Fall Is the Best Season (Especially in Sweden): Change My Mind

I’ve always been a fall person. Maybe that is because my birthday is in fall (hate to be cliché…), but believe me: There’s something about fall that makes life feel cinematic. The air turns crisp, the trees look covered in gold, red and the most beautiful orange, the scent of woodsmoke drifts through the countryside… In Sweden, autumn feels like it isn’t just a season. From fika by candlelight to forests painted in colours, it’s hard to imagine a better time to be alive. Still, I’ll make my case, and you can try to change my mind.

The Colors Deserve an Award

Let’s start with the obvious: the colours. Swedish nature goes all-in for autumn: Birch trees blaze yellow and maples flare red, while pine forests keep a steady backdrop of deep green. Even the moss seems to glow brighter. Take a walk through any National Park (or even smaller city parks) in late September or October, and you’ll understand what I mean. It’s like stepping into a live-action painting!

Summer might have longer days, but in my opinion, fall has better light. The sun hangs low and filters through the most magical feeling fog. In Sweden, the golden hour feels like it lasts all day in October.

Cozy Culture: The Swedish Way

Nordic people have mastered the art of cozy. While Denmark has hygge, Sweden has mys. Fall is the peak mys season. Cafés fill with people drinking hot chocolate and eating the best, freshly baked cardamom buns (or cinnamon, or pumpkin, or vanilla… honestly, huge choice of buns here, and I cannot tell you which one is the best – because they all are!). Candles appear everywhere. The darkness that begins to creep in isn’t something to dread, rather it’s an invitation to slow down, wrap yourself in a blanket, and put the kettle on for a cup of tea.

There’s even a swedish term for this: höstmys – literally “autumn coziness.” Picture this: a rainy Sunday, a pot of coffee brewing, a plate full of kanelbullar (cinnamon buns) on the table, cosy socks and zero guilt about staying indoors. That’s höstmys, and I can’t imagine anything better.

The Weather is (Finally) Reasonable

Summer in Sweden can be unpredictable. It might be 28°C and sunny one minute and 14°C with sideways rain the next. Winter is beautiful, sure, but brutal. You spend half of it fighting darkness and trying to remember what your feet felt like before the freezing cold.

But fall? Fall gets it just right. The air is cool but not cold, crisp but not cutting. You can actually wear your favorite jackets without melting or freezing. It’s the season for scarves, boots, and that in-between layer. I don’t know about you, but my fall fits are always the very best!

Plus: the mosquitoes and wasps are gone. Enough said.

Outdoor Adventures (Without the Crowds)

Sweden is an outdoor paradise year-round, but fall offers a unique kind of magic. The hiking trails are quieter, the mosquitoes are mercifully gone (I can’t stress this enough, it’s just so much calmer), and the air smells like pine needles and rain. You can kayak on calm, misty lakes or take long walks in the woods with the sound of crunching leaves underfoot.

If you’re lucky, you might even catch the northern lights! Autumn is the beginning of aurora season in the far north. But even in Stockholm, we could see it from the end of September! There’s something surreal about standing under a sky that shimmers green while the trees around you glow orange and red (but, in the dark, obviously).

A Time for Reflection and Resetting

Maybe it’s the slower pace or the shorter days, but I feel like fall naturally invites reflection. In Sweden, this is the time when people start fresh. The new school year begins, university semester starts… I feel like there’s a collective exhale as routines return and everyone gets a little more serious, but in a good way.

It’s also when nature reminds me of impermanence. Leaves fall, light fades, and the cycle starts again. It’s poetic, but it’s also grounding. Fall teaches me to appreciate things as they are, right now, because I know they won’t last forever.

The Downside… It Ends Too Soon

If I absolutely had to admit one flaw, it’s this: fall in Sweden doesn’t last long enough. Blink, and you’ll miss the peak colors. One strong wind and the trees are bare. But maybe that’s part of its charm, the fleeting nature of it all. It makes you love every walk, every cup of tea, every ray of sunlight that cuts through the clouds.

So, you can always try to change my mind. Tell me you love summer’s endless daylight or winter’s snow-covered serenity (I get it). But for me, fall will always be the best. It’s beautiful, balanced, and makes me feel like I belong.