Views fit for a viking
By Sam Vincent | theage.com.au | 08 June
What Free legal camping and access to private land in Scandinavia.
Where Throughout Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland.
How much Free, seriously.
Why go There's a reason Scandinavia doesn't feature on too many backpackers' itineraries. All those taxes make for outrageous prices - one Carlsberg and a pickled herring and your daily budget has gone the way of many an ABBA tribute band.
But the best things in life, they say, are free, which couldn't be more true of the world's most expensive region. Blessed with stunning natural scenery, four Nordic countries have a little-known treat for shoestring travellers wishing to get back to nature.
In Swedish it's called allemansratten - every man's right - an ancient law allowing public access and camping on anyone's property, as long as it's done 70 metres from houses and you keep out of gardens and cropland. This privilege dates from a time when travellers needed all the help they could get to cross a wild and sparsely populated region, not to mention allowing those marauding Vikings easy access on their way to raping and pillaging the rest of Europe.
Thankfully their descendants are a little more placid (and egalitarian - every woman has the same right), but they haven't lost their enthusiasm for a tradition that typifies the socialist outlook of Scandinavia. Every weekend families camp, ski, hike, cycle, canoe and swim, anywhere they like. Only Denmark forbids it, being more urban than its northern neighbours. In Sweden it is even enshrined in the constitution, and the country's environmental protection agency has been known to remove fences if they are deemed to obstruct public access.
For budget-minded travellers the main attraction is the permission to camp anywhere, free. Tents can be left in the same spot for more than one night, but permission must be obtained from owners to do this with cars and caravans. Fires are permitted where safe, but must only be set with fallen branches. Make sure you douse them with water before leaving, close all gates and take your rubbish with you.
Even dinner can be free, with everyone allowed to pick berries, nuts and mushrooms, as long as they are not protected. Permission must be obtained to fish in private lakes and streams, but this is nearly always granted.
The main detraction is the fickle weather, especially in Norway and Iceland. This makes planning crucial, for while the camping might be free, the cost of a search and rescue team won't be. Hunting is popular in these countries too, so if you don't want to be mistaken for a moose, ensure your tent and clothing are highly visible.
Despite this, the rewards far outweigh the detractions. Arguably the biggest drawcard of Scandinavia is its natural beauty, with huge swathes of forest, mountains, lakes and fiords waiting to be explored. It's nice to know that with "every man's right" it is perfectly legal to gain access to and stay in the privately owned parts of these environments.
The rules are a little stricter in national parks and reserves, where it is forbidden to remove plants or camp outside designated sites, but these are nearly always free anyway.
Perhaps the best place to take advantage of the right of public access is in Lapland, the region spanning Arctic Norway, Sweden and Finland - better known as "the land of the midnight sun". Accommodation is rare, even if you are prepared to pay for it. The indigenous Sami people have been herding reindeer in Lapland for thousands of years and have never thought much of private property. To best experience their traditional lifestyle, camp beside a mountain, making sure to enjoy a sundowner that, thanks to 24-hour sunlight, quickly turns into a "sun-upper."
Free camping is conceivably legal even in Scandinavia's urban areas, as long as you keep the required distance from buildings. Next time you see someone sleeping in a Stockholm or Oslo railway yard, they may not be homeless after all, just a canny traveller.
Bonus If you are lucky, you could be invited into one of the myriad summer cabins that dot the Scandinavian countryside for a round of aquavit, a sauna, and maybe even accommodation. After all, a free campsite is good, but a free bed is better.
Source: The Sun-Herald
First published by TheAge.com.au on June 08 2008
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