We'd like to thank Ikea, the Ice Hotel and the Nobel Foundation for all they've done to put Sweden on the map. And then we'd like to ask their Norse ancestors why they left such a stunningly beautiful country in the first place.

From stylish modern cities to vast forests dotted with glacial lakes. From Viking and medieval sites to high-tech centres of design. From the mountainous Arctic to balmy southern archipelagoes. This is indeed, in the breathless tones of an old travelogue, "Sweden – Land of Contrasts." A natural and cultural playground that's a delight to explore any time of year.

Imagine you're in Swedish Lapland in June. Around 11 p.m., you finish dinner at an acclaimed restaurant and instead of repairing fireside with a brandy (though that's good, too) hit the slopes for a couple more hours of skiing under the midnight sun. Then later (or tomorrow, if you actually choose to sleep) your Brown + Hudson guide can take you ski touring or heli-skiing, or get you off-piste (as they say) to see the WWII shipwrecks at Narvik.

Winter is just as fun, only darker. Ride snowmobiles for a lakeside picnic to watch the amazing Aurora Borealis. Or let our local friends introduce you to the art of dog sledding. As the huskies strike up a chorus of "Pick me, pick me" (or, alternatively, "Born to Run"), your guides assemble expertly balanced teams. Then you're off, gliding almost silently through a winter wonderland to stay at the very cool (as in cool) Ice Hotel, or perhaps a remote log cabin where your private chef arrives by snowmobile.

Flipping back to summer, you can go rugged and explore Lapland on the ancient Kungsleden Trail. Or bike and walk in the Viking enclave of Gotland, or on Ingmar Bergman's beloved island of Fårö. Then there's medieval Visby, or the royal gardens of Drottningholm, or the villages of Mariefred, connected by interlocking lakes and rivers. In Stockholm we can arrange dinner at City Hall, where the Nobel Prizes are handed out. We'll even teach you the etiquette of smorgasbord dining and brief you on the Swedes' 120+ methods for preparing herring or salmon.

In short, Sweden is a place where pretty well anything is possible. Except maybe keeping track of time in 24-hour daylight when you've forgotten your watch. But then, it doesn't really matter...