Sweden Becomes the First Country That Doctors Can Prescribe🌲

A Prescription to Travel?

Visit Sweden’s new research-backed campaign, The Swedish Prescription, invites doctors everywhere to swap pills for pine trees, recommending saunas, forest walks, and even live metal concerts as part of a treatment plan. Because apparently, feeling better might just mean acting more Swedish.

Nature’s New Medicine

Around the world, “green prescriptions” are gaining momentum: doctors encourage patients to spend time outdoors for stress relief, better sleep, and improved mental health. Sweden’s campaign takes this idea to the next level, offering a research-backed “menu” of nature-based remedies inspired by everyday Swedish life.

Among them:

• Forest bathing: Unplug and wander among the trees to lower cortisol levels and sharpen focus.

• Cold-water dips: A chilling plunge to reset your nervous system (bonus points if you don't scream).

• Fika: The sacred Swedish coffee-and-cake ritual that lowers stress and boosts connection.

• Sauna therapy: Sweat it out to improve circulation, sleep, and maybe even your outlook on life.

Basically, if it smells like birch wood and involves deep breathing, it’s medicine now.

A Lifestyle Worth Prescribing

What makes Sweden’s approach unique is that it’s not about “wellness” in the influencer sense. It’s about access, balance, and simplicity. The country’s Right of Public Access—known locally as allemansrätten—means anyone can roam, swim, and even forage freely across most of the landscape.

That means your “treatment plan” might look like:

• Picking wild blueberries for antioxidants and joy.

• Sleeping under the stars to reset your circadian rhythm.

• Listening to death metal to regulate anger (no, really—some scientific studies says so).

Even the air itself is therapeutic: Sweden ranks among Europe’s cleanest countries, and researchers say clean air is linked to better sleep, sharper cognition, and improved mood.

The Doctor Will See Your Passport Now

Doctors can download a referral template from Visit Sweden and suggest it to patients. But this is a promotional, research-inspired campaign, not a medical mandate.

As Susanne Andersson, CEO of Visit Sweden, puts it: “The Swedish lifestyle naturally promotes wellbeing—from our forests and lakes to the fresh air, fika breaks, and cultural life. It’s time to make feeling better a little more beautiful.”

And she’s right. Because when was the last time your doctor prescribed a sauna, a cinnamon bun, and a cold plunge?

How to Get Your Own Swedish Prescription

Visit www.visitsweden.com and find The Swedish Prescription to learn more. You’ll find downloadable doctor’s notes, research summaries, and even a “menu” of health-boosting activities to try.

Just remember: side effects may include improved mood, spontaneous forest picnics, and never wanting to leave Sweden.

FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About “The Swedish Prescription” 🇸🇪

What is “The Swedish Prescription”?


It’s a new campaign from Visit Sweden encouraging doctors (and travelers) to treat nature as medicine. Backed by research from Karolinska Institutet and the World Health Organization, it highlights how Swedish lifestyle habits—like saunas, forest walks, and fika—can boost wellbeing.

Can doctors really prescribe a trip to Sweden?


Not officially. It’s a creative campaign, not a medical mandate. Doctors can, however, download a referral template from Visit Sweden to discuss the benefits of nature-based wellness with patients.

What kinds of activities are included?


The campaign lists twelve nature-inspired “prescriptions,” including forest bathing, cold-water plunges, saunas, and fika (Sweden’s beloved coffee-and-cake ritual). Even live metal concerts make the list because stress relief comes in many forms.

Is there science behind it?


Yes. Research shows that time in nature, social connection, and clean air can lower stress, improve sleep, and lift mood...all things Sweden happens to excel at.

Why Sweden?


Sweden ranks among the world’s healthiest countries, thanks to its clean air, strong work-life balance, and Right of Public Access (allemansrätten), which lets anyone roam freely through forests and lakes.

Where can I get my own “prescription”?


Visit VisitSweden.com/The-Swedish-Prescription to explore the campaign, read the research, and download your very own “doctor’s note.”