Guide to Stockholm

[Osman Patel]

General overview

Spread across 24,000 islets and laced with numerous waterways on the southeastern coast of Sweden, Stockholm enjoys one of the most stunning locales of any capital city in the world. Over 30% of the city area is made up of waterways and another 30% is made up of parks and green spaces, giving Stockholm perhaps the freshest air and widest lungs of any European capital. This natural oasis is complemented by the stunning Old Town, which has been very well preserved over the centuries. This Old Town (or Gamla Stan) is the epicentre of the city, with countless hotels, bars, restaurants and shops all prospering – as people in these historical streets have done for centuries.




Away from the charms of the Old Town, the modern city showcases the
neat and innovative design standards for which Sweden has become globally renowned. Much of Stockholm’s present-day wealth comes from the new light industries, such as information technology and computing, with world leading companies often occupying prime real estate in the city centre or filling up the new business parks on the city fringes. All this is a far cry from the city’s humble beginnings, which stretch back to the 13th century and Birger Jarl – generally accepted as the founder of the city, although various settlements previously existed on the site. The city grew up around the Old Town, as Stockholm emerged as a key trading centre with influence all over the Baltic Sea region and further afield. Today, Stockholm is a thriving modern European city that exudes confidence in its strengths and abilities at all levels, be they financial, cultural, social or gastronomic.



During the seemingly endless days and bright sunshine of the summer months, the city’s chic boutiques and stylish pavement cafés overflow with affluent, fashion-conscious people who enjoy the culture and lifestyle that has earned the Swedish capital rave reviews from Europe’s style magazines. Stockholm’s ethnic make-up is, perhaps surprisingly, very eclectic, with over 15% first-generation immigrants and over 100 languages spoken in the city. This increasing diversity has infused the city with a renewed vigour and energy, as the various incoming cultures interact with the indigenous one.




A quintessential Stockholm summer night is spent bathed in warm
sunshine, sitting at a restaurant by the water’s edge, savouring fresh seafood plucked straight from the waters around Stockholm, before taking advantage of the midnight light and heading out for a night around the Stureplan, in some of Europe’s trendiest bars. When the long winter does come, it is not all Nordic gloom – the locals head for the sanctuary of the cosy pubs that line the city. Stockholm has almost as many restaurants per capita as Paris does, as well as 150 or so museums and galleries, so there is always plenty to do when the winter chill sets in. Then there are the severe winters when many of the waterways around the city freeze up, making ice skating around one of the world’s most stunning capital cities a unique experience.

