Things To Do In Stockholm
7 things to do in Stockholm
Whenever you think about the Nordic countries or even just European countries, Sweden will definitely show up. Stockholm is its capital and is one of the most well-known cities in the world. With tons to do, great food and even greater culture, the city is a tourist’s dream come true. Here are the top 7 things to do in Stockholm:
Visit Gamla Stan:
Visit one of the oldest surviving places in the city, and get a major blast from the past with Gamla Stan. It is the living cradle of Stockholm’s birth more than three-quarters of a millennium ago. There’s been a settlement here since the year 1252, though now the locals are more likely to run taverns and waffle-shops than fishing boats or pillaging raids. Take a historic tour through its maze of winding medieval alleyways, small squares, ancient churches and Royal Palace. It can get very crowded, but you can avoid the bus-tour clusters by keeping off the main drags or ducking down side streets.
The Stadshuset:
Join the city’s nobility at the city’s most prominent landmark and it plays host to some of the world’s most esteemed people at its Nobel Prize banquet, which is held annually in the building’s Blue Hall. However, for regular visitors, the cellar restaurant offers the previous year’s menu. A guided tour of the building takes in a 10,000-piped organ; the astonishing Golden Hall, in which scenes from Swedish history are depicted on the walls in 18 million mosaic pieces in gold leaf; and the Council Chamber – designed to resemble the open roof of a Viking longhouse.
Art lover’s paradise:
There are plenty of opportunities to appease your inner art lover, mainly the two art museums which are very different from each other. Back in the 60s, the Moderna Museet introduced Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg and Niki de Saint Phalle to an astonished Swedish audience. Today visitors go for its collection of 20th-century art, featuring works by Picasso, Dali, Pollock and De Chirico. While just a short walk away, in the National Museum, drawings and decorative arts from the Middle Ages share space with Rembrandt, Degas and substantial collections of Dutch and Swedish art.
Drink on the Water:
Drinking on the water is a popular pastime in Stockholm, and several pontoons and boats now house bars and restaurants. Such as the M/S Gerda which once served in the Normandy landings, and now is decked out with palm trees and sleek furniture. There are several ships like this one, which serves similar functions.
Get in on the Fika:
Swedes love their coffee, and café culture is deeply rooted with them. On an average, the Swede’s consume 4.5 cups a day, getting this coffee fix while having something sweet on the side is known as the ‘fika’. There are several cafes open in the city where you can get your ‘fika’ too, with each place offering new speciality and is different than the rest.
Indulge your inner music lover:
Swede’s are pretty much your regular pop or rack fans you can find, and the country’s live music scene is bigger than ever. The performances that you can catch feature some of the best local musicians the city has to offer. Debaser, suitably a little rough around the edges, is every inch a rock club, with bands playing seven nights a week and DJ action on club nights; Fylkingen is the best place for DIY and experimental music; the Södra Teatern cultural centre hosts low-key folk and pop concerts; while next door at the Mosebacke Etablissement you can hear an eclectic mix of jazz, pop, rock, salsa and reggae.
All Aboard for Swedish history:
The city’s most prized heirloom is the 69-metre-long, 380-year-old warship Vasa, which sank just 20 minutes into her maiden voyage in 1628. Salvaged from the waters in 1961, she was ceremoniously installed in her stunning, custom-designed Vasamuseet (Vasa Museum) in 2000. You can find numerous facts and figures about the ship and Swedish history over there. There were a few myths circulating the doomed fate of the mighty warship, but they were later debunked with ‘The Archaeology of a Swedish Warship of 1628’ was published in 2007.
Reasons To Visit Stockholm
Ten reasons to visit Stockholm
Stockholm also known as the European Capital of culture is considered as one of the most ethnically diverse cultural cities in Europe. It is also Sweden’s capital and the most populous city in Northern Europe.
Stockholm is ranked as one of the most popular tourist destination of all times, but why is Stockholm a must-go destination? Here are 10 tempting reasons to pack your bags and visit Stockholm!
1. Architecture:
The architecture of Stockholm is something that every tourist admires. It is laced with history, cultural symbols and elements of modernization which makes the architecture quite complicated and fascinating! It is interesting to note that even though Stockholm is a now a global city, it still reflects a great deal of history through its architecture.
