“Allemansrätten.” It is a right granted to every citizen by the nation’s constitution. It is a part of every Swede’s identity. It resides deep in their cultural psyche. “Allemansrätten.” The word means “every man’s right.” It is the freedom to roam. It is the idea of land belonging to the public, a collective large-scale communal garden. It allows access to wander, camp, and forage on uncultivated or unpreserved property.
I am not a Swede, only visiting. Therefore, this permission is a privilege to me. “Allemansrätten.” I repeat the term while searching for rock pools. I whisper the word as I bypass cows scrutinizing me. I sing it floating in the chilly cove.
At its core “allemansrätten” is founded upon trust. Trust that such entitlement will be held responsibly, with tenderness. Trust that commercialism won’t abuse the ancient sanction. Trust that individuals will regulate themselves so that wildlife habitats are not disturbed or fragile countryside destroyed. It’s an endearing, idealistic faith in humanity. I benefit from such generosity — a fellow hiker recommends a lingonberry bush for its tasty fruit, a farmer invites me to cut through a paddock as a shortcut, a moored boater counsels me on pristine bays for swimming.
Cynic that I am, I wonder how long this credo will survive. Not all who traipse the wilderness abide by the unspoken rules of “allemansrätten.” How long will it be before used food containers whip past my face at the beach, smashed drink bottles lay underneath a boulder, cigarette burns fan into a brushfire, saplings wither from trafficked routes and overeager hands?
Companies have begun to harvest the forests for profit, due to increasing organic produce demands. Locals in resort towns complain that summer tourists are leaving rubbish for them to clean up. When will this corner change bit by bit as well? In another decade will there be railings along the cliffs with warning signs? Will trail markers indicate places not to tread? Will fences materialize to keep out “everyman”? Will the ultimate anathema to Swedes, no trespassing notices, become common decorations?
The ratio of people to space in Sweden is such that, at the moment, all can enjoy the liberty to rove. What happens, however, as travel democratizes, as we commodify, as our species swells into less trammeled tracts? At what point do our collective feet demolish the very expanses we seek? What will be the outcome of the conflict between our impositions and the planet’s ecosystem?
Is the concept of “allemansrätten” possible to maintain? Can we all go trampling anywhere? If not, who gets to and who doesn’t? Who decides this? How do we limit ourselves while granting each of us the right to wander the earth?
I remind myself of my duty while traipsing. I don’t give in to every pleasure. I’d like to be lazy, but I take out with me everything I bring in. I want to plunge through inviting portals, but stay on trodden paths as much as possible so as not to scar the ecology. I wish I could gorge on nature’s bounty. Instead, I observe rather than collect.
I even run after the errant napkin that got blown away from my picnic. I want desperately to believe that my small decisions will preserve the enchantment of golden light dripping through native dense canopy. I need to cling to the conviction that my little renunciations will guard the sanctity of silver cascades burbling within a grotto. I have to sustain faith that my mindful travels will extend to future generations the mystery of wilderness.
TRAVEL NOTE:
Leave No Trace offers educational programs to develop a population knowledgeable about outdoor ethics. To learn more about their initiatives, volunteer, or support their opportunities, check out lnt.org.
Do you think public lands can remain vital biodiverse spaces without limiting access?
I would also like to hear about responsible, sustainable, ecological tips you practice while hiking, camping, and being in rural spaces in the comments below.
Bespoke Traveler 
Scandis will definitely hold this right sacred. The only thing that may infringe on this is population increase requiring more land for built environment. I’d love to do this. Lovely post!
Thank you. It would be nice to have both this freedom and to practice the responsibility that comes with tramping through the wilds in more places around the world.
We have the same “allmennrett” in Norway (and as it is spelled here). You raise some valid questions. Personally, I think it will prevail. Simply because it’s believed to be such a democratic right in this place of the world, that there will be an uproar if someone tries to mess with it. We see a few place here in Norway, though, where visitors are charged with entrance fee. It’s in places where the amount of tourists is overwhelming and partly introduced to protect the environment. By the way, gorgeous images from Götaland.
So happy to hear you enjoyed my Götaland images! So many places around the world are either restricting the amount of visitors allowed or raising entrance fees as a way to curtail the barrage upon the environment. Perhaps this is the best solution. I appreciate your insights into the “allmennrett” and its future in Scandinavia.
Stunning! I’ve gotta work on my nature photography, these pics are amazing!
Thank you very much. Glad you enjoyed my photography on this piece.
Much food for thought here, and very beautiful pictures…thank you for sharing. 🙂
Thanks for dropping by to read and chat Jen! I appreciate it. 😊
My pleasure!
I like the idea of “Allemansrätten”. I think all people need a place to roam freely, to reconnect with nature.
I agree. I hope that in the future this will not be an impossibility.
