It is a quarter to midnight and the light is of that colour you normally expect at about eight o'clock. Soft, warm, a little golden. We drive up a narrow gravel path between two lakes and no one looks at their watch. That's the effect of the midnight sun: you lose all sense of time, Around the summer solstice, at the end of June, in southern Sweden, the sun doesn't set until after 10.30 p.m. and rises again around 3.30 p.m. In between, the sky remains a blanket of sunlight. In between, the sky remains a kind of permanent twilight. In Finland, at the altitude of Lahti, you have about 19 hours of direct daylight. That means: no rush, no lights, no pressure to be back before dark. Gravel in Finland or Sweden during Midsummer Night is a wonderful option to do in summer.
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Dalsland - Sweden in miniature
If you have to choose one region for your first Nordic gravel trip, it is Dalsland an option. The province lies north of Gothenburg, towards the Norwegian border, and is known as “Sweden in miniature”: forests, hills, more than 2,000 lakes, and hundreds of kilometres of dirt roads winding through all that.
The surface is mostly hardpack gravel, wide enough for two bikes side by side, but narrow enough to keep the feeling that you are riding somewhere where few people go. This is true, too. After 30 km you think: this will run. And then you get one of those Dalsland climbs where you have to get out of the saddle anyway. A 55 km round trip can easily yield 900 altitude metres.
For those who want longer: the Union members is a 350 km route connecting Moss in Norway with Karlstad in Sweden, right through the heart of Dalsland. Ideal for a week of bikepacking. And then there is the annual Dalsland Gravel Race (mid-September), with distances from 40 to 320 km for those who want it a bit more competitive. Late-night riding is possible. The traffic is gone then, the light is soft, and you have the surroundings to yourself.
Accommodation in Dalsland: cycle-friendly accommodation on this map
Below you will find stays in Dalsland, the bicycle-friendly hotels are highlighted with a separate label.
Småland - red cottages and strawberry cake
Småland is the postcard version of Sweden. Red wooden houses, white window frames, flowering meadows. Astrid Lindgren grew up here. The terrain is hilly. It feels like the Sweden you always imagined. Red wooden houses, endless forests and lakes popping up everywhere among the trees. It is the region where Astrid Lindgren situated her stories, and you can still feel it when you cycle along the winding gravel roads past places like Vimmerby, Mariannelund and Bullerbyn. Here, gravel biking is not just about speed, but about experiencing the landscape itself.
What makes gravel in Småland special is the combination of endless gravel roads, car-free routes and terrain that constantly undulates slightly. The roads take you through deep forests, past clear lakes and across the Småland highlands, where climbs and descents alternate naturally. The area was not voted Sweden's best gravel bike area for nothing: the variety is great, the trails are excellently maintained and the feeling of freedom is everywhere.
Round Hestraviken and Isaberg you will find a mix of hilly asphalt and forest gravel. Fine loops like the Bäckhultsleden (forest, climbing) and the Stora Sjöleden (lakes, slightly flatter). Do you prefer driving coastal? Then it Västervik Archipelago an option: island hopping by bike and ferry.
Småland is also the place where fika is something of a law of nature. Coffee, cinnamon roll, bench by the water. “Shall we do one more fika?” falls the question. Around midsommar, Swedish strawberries are at their best, as the long days bring extra sugar. Serve them on a jordgubbstårta. Smaklig måltid!
Lahti - fast gravel, ski trails, rollercoaster
Then Finland. Lahti Located 100 km north of Helsinki, it has become the epicentre of European gravel, thanks in part to FNLD GRVL, the event that F1 driver Valtteri Bottas co-founded.
The Lahti area is all about fast, tight gravel over former cross-country ski trails. Wide, continuous, with a surface that seems made for pace. But those short, steep rollers will demolish you if you start too hard. The terrain is treacherously flat on the face of it, but your legs know better after 80 km.
In Lahti: you drive in a setting built for winter sports, and you feel it. Wide lanes through pine forest, barely any traffic,
Lakeland Finland - the green rollercoaster
Further north and east, it opens up Finnish Lakes Region itself as a network of more than 1,100 km of bikepacking loops. The region around Saimaa is the heart: bridges, ferries, beach after beach.
The Puumala Archipelago Route (60 km) is a must: tough climbs interspersed with views over the lake that make you pause for a moment. The Green Gold Gravel Loop moves further north, calling for wider rubber, 45-50 mm, as the ground becomes softer.
And then there's the swimming. The routes are designed so that you are rarely more than a few minutes from a lake. Towel along, micro-lock for the bike, done. “First sauna, then food,” someone says. That is apparently the order here. After a day on the bike: heat and cold water as recovery.
Rituals and customs
Midsommar (Sweden) and Juhannus (Finland) are more than just a kind of festadg. They involve rituals that fit surprisingly well with a bike ride.
Just an example: pick seven different wildflowers on midsummer night, put them under your pillow, and you are said to dream of your future partner. Condition: you have to be quiet while picking. Some traditions even require you to climb over seven fences. We will skip that bit (after all, we have our click pedals under our shoes).
In Finland, everything revolves around the sauna. On Juhannus, a vihta used, a bundle of fresh birch branches that you gently beat yourself with. The effect: better circulation, clean skin, and the whole room smells like summer. That'll hit different.
Practical: what you need to know about graveling in the Midsummer Night
Both Sweden and Finland know the right to roam: Allemansrätten (SE) and Jokamiehenoikeus (FI). You may cycle, hike and camp in the wild for one night on most land. The rule is simple: don't disturb, don't destroy.
Further: take a sleep mask with it (that light doesn't stop), mosquito spray (July is peak season), and do a daily tick check if you have driven through tall grass. A small light kit is also smart. Midnight sun is not full midday sun; it is twilight, and cars do not see you as well as you think. Also remember these things on your packing list
| Dalsland | Småland | Lahti | Lakeland | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Substrate | Hardpack gravel, hilly | Mix asphalt/gravel | Fast gravel, ski trails | Gravel, partly softer |
| Bandwidth | 38-42 mm | 32-40 mm | 38-42 mm | 45-50 mm |
| Best for | Bikepacking, silence | Group ride, variety | Pace, events | Bikepacking, swimming |
| Vibe | Away from everything | Postcard | Sporty, sleek | Lakes, sauna, tranquillity |
Have you ridden in Scandinavia around midsummer? We'd love to hear where, which routes, and whether you do fika or sauna first. Drop your tips!