One of the most uncommon pieces of Architecture is the Jumbohostel, just take a look below and imagine the creativity!
2. Museums and Art Galleries:
Stockholm is famous for its museums and art galleries, these two together attract at least more than a million tourists per year! Every single museum will give you a sense of rich history embedded within the Swedish culture and feel free to pick any art gallery in the city; it is guaranteed that you’d be staring paintings and sculptures for countless hours!
3. The Suburbs of Stockholm:
The suburbs represent the diversity of language, ethnicity and cultural background of Stockholm. Diversity is something that is embraced by all Stockholmers! Some suburbs like the Skarholmen and Tensta have the highest number of immigrants in Stockhome, a diversified city like Stockholm is a treat for someone who likes to meet people from various backgrounds!
4. Sports:
Stockholmers are sports fanatics! When it comes to sports they simply cannot resist, one of the most popular sports clubs in Sweden is the AIK it is also one of the largest and oldest clubs in Scandinavia. The AIK club has done wonders for the country as it has produced high-quality teams and players in a variety of sports including football, ice hockey, badminton and tennis!
5. Stockholm Jazz Festival:
Are you ready for a completely different dimension of music? Well, Stockholm is the city where Jazz is still being played and valued every year in the Stockholm Jazz Festival. This festival has a special place in the hearts of Stockholmers for two reasons; the first one is that it is considered as one of the oldest music festivals in Europe and has deep a cultural significance in Sweden. Secondly, it is not hard to understand that Stockholmers are crazy for good music!
6. The Green City:
Stockholm is considered as one of the cleanest and greenest capitals of the world. This city is a mixture of urban and rural life in the sense that you’ll find the tallest of the skyscrapers and at the same time, you’ll find lush green trees and parks in every corner of this beautiful city! Don’t forget to visit Djurgården which is an island in central Stockholm. This is the favourite place of Stockholmers when it comes to recreation!
7. Gröna Lund:
The island of Djurgården is a great place for having fun with your family. Don’t forget to visit its amusement park with your family and friends as this place has the craziest rides and unlimited fun for people of all ages!
8. Theatre:
The theatre is adored by all Stockholmers as in the city you will find Europe’s most renowned theatres including the Royal Dramatic Theatre and the Stockholm City theatre. There are many more theatres which represent the amount of interest the Stockholmers have towards theatre and not to forget; popular Swedish actors frequently perform and delight the audiences with their performances!
9. Nights in Stockholm:
Are you a Night Owl just like me? Perfect! Nights in Stockholm are simply mesmerizing. From Cafes to pubs and nightclubs this city has everything. Imagine spending the evening watching artsy theatre and then having a few beers in a local pub! There are literally countless fun ways to spend the night in Stockholm!
Don’t forget the amazing skyline of the city; it even looks better at night!
10. Swedish Literature:
You might be wondering why would literature be a reason to visit Stockholm, well the truth is that there is something serene and complex about this city as it has inspired countless writers and poets! Stockholm is considered as the bedrock of Swedish literature as an enormous amount of literature including literature based on Romanticism, Liberalism and Modernism were inspired by the green city.
All the reasons mentioned above have one thing in common and that is the amount of diversity the culture of Stockholm represents and the best part is that the people of this city are sociable and the company of them in a café is an experience that anyone would relish.
Now you can see why you should pack your bags and head to Stockholm. No matter your background & Preferences, Stockholm has something for you! So what are you waiting for?
Have I missed any reasons? what are your reasons to visit Stockholm?
Stockholm Guide
Stockholm
I Arrived in Stockholm in Sweden from Oslo in Norway by plane for 36 euros. It took 1 hour flight time in total.
Sweden is a Scandinavian nation of thousands of coastal islands, inland lakes, forests, and mountains.
Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and has 14 islands of the vast Stockholm archipelago on the Baltic Sea. The cobblestone streets and ochre- coloured buildings of medieval Gamla Stan, the old town, are home to a 13th- century cathedral, the royal palace of Kungliga Slottet and its underground armoury, cafes, and restaurants. Ferries and sightseeing boats shuttle passengers between islands, beneath more than 50 bridges.
Stockholm is a city full of architectural buildings, sculptures, and small pretty parks to relax and is made up of many islands which are accessible via ferries and bridges.