A swedish fairy tale seems too good to be true! Nothing will remain untouched where a person passes by! Even with good intentions, we unconsciously sin against nature! Nature wants us to enjoy her beauty, but does not want to be disturbed! But how do you do that without disturbing? Stick to the laws of nature and treat her with respect! Look and learn what nature has to tell you … I enjoyed your photos and your story! Enjoy your day…
Thank you so very much for your sweet compliment. I do agree with you that there is no way to live in nature and not disturb it. Rather, as you pointed out, it would be nice if we could all treat our planet with respect, becoming better stewards of both those parts we use and those parts we set aside as “sacred” or “wild.” Wishing you a wonderful week.
Very close to my new home there is a state park with a delicate ecosystem of tide pools that contain all sorts of creatures, visible at low tide. Unfortunately, it was trampled and almost all of them are gone. There are other places you might be able to see those ecosystems, but even in this region where respect for nature is a commonly held belief, there are just too many people who don’t take care, don’t pay attention, don’t understand the credo you experienced in Sweden. We are lucky to be able to experience these places now, before things get worse. I do hope for a better future for the planet, but humans have to change. Beautiful photographs!
Thank you!…Your story of the tide pools saddens me so much. The situation is disheartening, and I simply hold onto the hope that future generations are learning from our present mistakes.
That’s a good point – on the plus side, I can see places improvements are happening, e.g. with gender-based issues, younger generations are much less biased. So maybe environmental issues will improve because the next generation is horrified (unfortunately that’s probably the best word) at what they see has happened, and hopefully they will be determined to get things back in balance.
Very interesting to read about a country having a philosophy such as you describe here in Sweden. Having travelled widely and having returned to some of our favorite destinations at different times over the past twenty years of travel together, we recognize your comments about forecasting impending doom or at least damage to the fragile ecosystem as the traveling hordes expand. You are of course justified in thinking that rising incomes and lower cost of travel means ever larger populations of camera toting and garbage throwing visitors. Alas, I am not sure there is much that can be done about that.
We have never been to Sweden but your photos of all the natural beauty are very alluring. Perhaps one day we will get there and indulge in free roaming with no footprint left behind.
Peta & Ben
I think both of you would love Sweden’s natural beauty and the ability to roam freely throughout its landscape. Thank you for stopping by to read and chat.
Enjoyed your roaming in Sweden. I love the forests and lakes in Sweden as well as the outdoor museum with houses from many time periods to roam in and enjoy. Happy travels to you.
Thank you so much for stopping by. It makes me happy to hear that you enjoyed Sweden’s lovely natural landscape. Wishing you a wonderful week.
My pleasure. I tried to enter the deep blue lake people were swimming in only to discover it was quite cold. I dipped my toes in at the shore. Have a great music-filled week full of travel adventures.
Wonderful line on chasing the errant napkin. Did the same earlier at outdoor coffee shop but didn’t think of it the choice words you wrote. Thanks
Ire
Thank you. Glad to hear you went running off after yours as well! It doesn’t feel like a big deal, but it’s so encouraging to hear other people taking these mindful actions too.
Wie wunderschön!
Im letzten Jahr besuchte ich Gotland und habe die schönsten Erinnerungen daran!
Sonnige Grüße!
Sonnige Grüße!
Wonderful, indeed. I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed your visit to Gotland! Thank you for stopping by.
It was last year when I visited Gotland. I took the ship from Stockholm to the island.
It was a wonderful holiday, as beautiful as your report !!
It sounds like heaven, being able to roam where you will in natural surroundings. Your photos look so inviting. I share your hope that it will never be swamped by limitations to your wanderings.
I so appreciate your kind words. May the future fulfill our shared hope.
What a wonderful insight into the Swedes life! I completely agree with your views on the way that something so universal can easily be changed for corporate gain, nice work :))
Thank you very much. Wishing you a wonderful rest of the week. 🙂
Sweden sounds like the old fashioned world that was once the birthright of us all… lovey piece…
Here in NZ – a country the size of England with only 4million people – our amazingly beautiful empty landscape is being trashed by ‘freedom campers’ tourists from Europe mostly, who hire camper vans and use the country-side for their toiletry as well as their dangerous camp fires…
In a country that relies on tourism, they have become a real problem.. even once pure streams and rivers are now polluted with guardia thanks to thoughtless campers, and it’s no longer safe to drink from them… alas…
This is so sad to hear! In the end such behavior hurts all of us. Thank you so much for sharing the situation about NZ. It’s eye-opening to learn how so many places are impacted by tourism and not for the positive, unfortunately.
Thanks for this tour. Some places are loved to death by too many tourists. Others are disrespected to death by litter. We all need to be more responsible.
Thank you as always for dropping in to read and chat! I agree…in the end “we all need to be more responsible.”