The Newbie Guide to Sweden

We explain Sweden

The Newbie Guide to Sweden

Newbie Learn is coming home

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What? “What even is Newbie Learn” you might be asking. Newbie Learn is The Newbie Guide to Sweden’s digital platform that hosts courses and ebooks to simplify your move to Sweden. It’s basically the platform we wish we had when we moved to Sweden.

Newbie Learn was originally launched in 2021 as a webinar based platform to help Newbies plan, and prepare their move to Sweden.

Why are you moving the platform?

Newbie Learn was set up on a separate platform from The Newbie Guide to Sweden. It soon became clear that Google indexed the Newbie Learn webinar platform as a direct competitor. With 8 years worth of SEO legacy and thousands of different articles and blog posts, the Newbie Guide to Sweden was always going to trump Newbie Learn.

For the last 6 months we’ve been attempting to migrate Newbie Learn to the same platform as Newbie Guide. Finally, we’ve got all of our ducks in a row, all of our i’s dotted and our t’s crossed. We’re ready to migrate our digital courses platform back home to the Newbie Guide.

On Tuesday 14th February (happy valentine’s day) we’ll be taking down the Newbie Learn platform and migrating it to Newbie Guide. But, don’t worry, everyone who had previous access to courses, ebooks and downloads will still have access to their enrolled courses. Instead of heading to learn.thenewbiguide.se you will log in via thenewbieguide.se and sign in with your usual log in.

The migration will take 24 hours. Our plan is to keep everyone up to date via our Instagram, Facebook page and, if you are signed up to our newsletter, you will receive an email once the migration is complete.

If you have any further questions about Newbie Learn or Newbie Guide, please email them directly to hello@thenewbieguide.se 

A Farewell Note

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Written by Hayu Hamemayu

It was all started in one of those dark and gloomy days in November 2017. During a regular browse on the Internet, I came across this announcement in The Newbie Guide to Sweden website where they’re looking for a volunteer blogger. It was naturally interesting for me because the writing was the thing I wanted to invest myself in ever since I moved to Sweden, so I thought that could be a good opportunity.

But I hesitated at first

“What should I write? What’s so special about my experiences? Why would people read my stories?”

Then I realised that the idea of the blog section in the Newbie Guide website is to share stories of living in Sweden. Any story. It doesn’t have to be inspirational; it’s enough with being informational or even just personal.

Besides, living abroad is not always easy. Just like living elsewhere, it has its ups and downs. So if we can read other people experiences, it may not give you an instant solution but at least, it makes you feel that you’re not alone. I think that’s quite important when you’re living far from home.

So I decided to join the blogger team.

My first posts are mostly about the excitement of living in Sweden. I started with the story about me as a new kid on the block, how I felt when I first arrived, the anxiety that I had, and some practical tips such as the apps you should have when in Sweden, and how to save a little bit of money in a not so cheap country.

Then, when I was pregnant to my second child, I decided to write a series on my expecting journey from pregnancy to delivery. This series is about what to expect when we are expecting in Sweden, including the rights as a mother, pregnancy in Sweden dos and don’ts, until the process of delivery itself.

I also write a lot about Lund, the Swedish city where I live. Most of them are daily life hacks such as where to shop second hand in Lund, where to buy Swedish souvenir, where to get your dose of Asian foods, and so on.

I tried to cover my experiences in dealing with Swedish culture as well: the popular media I use to learn about Sweden, the foods, the habits, everything. And I think newbies in Sweden find this kind of stories really speak to them. My story entitled The “This is Sweden” Moment is still the most shared story by far.

Looking back to all those stories I’ve written for The Newbie Guide to Sweden, I realise how far I’ve come since the first day I stepped out of the train in Lund Central station.

Now I’m no longer a newbie, not yet an oldie. I’m an inbetweener.

And this comes with a feeling that maybe my stories are no longer relevant. I no longer have the spark of the novice, yet I haven’t possessed the wisdom of the old.

Now, after three years and 30 articles, I bid my farewell

I would like to use this last post to express my sincere gratitude to the whole team in The Newbie Guide to Sweden, especially Julieta, who has been really welcome and helpful since the very beginning, even though we never meet in person.

I’d also like to thank all the readers who had read and shared my stories. It’s been a real honour and true happiness to know that some people find my stories interesting and even relatable.

While a thank you is probably not enough, a farewell note could probably do the justice.

Thank you for having me. This is not a goodbye. This is just a reason to fly.

Tack så jätte mycket,
Hayu Hamemayu

About the author

Hayu Hamemayu is a Lund-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Jakarta Post, Media Indonesia, Kompas, Majalah Kartini, and Indonesia Travel Magazine among others. A traveller mommy by nature and random thinker by inclination, she keeps memories in her Instagram @hayuhamemayu and writes her everyday stories in her blog.

Media Kit

Media Kit- The Newbie Guide to Sweden

About Us

The Newbie Guide to Sweden is an online platform that offers newcomers information about practical, social, and cultural life in Sweden, with the hope of making immigration to Sweden warmer and more conductive.

Learn more here:

  • The short facts – What is The Newbie Guide to Sweden? Who runs the company? Why do we advertise? Why do we need volunteers?
  • The team – Meet our founders, partners, and the Core Team.

Product & Community

There are two types of content you can find at The Newbie Guide to Sweden:

Our Newbie/Oldbie community has over 27k loyal & active followers. Most of them are foreign-born women who are currently studying Swedish and looking for a job in Sweden. Our most engaging communication channels are Facebook (English), Facebook (Arabic), Instagram, and Newsletter.