I wouldn’t say Stockholm is a budget place and I found hotels to be quite expensive as was the price of food and drink compared to the rest of Europe.
Stockholm is a city packed with things to do from exciting museums to great nightlife and streets packed full of cafe’s, bars and restaurants to sit back and relax.
The food is expensive in comparison to other European countries and you should expect to find lots of meat dishes, especially meatballs, Fruit soups with high viscosity, like rose hip soup and blueberry soup (blåbärssoppa) served hot or cold, are typical of Swedish cuisine.
Stockholm certainly has enough to keep you entertained for a few days and you should allow at least 5 days to see the best of Stockholm.
Although Stockholm is an expensive place you can make this a budget holiday by seeking all the free stuff it has to offer. Stockholm has enough free museums and tours to keep you entertained for a couple of days.
Getting from Stockholm airport to city centre of Stockholm
Arlanda International Airport is approximately 40 km north of the city centre.
Flygbussarna Airport Coaches depart from Arlanda Airport and the City Terminal, located next to the Central Station, departs every 15 minutes and takes 40 minutes and costs 100 sek (£8).
Arlanda express train takes you from Arlanda Airport to the city centre. The platform is easily accessible, underneath the arrival terminals and costs. 280 sek (£23) for a single ticket or return (valid for 1 month) is 540 sek (£45) this is the easiest service which departs every 15 minutes and takes 20 minutes.
Public trains depart twice per hour and you will have to make a change of trains to get to the centre. This takes 50 minutes and can be done using your travel card with a supplement of 90 sek (£8) (see below for travel card).
Travelling Around Stockholm, Sweden
For travel within the city, I would suggest to just walk as there is so much to see around every corner.
However. there are trams, buses, underground lines and boat’s which can all be used on a travel card.
24 hours 115 sek (£10)
72 hours 230 sek (£20
7 days 300 sek(£25)
You must buy an S.L card for 20 sek (£2)
Do not forget to activate your travel card on the first journey or face a big fine.
Stockholm Pass
The Stockholm pass is a great way to save in this expensive city.
The Stockholm Pass gives you free entry to over 60 top attractions, including sightseeing tours, museums and monuments. Although quite expensive if you plan on doing a few top attractions it is worth getting, but remember there is still plenty of things to do for free in Stockholm to keep you entertained.
1 Day Adult Pass 595.00 sek (£50) with travel 710 sek (£59)
2 Day Adult Pass 795.00 sek (£67) with travel 1025 sek (£86)
3 Day Adult Pass 995.00 (£84) with travel 1225 sek (£103)
My perfect hostel in Stockholm, Sweden.
Click, image for link.
Highly recommended, within a few minutes walk to the centre.
Accommodation, Eating and Drinking in Stockholm, Sweden
Hostels in a good location close enough to walk to the centre are priced around 275 sek (£23) you could find a little cheaper but you will be much further out from the centre, and hostels closer to the centre you’re starting to look at around 458 sek (£38)
If you are a couple you would be better off looking at a hotel, as hotels can be found for around 600 sek (£50) including breakfast for a double room and 2 sharing.
Or of course, if you would rather you could find a 5- star hotel for 1775 sek (£150)
Restaurants are all over Stockholm and down every alley and compared to other European countries are quite expensive.
If you’re looking for a 3- course meal in a mid- range restaurant you could expect to pay 425 sek (£35) and a beer for 70 sek (£6)
If you were to look for a single course meal in an inexpensive restaurant you would look at paying 150 sek (£12)
For nightlife in Stockholm, there is plenty of choices, from strip clubs to bars to nightclubs, Stockholm has it all. If you are after a pub crawl I can recommend heading to a hostel called City Hostel and joining their pub crawl.
Museums worth a visit in Stockholm, Sweden
A lot of museums are free with the Stockholm pass, so if you plan to see a lot of museums and sights it’s worth getting the Stockholm pass.
Vasa Museum is a maritime museum in Stockholm, Located on the island of Djurgården, the museum displays the only almost fully intact 17th- century ship that has ever been salvaged,
Nobel Museum is a museum devoted to circulate information on the Nobel Prize, Nobel laureates from 1901 to present, and the life of the founder of the prize, Alfred Nobel.
