This is a Lady´s Slipper (Guckusko in Swedish), a very beautiful and rare orchid in Sweden. Legend tells how, one summer day, Venus was surprised by a storm. As she ran through the woods, she lost one of her slippers decorated with gold an purple. The next day, a young shepherdess, going up the mountain with her flock of sheep, came on the beautiful little shoe in the woods. She ran to pick it up, but the treasure vanished, and in its place she found only a flower in the shape of a tiny slipper.
Yesterday I was lucky to stumble on the Lady´s Slipper in the Häverö- Bergby Nature Reserve about 120 km north of Stockholm.
This was the very first time I have seen this rare orchid and there were hundreds of them! More photos here.