Stockholm

Stockholm is a city built on islands - fourteen of them and beyond that the archipelago is made up of thousands of smaller islands which reach far out into the Baltic Sea.

It’s a fact that you may not always remember when you’re travelling round the city as most places are accessible by road - even if you have to cross one of the 50 bridges.

Gamla Stan

In the heart of the city is Gamla Stan - the old town. It’s a lovely part of the city to wander round in with narrow cobbled streets and brightly coloured buildings.

After exploring the old town, stopping at a local cafe for coffee and cake (Fika) is my favourite Swedish tradition. Fika is the art of slowing down, enjoying the moment and catching up with friends or family. And, in my opinion, a great reason for another giant cinnamon bun!

Royal Palace

The Royal Palace in Gamla Stan is one of Europe’s largest Palaces and the official residence of the Swedish monarchy and although they use the Palace for state duties and events, their main residence is at Drottingham Palace.

The Palace is open to the public and a standard adult ticket for a guided tour costs around £22.00 per person.

Changing of the Guard Ceremony

Every day at 12.15pm (1.15pm on Sundays) there is a Changing of the Guard ceremony at the Outer Courtyard of the Palace in Gamla Stan. It starts with a procession of the Guards as they leave the Army Museum or Cavalry Barracks and march through the city centre streets to the Palace. The army band are part of the procession so if you’re out and about in the city centre you may hear the music as they come marching down the street. If you want to watch the ceremony itself head along to the Outer Courtyard but get there early as it gets really crowded. It’s free to watch the ceremony and it lasts around 40 minutes.

Djurgarden

Close to Gamla Stan is the island of Djurgarden which is home to a few of Stockholm’s major attractions.

Vasa Ship

The Vasa ship was a Viking warship which sank on its maiden voyage, barely out of the harbour. The history of the ship is fascinating and the fact that it remains so intact is amazing to see. The carvings on the ship are incredible and I would definitely recommend going along to see it.

Skansen

Skansen is the world’s first open-air museum and depicts life in Sweden as it was in the olden days. With buildings dating from the 14th century up until the 1950’s and with real life characters portraying skilled tradespeople, it’s an interesting day out. There’s also a mini-zoo where you can see native Swedish animals and learn about Nordic nature and wildlife.

Check the web site for details.

ABBA Museum

The museum dedicated to Sweden’s most famous supergroup opened in 2013 and has been welcoming thousands of tourists every year since. As well as all the costumes and memorabilia it’s very interactive and you can become the fifth member by singing along with the band on the hologram stage. No surprise that it’s really popular so you’ll need to book your tickets in advance.

Kungsholmen

City Hall

Sitting on the island of Kungsholmen, City Hall is one of the most distinctive buildings in Stockholm with its red brick exterior and 106 metre tall tower.

Every year Nobel winners, past and present, royalty and other distinguished guests gather at City Hall for the Nobel Banquet.

For the general public, you can only visit the City Hall as part of a guided tour. During the summer months (May to August) you can climb to the top of the Tower. There’s an elevator that takes you half way up but when we were there we chose to walk up the 365 steps. It’s a bit of a climb but half way up is the Tower Museum which breaks the journey. We took some time to look at the sculptures in the Museum before the heading to the top of the Tower. The views over Stockholm from the top are fantastic and worth the effort of the climb.

Drottingholm Palace

We took the boat from City Hall Quay over to Drottingholm Palace. Passing some of the smaller islands on the way it’s a scenic journey, particularly on a nice sunny day.

A return ticket costs around £30 and the journey takes 1 hour each way.

Most of the Palace is open to the public and you can also wander round the extensive gardens.

As well as the main building, worth mentioning is the Chinese Pavilion and the Palace Theatre.

The Chinese Pavilion

Built as a birthday gift from the King to Queen Lovisa Ulrika in 1753, the Chinese Pavilion is a stunning building, beautifully decorated in the Chinese style which was very fashionable at the time. You can buy a stand alone ticket for the Chinese Pavilion or a combination ticket for the Palace and the Pavilion.

Drottingholm Palace Theatre

Within the grounds of Drottingholm is the Palace Theatre. Built in 1766 it’s a gorgeous little theatre, really well preserved and still in use for theatrical and operatic performances. We booked the guided tour and learnt loads about the history of the theatre.

The Stockholm Archipelago

There are over 30,000 islands that make up the Stockholm Archipelago off the east coast of Sweden.

If you’re only in Stockholm for a few days and want to experience the archipelago there are a few inner islands that you can visit by ferry on a day trip.

Vaxholm

Värmdö

Grinda

Fjaderholmarna

Gustavsberg

The outer islands take longer to get there and require a bit more planning. Check out this website for more information on the outer archipelago.

Finally

Whether you want to wander round Gamla Stan, tour the royal palaces or simply enjoy lunch at a harbourside restaurant on the archipelago, we found Stockholm to be a welcoming city with very friendly people. As with our trip to Gothenburg, Stockholm is largely a cashless society so no need to carry around a lot of currency.