Sports and leisure

We're a sporting nation

Sweden is essentially a northern country, with 15% of its area above the Arctic Circle. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, however, the climate is relatively mild. The country is 1,500 kilometres from north to south, which means that people in the north are still skiing and doing winter sports when football (soccer) and other summer sports are in full swing in the south.

Sweden is a country with good natural conditions for sport. Half the country consists of forest, there are almost 100,000 lakes, and the coastline is all of 7,600 kilometres in length. Nature itself may be said to be the most important precondition for sport and exercise. During the winter, skiing and skating are popular, whereas all kinds of water sports, such as sailing and canoeing, and forest sports, such as orienteering, are summer favorites.

The BASE region is indeed no exception. The area forms a link between the northern and southern parts of the country and is commonly known as the Gateway to the North. Here the fertile fields of the south meet the vast forests of the north and the coastline meets inland. With our position in the very heart of Sweden we enjoy nice, warm summers and winters with lots of snow.

Sport is for everybody

Great efforts are made with respect to sports for people with functional disabilities. For instance, appropriate alterations have been made to sports facilities so that they can be used by disabled people. The Swedish Sports Organisation for the Disabled is very active all over the country. Past experience has clearly demonstrated the tremendous importance of this type of sport.

Swedes generally and the inhabitants of the BASE region in particular, take a great interest in sports of all kinds. Many people are engaged in the wide variety of sports activities throughout the region, as active partners as well as in leadership roles, particularly for the young generation. The easy access to sports arenas at remarkably low cost, for example, has made sports a leisure occupation for everyone.

Coming to the game?

For those who prefer to watch the offer is as extensive. In the winter season, skiing, skating and icehockey of course belong to the most popular sports. The Gävle icehockey team Brynäs fights for the Swedish championships in a league which is rated among the foremost in the world.

To many foreigners bandy is a peculiar game, mostly played in the Nordic countries and in Russia. It is played on ice on a ground the size of a football field where eleven players in each team hunt a small red ball with bent clubs. The spectators should bring warm clothes, a thermos bottle with hot drink, a warm scarf and good spirits. One of the best bandy teams in Sweden is a local one from the region.

Football and a number of other typical summer sports are available to the public. Much attention is paid by the local authorities to the sports issues in general. For example, indoor swimming hall facilities have been erected in many communities in increasing numbers over the past years.

60 athletic sports, represented by over 400 various sports sections, belong to the local regional athletics federation, which is actively contributing to thrilling projects in the future. They include, for example, integration for better understanding of ethnical groups and increased knowledge about equality matters in our society.

The possibilities are never-ending. To the sports fan the BASE region is an absolute haven, whether practising in person or just watching!

Information partly based on material distributed by the Swedish Institute