Brand Assets

Download our logo below.

Press & Partner Inquiries

Would you like to get in touch with us? Please email us at hello@thenewbieguide.se or via this contact form.

And remember to connect with us on LinkedIn. ?

The Best Halloween Delights in Sweden

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The night when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is the thinnest is approaching. The most magical time of the year is knocking on the door. Trick or treat? It’s up to you to decide how to celebrate the turning of the light and welcome the dark winter season. Pick your favorite activity from our Halloween guide.

Halloween at Gröna Lund

As per tradition, Swedish oldest amusement park opens its gates for the greedy visitors between 18 October – 20 October and 25 October – 3 November 2019.  The park has prepared a great variety of spooky attractions and is promising an unforgettable frightening experience.

The novelty of this year is a limited number of admissions for a day, be sure to book your ticket ahead of time! Visit their official website for more info!

Halloween Parade 

The 3rd of November is the date every Halloween lover should mark red in the calendar. Stockholm hosts the Scandinavian largest Halloween parade marching from Kungsträdgården through Gamla Stan to end up at Kungsträdgården again just to party hard in a creepy way. Food, drinks, monsters and fun is guaranteed.

Skansen Horrors

Fancy a slightly more traditional experience? Looking for something to do with children? Head over to Skansen to experience different sides of Halloween festivities. All from fairytales telling in the old cottages to meeting the dead ones, Skansen has a bit for everyone.

Halloween at Liseberg

Dark, creepy atmosphere, hidden shadowy corners, zombies and ghost passing the narrow passages. This is Liseberg, the popular Gothenburg amusement park with its traditional Halloween celebration between 11–13, 18–20  and 25–31 October as well as 1–3 November. Prepare yourself for the ultimate Halloween experience.

Skåne

The southern part of the country doesn’t lack behind when it comes to Halloween. The zoological garden in Höör promises the most frightening experience of the year. The nights of 12, 19  and 26 October between 18.30-21.30 will wake the death to living and all the darkest stories will come to life. Do you dare?

Ghostly Dalarna

If you find yourself north of the capital, don’t miss out on visiting Dalarna. A great fit for those with children, Dalarna offers multiple family-friendly events between 31st October and 3rd November. Ghost promenades, ghost buffet or witches in the Animal parks. You name it!

How to Embrace Autumn

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The days are getting shorter, the temperature falls, and now that October begins, we realize summer is definitely over. Some people might want to go into hibernation and wake up when it is summer again. But for me, autumn is one of my favorite times of the year.
Let me take try to convince you why this season is lovely. And also let me share some tips on how to make the best out of the coming months and what you can do to not fall into a “post-summer” depression.

Autumn kickstarts mysigness

It is officially acceptable to bring back all those candles and cozy blankets that were in boxes all summer. Light those candles, and drink a hot cup of tea, while you hear the wind blowing outside. This is perfect for relaxing and helps you living mindfully.

On the food side, there is a lot of dishes that are coming back now that it’s colder outside. There is nothing better than a hot pumpkin or mushroom soup when you get back home to warm you up. Also, other traditional Swedish dishes are perfect for warming you up, and give you that feeling of coziness, like kålpudding.

Sweden is very well known for being “mysig”, so take advantage of this! At a lot of stores, you can buy candles and other small things to make your home a cozy place.

House with red leaves on the wall.
Lund in Autumn.

Enjoy the colors of autumn

On beautiful autumn days, take the chance and go for a walk in a closeby piece of forest. Walking through a wood that is colored in warm autumn colors and kicking through those fallen leaves will make you forget summer! Due to the freshness and coldness, the air now in autumn is much crisper. Your circulation will be stimulated, which will you make more awake and happy. If you need some inspiration on how autumn in Sweden looks like, you can see photos from a fellow Newbie blogger here.

National park in autumn, with many trees in colours
Söderråsen in Autumn.

It doesn’t matter if it’s just a short walk or a longer hike. The important part is that you spend time outdoors. You can either go to your local park, the closest nature reserve or to a national park. If you live in Skåne, Söderråsen national Park and Målklåppen nature reserve should definitely be on your list to visit this autumn! Söderråsen is beautiful with all its colorful trees and easy to get to with public transport. Måkläppen is a nature reserve that is only open from November to January, and you have the chance to see seals there!
Don’t forget to put on those cozy hats and scarfs to keep you warm on those walks.

Sea in autumn with seals
Seals laying on the beach at Måkläppen.

Explore all the festivals and activities happening in autumn

Yes, summer is over, but this doesn’t mean life is put on hold. During autumn, there is a lot of events happening. Look out for the closest “Pumpahelg”, where local farmers are selling their fresh pumpkins in all different shapes. Autumn also means its time for Halloween. Even if you are not a big fan of this American tradition, visit any of the Tivolis during autumn. They are usually beautifully decorated, my favorite is Tivoli in Copenhagen! Also, there is both an international food festival (even in Uppsala, Södertälje, Kalmar) and a beer festival in Malmö. Or how about going to any of the countless Octoberfests that are organized?

Do you love autumn as well? What is your favourite part of Autumn?

Written by Michaela Roth

My name is Michaela and I grew up surrounded by mountains in Switzerland. When I moved to flat Lund to do my Ph.D., I initially thought it would only be for the 4 years that it takes to obtain this degree. Of course, life had other plans, and falling in love with a Swede changed my life completely. I am passionate about science, outdoor activities, and balancing multicultural traditions.