Even before we took the Out editorial staff -- 15 of us -- to Stockholm to celebrate Midsummer's Eve last June, we knew there was something ineffably cool about a country that could produce Robyn and Abba, Lisbeth Salander and Pippy Longstocking, Alexander Skarsgard and Bjorn Borg. And then we got there, and the rest is cliche: Sweden is the coolest, sexiest, most beautiful country in the world. And, since 2009, we've even been able to get married there. (OK, we'll allow that Brazil has the best beaches and ubermensch fellas, but you have to get a visa and aren't allowed to bring anyone back to your hotel room -- for real!) In the grand scheme of things, Sweden is not a big country -- the entire population could roughly fit into New York City -- but the nation's contribution to the world is excessively good.
Here, our official round up of some of the coolest things we brought home with us.
Alexander Skarsgard vs. Jonas Akerlund
The star of True Blood and Lars Von Trier's upcoming Melancholia talks with the filmmaker about the Swedish conquest of Hollywood, national differences in etiquette, and why Swedes get so much sex.
Shopping in Stockholm's SoFo
A field trip to Scandinavia's coolest neighborhood.
By Aaron Hicklin
24 Hours in the IceHotel
Wintering in the (midnight) sun.
Little Dragon
This foursome's icy-hot, ultramodern funk has america calling.
By Jason Lamphier
Italy Loves Sweden
A conversation with Donatella Versace on her H&M collaboration
By William Van Meter
Anton Hysen
A young soccer player comes out and makes history.
By Aaron Hicklin
It Boy
Marcus Schenkenberg -- another hungry supermodel.
By Aaron Krach
