yoss214]

Swedes don't generally speak Danish even in Skåne but the languages are (sort of) mutually intelligible so we can understand each other pretty well (though we sometimes have to resort to English). Interestingly, I've heard some Danes say that they have more of a problem understanding the Skåne dialect than "standard Swedish" even though they're so close geographically. The explanation they gave me was that the Swedish they hear when watching Swedish TV tends to be "Stockholm Swedish". This was quite a few years ago so things may have changed. Susanna's Swedish is very good, BTW.

[@susannathornton]

Oh thank you @yoss214, I was hoping someone knoweldgable would write. By the way, is the Skåne accent kind of linked back to the history with Denmark? It always seems like quite a strong accent to me. I cant pick out any of the other local accents in Sweden, but I think I can hear it when it is a person from Skåne. I assumed it was kind of linked to the history with Denmark somehow but dont know

[@yoss214]

@@susannathornton I'm not a linguist but it's my understanding that although the Skåne dialect has some properties in common with Danish, it's distinct from Danish and probably was even when Skåne was a part of Denmark.

[@yoss214]

@@susannathornton Incidentally, the lady you had a conversation with when you were asking for directions clearly wasn't a Scanian native - I guess that made things a bit easier. 😊

[@youaintseenmeok]

What camera did you use ,looks great

[@susannathornton]

@@youaintseenmeokthanks for watching! my camera is a GoPro 9

[@bolleolympus]

Du lager filmene dine slik at jeg får mer lyst til å sykle enn å dra på bobiltur❤

[@susannathornton]

yeh, dunno, sometimes when it is going dark and raining and I see van people parked up in their cosy vans already with the cosy lights on inside having coffee, I think oh that looks nice, but to honest only about 1% of the time... But even on a wet cold day as soon as I have got my sturdy little tent set up and the friendly candle lantern lit and I am listening to the rain feeling cosy, I feel a bit sorry for them cos I think oh they are missing so much that they might love!

[@bolleolympus]

@@susannathornton That is really truth!👍👍

[@alexmorgan3435]

Very enjoyable. Are you lucky enough to have an EU passport as your husband is Swedish?

[@Martin-on2pp]

Great. About garlic. Is it really possible toe eat too much garlic???😂

[@Gert-DK]

I believe I have told you, that wild camping in the Danish state-owned forests is allowed (since the pandemic). One of the conditions for wild camping, is that you can't be seen from outside the forest. Why? I don't know. Maybe you know.

[@susannathornton]

Hi Gert, I remember, thank you for writing before, and this time too. Ah yeh that is interesting, yeh what is the reason for that condition. I dont know. Could it be so that tents don't kind of "spoil the view"? Or maybe to help avoid clusters of campers gathering??? does one tent maybe attract others?? I wonder if someone else on here knows what the rationale actually is. Would be interesting to know

[@Gert-DK]

​@@susannathornton I have a feeling it is all above in your post. I will see if I can get in contact with someone in Naturstyrelsen.

[@Gert-DK]

@@susannathornton I found this on their page. It seems that it is about not "spoiling" the nature for others. Google translate: "When you set up your tent, it must not be visible to others walking in the forest - both walking on paths or driving in a car on roads through the forest - and it must not be visible from buildings either." I did email them. I could take time, since we are in holiday time.

[@susannathornton]

@@Gert-DK interesting yeh, it's very clear isn't it, tents etc mustn't be seen, by anyone... Hope that you do get a response! I'd like to understand the rationale, learn from it

[@Gert-DK]

@@susannathornton I was called up by the Danish Nature Agency, it was actually the husband of the inventor of the Danish system. One of the reasons why tents must be hidden is, as we said: Tents and more must not spoil the experience for others. He said they had been forced to adapt it, so there was no conflict with other laws. 5-6 laws he said. For the sake of the camping industry, they did not want to advertise camping in the forest, with tents seen from the outside. They also did not want visible tents to attract more people to the same place, so it actually became a "camping ground". The Nature Agency is not afraid for wildlife. The minister was actually very happy, when it ended up on his table, and it was called "Lille Lands Allemands Retten" I actually had a longer chat with him, he was nice to talk to.

[@qanatabaev9576]

Why are you without a helmet?

[@davidthomas9267]

a helmet might be a good idea?

[@sarahs784]

There are various arguments for and against cycle helmets. I'm firmly in the "you do you" school. They're only rated for speeds up to 12 miles per hour, so if you get hit by a car, I'm not sure they offer protection. Cars travel closer to you, as they think you're "safe", they potentially make cyclists undertake riskier cycling for the same reason, they discourage people from cycling and give the idea that cycling is inherently unsafe, whilst statistically, the risk of death from head injury is similar to walking, and less than that in a car (due to greater speeds). Segregated cycle tracks offer roughly ten times greater protection than helmets. Countries like the Nederlands have many cyclists who don't wear helmets, have segregated infrastructure, and fewer injuries. Personally, I don't wear one and stick to cycle paths and low speed cycling. If I were doing higher speeds and with the cars, I'd wear one. If my balance were bad and I fell off a lot, I'd also wear one. London cycling campaign have an excellent article on it.

[@pootlingalong8928]

Not if you cycle sedately and with an upright position. I cycle at the same speed as a jogger and no one gets after them about helmets. I’m fully supportive of sports cyclists - road racing cyclists and mountain bikers - wearing helmets, but me on my bike pottering along country lanes, nah.

[@dreamingontwowheels9572]

Hii, I hope you are doing well. Are you completely cured of your breast cancer?

[@contactright07]

Excellent video with lovely landscapes, thanks for taking us along, take great care Susanna: Russ 🚴‍♀️🏕☕🍰

[@susannathornton]

Hi Russ! hope you're doing OK! love your little kettle pic by the way haha. Thanks for writing!

[@contactright07]

@susannathornton Hi Sussana, all good here thanks, you look stronger in each video you do, keep it up: Russ