Museum of Photography, Fotografiska is a centre for contemporary photography in Stockholm.
Swedish History Museum is a museum located in Stockholm, that covers Swedish archaeology and cultural history from the Mesolithic period to present day.
National museum is the national gallery of Sweden, located on the peninsula Blasieholmen in central Stockholm. The museum exhibits an impressive art collection due to its benefactors, King Gustav III and Carl Gustaf Tessin.
Things to do and must see in Stockholm, Sweden
Gamla stan the old town of Stockholm.
Kungliga Djurgården is an island in central Stockholm. Djurgården is home to historical buildings, monuments, museums and galleries.
Stockholm City Hall is the building of the Municipal Council for the City of Stockholm in Sweden. It stands on the eastern tip of Kungsholmen island, next to Riddarfjärden’s northern shore and facing the islands of Riddarholmen and Södermalm. Do the tour.
Stockholm Palace or The Royal Palace is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch. Stockholm Palace is located on Stadsholmen, in Gamla stan in the capital, Stockholm.
The Drottningholm Palace is the private residence of the Swedish royal family. It is located in Drottningholm. Built on the island Lovön, it is one of Sweden’s Royal Palaces. It was originally built in the late 16th century.
The Parliament House is the seat of the parliament of Sweden, the Riksdag. It is located on nearly half of Helgeandsholmen, in the Gamla stan district of central Stockholm.
Sankt Nikolai kyrka, most commonly known as Storkyrkan and Stockholms domkyrka, is the oldest church in Gamla Stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. It is an important example of Swedish Brick Gothic.
Also plenty of churches and cathedrals to pop in but a few have an admission fee.
Free things to do in Stockholm, Sweden
Take a free walking tour, yes, It’s free (tips excepted but not expected).
The Changing of the Guard, Head to the Royal Palace, the seat of Sweden’s monarchy, to watch the daily Changing of the Guard, an enjoyable ceremonious display.
Wander across Djurgarden, The city is made up of a number of islands, linked by bridges, including Djurgarden (once the royal game park), covered in parkland and forest.
Tour the Riksdag, For an insight to European policy- making, take a free hour- long tour of the Riksdag, the Swedish version of the Houses of Parliament.
The Maritime Museum – Sjohistorika museet – provides free daily admission to explore Sweden’s nautical past and present as well as its history in shipbuilding and maritime archaeology.
Explore the world’s longest art museum – Stockholm’s subway system – with a free guided art tour.
Medeltidsmuseet, Medieval and Viking history.
Love collecting coins? You might find The Royal Coin Cabinet fascinating. It is the national museum of economy with over 2,500 years’ worth of history on coinage. Check it out for free.
Levande Historia, this living history museum provides a haunting look at crimes against humanity (the Holocaust for example) that aims to remind people of the past in order to avoid such events in the future.
Livrustkammaren (Royal Armoury)
National museum
Armemuseum (Army museum)
Världskulturmuseet (Museum of World Culture) do not miss the Egyptian part.
These are a just few of the free things I managed to find after my expensive time in Norway.
My time in Stockholm.
My Time In Stockholm
It was early- summer in April 2007 when I caught the flight to Stockholm from Bangalore in India. The flight landed in Stockholm at 1 PM in the afternoon. The drive from Stockholm airport to my hotel in Kista suburb of Stockholm was a pleasant one. As I settled down in my room and looked out of the window, I was pleasantly surprised to see few specks of snow hung in the air and gently floating down. I was lucky to see some snow that day since for the next two and a half months I did not get to see any. The day I had landed in Stockholm turned out to be the last day of winter in Stockholm.
We were three colleagues who had come for learning the intricacies of an Ericsson product. Our hotel, Accome Kista, was part of a wide chain of serviced hotels with kitchen facility present in all the rooms. The best part of Accome Kista was that it shared a wall, and an access- controlled entrance with Kista Galleria.
Kista Galleria was a really well- designed and beautiful mall. The shops and establishments it contained ranged from a fully- equipped supermarket named ICA, to a McDonald’s restaurant to all the branded stores which one finds peppered across malls now- a- days. Kista Galleria had a nice food court with cuisines from all over the world.
