Oh, Europe! It shines ugly red from all corona incidence maps. It is particularly dark red in your own country at the moment. A new lockdown hangs like a sword of Damocles under the gray sky. Who would be blamed for thinking about a little escape to friendlier, warmer, lighter climes? Just where?
To Sweden! Ironically, this country, which is much scolded in this country for its allegedly lax anti-corona measures, currently has the lowest weekly incidence (around 100) in all of Europe – if you disregard Kosovo, whose 3.7 incidence seems almost a bit magical.
But we don’t want to judge. Also not about whether the Swedes are better fighters of the pandemic or whether they are just about to enter the fourth wave. The fact is that Swedish tourism advertising is currently ensnaring us with bright, warm, friendly proposals that have something very enticing about them.
In Stockholm, for example, 18 buildings are illuminated with large-scale projections as part of the Nobel Prize Light Art Festival. Astronauts looking at the corona-tainted earth from space will be seen on the town hall; Luminous swings will swing through Kungsträdgården, and the 600-meter-long Västerbron bridge will be transformed into a radiant work of art by a lighting designer in honor of Marie Curie. More than 200,000 people are expected to view the outdoor installations.
But even those who prefer it warmer and want to indulge in carefree idleness are currently getting their money’s worth in Sweden: In the coastal town of Västervik, a warm bath house (Warmbadhuset) has just opened, which ties in with the “150 year old Swedish tradition of public sauna landscapes”, with pool, saunas, salt grotto, hammam and, if desired, a glass of champagne. That in itself would be relaxing enough. In addition, the Warmbadehaus is part of a hotel that is none other than Degradation-Musician Björn Ulvaeus heard. He has rediscovered his place of birth Västervik and wanted to “give something back” to him with the publicly accessible Warmbadhuset. Of course he will also have a very good income, although the Swedes understandably prefer to vacation in their own country at the moment. It was granted to him. It was not communicated whether the sauna was being used for cutting-edge Abba hits like “Don’t shut me down” or “The winner takes it all”. But it would not be detrimental to the generally relaxed mood.