Everyman’s Right: The Freedom To Roam In Norway and Sweden

Everyman’s Right: The freedom to roam in Norway and Sweden. The UK is home to some stunning nature, from the Lake District and the Brecon Beacons, to Loch Ness and Giant’s Causeway. But much of it lies on private property, and even on public
access land recreation is limited to certain activities. This isn’t the case in Norway and Sweden, where a mix of ancient tradition and modern law guarantees the freedom to roam in the great outdoors – for everyone. Allemansrätten in Sweden and allemannsretten in Norway is the concept of universal access to nature. Translated literally, it means ‘everyman’s right’.

Thanks to the freedom to roam you can: pitch a tent and camp underneath the stars; row, sail, or swim at an open lake.

Unlike in England and Wales, where rights of free access are limited to mountains, moors, and downs, in Norway and Sweden they apply to all uncultivated land. People have the freedom to roam nearly anywhere in the countryside, regardless of who owns it. In England and Wales, free access land is also restricted to on-foot activities: walking, running, and wildlife watching. But thanks to the freedom to roam you can: pitch a tent and camp underneath the stars; row, sail, or swim at an open lake; horseride or cycle through a wooded forest. Practically any recreational, non-destructive activity is allowed, in line with the ethos that
nature should be respected and, above all, enjoyed.

These conditions aren’t designed to restrict the freedom, but to ensure it stays something everyone can enjoy.

The freedom to roam was once the norm across much of Europe, and traces of it remain in countries such as Finland and Scotland. But it’s in Norway and Sweden that this ancient tradition survives in its purest form. In Norway, it was formalised by the 1957 Outdoor Recreation Act, and the right was enshrined in the Swedish constitution in 1994: ‘Everyone shall have access to nature according to the everyman’s right’.

There are conditions to the right, which emphasises responsibility as much as freedom within nature. If camping in Sweden, you have to pitch your tent at least 70 metres away from the nearest building, and it’s 150 metres in Norway. The freedom covers recreational activity, but not anything that could be seen as commercial: you can pick as many berries as you’d like for
yourself, but can’t sell them to other people. Foraging is allowed, but hunting isn’t. These conditions aren’t designed to restrict the freedom, but to ensure it stays something everyone can enjoy – for generations to come. Most fall under the common-sense principle of leaving the landscape as you wish to find it, or in the Swedish motto: ‘do not disturb, do not
destroy’.

The Swedish tourist board actually listed the entire country on Airbnb in 2017.

So long as you respect this general ethos, tourists as much as locals are encouraged to enjoy the freedom to roam. The Swedish tourist board actually listed the entire country on Airbnb in 2017, inviting visitors to experience allemansrätten for themselves: ‘Every lake is your infinity pool, every mountaintop is your granite terrace, every meadow becomes a garden and every
forest a pantry filled with mushrooms and berries’.

I hadn’t seen Visit Sweden’s publicity stunt during my gap year (yes, Gap Yah), but I had heard of the freedom to roam. Thanks to it, I was able to camp, hike, and swim in some incredible spots across Norway and Sweden. Few things beat unzipping your tent in the morning in the middle of an ancient forest, or to the view of a perfectly still lake – often with no other campers
in sight, always having paid nothing for the privilege. On a student budget, it can be difficult to visit the infamously expensive Scandinavia. But the freedom to roam is the perfect way to enjoy the natural beauty of Norway and Sweden. The only
price you have to pay is respect for nature. So, accepting the responsibility that comes with the freedom to roam, what are you waiting for? As you beat back January blues by planning for the summer ahead, spare a thought for Norway and Sweden’s great outdoors. It’s everyman’s – even every Warwick student’s – right.