Next day was our first day at the office. We purchased day passes for Stockholm Metro and boarded it. Stockholm Metro is a traveller’s delight, to say the least. We needed to go to the Telefonplan suburb of Stockholm where Ericsson office was located. This required us to change trains at the central interchange station known as T- Centralen.
T- Centralen station was huge. It was fully underground and was three floors tall below the ground. The three metro lines ran on their own floors or levels. To change our route, we had to reach a different level. However, while finding our way to the correct Metro route the three of us got lost! Instead of reaching the upper floor, we found ourselves standing outside the station. Realizing our folly, we went around and enquired from the passers- by. We found the Swedes to be extremely helpful. They willingly guided us to the correct level of the station where we finally boarded the train to our destination.
Telefoneplan was a small Metro station. We walked a quarter of a mile to the Ericsson office where we met our Swedish colleagues. Our Swedish colleagues were very friendly. The first day itself they took me to a Greek restaurant where we had Greek Kebabs and couscous. I absolutely loved the food and the hospitality.
I had landed in Stockholm with a slight cold, but despite having ventured out in cold weather on my first day itself, my cold became better on the second day and was gone by the third day. The air in Stockholm was amazingly pure, as was the food. In fact, I used to relish having ice cream in the freezing air of Stockholm. An experience I cherish till date!
Me and my office colleagues went around sightseeing on every weekend. One of the first places we visited was the Army Museum at Riddargatan. It had an awesome range of guns on display. The guns were of all sizes and it took us a while to see the whole range which was on display.
My next memorable outing was to the Vasa Museum. The museum was named after the 17th-century warship Vasa which had originally sunk on its maiden journey. The warship had since been salvaged and resurrected with the Vasa Museum built around it. The museum was awe- inspiring and we took three to four hours to cover it from one end to the other. We took ferry rides to and from the island of Djurgarden where the museum was located. I still remember the nice view of Stockholm city we saw as we travelled standing on the deck of the ferry.
One of the oldest and most pristine areas of Stockholm is an area known as Gamla stan which literally means The Old Town. Gamla stan carried the feel of the 17th and the 18th centuries. It had long and winding alleys with cobbled pathways and shops lined up on both sides. I even found an Indian restaurant in those alleys.
Stockholm is known for the Nobel Prize. A trip to Stockholm would then be considered incomplete without a visit to the Nobel Museum which was located in the Gamla stan area. The museum was a treasure trove of information on the origins of the Nobel Prize and its recipients over the years. It even had an in- built theatre, where short documentary films about the Nobel prizes were screened for the visitors.
We had heard a lot about the excellent nightclub culture in Stockholm. So one Friday night we decided to check it out for ourselves. We decided to explore the Gamla stan area which, despite its quaint exteriors, transforms into a buzzing nightspot on the weekends.
We decided to travel by Metro. As we came out of the Gamla stan station I was amazed to see the happy faces and the generally smiling faces milling around. Stockholm has an amazingly low rate of crime. So everyone could move around easily at night without any danger of being mugged!
We roamed around the area till 2 am and even visited a night club which allowed stag entries. To our pleasant surprise, it turned out to be a pirate themed night at that night club which we enjoyed thoroughly.
Another area where I enjoyed walking around was Kungsträdgården park in central Stockholm. People used to sit around the park relaxing and chatting. With the pure breeze of Stockholm flowing around, this park remained my preferred place to relax after a tired working day.
The Kungsträdgården Metro station, which was the nearest station to get to the park, also had an entrance to the Gallerian mall. The Gallerian was the commercial centrepiece of Stockholm with nice shops. I visited an Italian restaurant in this mall run by a mother and daughter duo. Till date I haven’t tasted a better Focaccia with salami meat than the one, I ate there
My memories of Stockholm will be incomplete without a mention of the Swedish sauna I used to enjoy in my hotel itself. It was the traditional Swedish sauna with stones placed on a heater. I used to book the sauna room for an hour once every week. The sauna I experienced in Stockholm is one of the most refreshing activities I have experienced to date.
To sum it up, my trip was full of nice experiences. When it was time for me to come back I really felt that I was leaving some part of me behind in the lovely city of Stockholm.
Article submitted by Prabhu Chowdhury
For essential information on things to do and museums to visit during your time in Stockholm. Visit this site’s Sweden’s page. All information is written from first-hand experience to give you a truly terrific trip in Sweden.