Sightseeing - overview

Stockholm is an easy city for tourists to navigate, as its centre is largely flat and strolling around is a pleasure. For journeys further afield, there is an excellent public transport system with trams, underground trains, buses and ferries servicing all areas of the city and the surrounding towns and villages. A good place for one to get acquainted with the city is from the Gondola Restaurant, in the Södermalm district, where over a full gourmet meal or just a drink, visitors can get a good idea of the layout of the city through the venue’s panoramic windows. The focus of Stockholm sightseeing is around the Gamla Stan (or Old Town), which boasts many historical buildings, tourist shops, cafés, as well as the impressive Royal Palace – the largest royal palace still in use in the world. North of the Old Town is the main part of the more modern city, whose districts are home to numerous attractions, such as the impressive City Hall, the Museum of National Antiquities and the Strindberg Museum. Across the water, via ferry, is Djurgården – a playground with a funfair park, Stockholm Zoo and Sweden’s most visited museum, the Vasa Museum, which is home to a 17th-century galleon that has been impressively raised from the chill waters of Stockholm’s harbour. Many museums are closed on Mondays. The city has recently gained a reputation for stylish shops, bars and restaurants, making it the Scandinavian capital of cool. Beyond the centre of the city, over 10,000 islands and rocky islets in the Stockholm Archipelago wait to be explored. Sightseeing - Tourist Information Tourist Information Stockholm Tourist Centre Sverigehuset (Sweden House), Hamngatan 27 Tel: [phone]. Fax: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail] Website: www.stockholmtown.com Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1900 and Sat 1000-1700 and Sun 1000-1600. Closed Dec 24-25 and Jan 1. Another central branch is Hotellcentralen by the central station, which is open Mon-Fri 0900-1800, Sat 0900-1600 and Sun 1000-1600. Passes The Stockholm Card (Stockholmskortet) gives free public transport within Stockholm and free admission to 75 museums and attractions (including the Royal Palace, the Museum of National Antiquities and the National Museum) as well as free parking at municipal parking meters and other special offers and benefits. The pass is available for purchase at tourist centres, at the City Hall and at hotels, youth hostels and kiosks throughout the city. The Stockholm Card costs SKr260, SKr390 and SKr540 for 24, 48 and 72 hours respectively (concessions available). Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL) (tel: [phone]; website: www.sl.se) offers 24-hour and 72-hour travelcards for Greater Stockholm, costing SKr95 and SKr 180 respectively. These cards are available from SL Centres at several metro stations, in the lower hall at the Central Station and in the ticket halls of T-centralen station at Sergels Torg. Special Events Kiruna Snow Festival, late Jan-early Feb, celebration of winter includes an ice sculpting competition and a reindeer race, Kiruna Viking Run, skating race, mid Jan, from Uppsala to Stockholm Stockholm Furniture Fair, early Feb, Stockholmsmässan, Mässvägen 1, Älvsjö (website: www.stockholmfurniturefair.com) Stockholm International Antiques Fair, Feb, Mässvägen 1, Älvsjö Stockholm International Boat Show, late Feb-early Mar, Stockholmsmässan Vasaloppet Ski race, historic cross country ski race, early Mar, Dalarna Stockholm Art Fair, early Mar, Sollentuna Exhibition Centre Walpurgis, celebrations for the arrival of spring, late Apr, various venues Drottingholm Court, ballet and opera events (website: www.drottningholmsteatern.dtm.se), May-Aug, Drottningholm Slottsteater Swedish National Day, 6 Jun, Skansen Stockholm Marathon, mid Jun, starting and finishing at the Olympic Stadium Early Music Festival, early Jun, features music of pre 1750, Gamla Stan venues (website: www.tidigmusik.com) Midsummer Night, parties, 21 Jun, throughout the city Stockholm Summer Games, sports events, early Jul, various sports venues (website: www.summergames.se) Stockholm Pride, late Jul-early Aug, the biggest gay and lesbian pride festival in Scandinavia, various venues in the city centre (website: www.stockholmpride.org) Stockholm Jazz Festival, late Jul-early Aug, various venues (website: www.stockholmjazz.com) Royal Palace Music Festival, Sep, Kungliga Slottet (Royal Palace) (website: www.royalfestivals.se) Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival, includes tastings, mid-late Sep, Factory Nacka Strand, Augustendalstorget Stockholm Open, tennis tournament, Kungliga Tennishallen, Lidingövägen 75, mid-late Oct (website: www.stockholmopen.se) Stockholm International Film Festival, mid-late Nov, various venues (website: www.filmfestivalen.se) Scandinavian Sailboat and Scandinavian Motorboat Show, Nov, Mässvägen 1, Älvsjö Nobel Prize Day, Dec, award of the Nobel Prizes and banquet, Stockholm City Hall (website: www.nobel.se) Christmas Fair in Rosendal Garden, late Nov-end Dec, Rosendal Palace grounds (website: www.rosendalstradgard.com) St Lucia Day, 13 Dec, annual festival of light and procession through central Stockholm, Skansen (website: www.skansen.se) Skansen Christmas Market, Dec, seasonal market, Skansen (website: www.skansen.se) Christmas Fair, Dec, seasonal market, Gamla Stan New Year Concert, 31 Dec, cathedral in Gamla Stan Culture Stockholm’s cultural history extends back to its Viking beginnings. The city was also the birthplace of Alfred Nobel, whose will instated the famous five prizes for peace, physics, chemistry, medicine and literature (economics was added by the Bank of Sweden in 1968) and Stockholm’s literary set have since brought cultural glory to the city, by winning the Nobel Prize for literature (see Literary Notes below). Stockholm was awarded the title of European Capital of Culture in 1998, an indication of how vibrant and eclectic the city’s cultural scene is. The avant-garde architecture of the Modern Museum, on Skeppsholmen, designed by Rafael Moneo, is a controversial memento to the year, as the style is not to all tastes. Tickets to cultural events can be booked via the central ticketing agency, Biljett Direkt (tel: [phone]; website: www.ticnet.se). Online information (website: www.musikfestivaler.se) is available for Swedish music festivals. The official Stockholm tourism website, www.stockholmtown.com, is an excellent source for information on all kinds of cultural events. Music: The blue, stuccoed Konserthuset, Hötorget (tel: [phone]; website: www.konserthuset.se) houses the world-class Swedish Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The Royal Palace Music Festival (tel: [phone]; website: www.royalfestivals.se) and Stockholm Sinfonietta Riddarhus Festival annually bring packed concert programmes to splendid venues in the Old Town, while the lovely antique Drottningholm Court Theatre, Drottningholms Slott (tel: [phone]; website: www.drottningholmsslottsteater.dtm.se), hosts summer opera and ballet seasons. Theatre: The Dramaten, Nybroplan (tel: [phone]; website: www.dramaten.se) is Sweden’s highly respected national theatre. Orionteatern, Katarina Bangata 77 (tel: [phone]; website: www.orionteatern.se) is also part of the established scene. Stadsteatern, in Kulturhuset, Sergels Torg (tel: [phone]; website: www.stadsteatern.stockholm.se), has more radical productions and is far cheaper, while Teater Galeasen, Slupskjulsvägen, Skeppsholmen (tel: [phone]; website: www.galeasen.se), is at the cutting edge of contemporary theatre. Stockholm is home to The English Theatre Company (tel: [phone]; fax: [phone]; e-mail: [e-mail]; website: www.englishtheatre.se), based at the Regina Theatre, Nybrogatan 35 (tel: [phone] or [phone]). Dance: Dansens Hus, Barnhusgatan 14 (tel: [phone]; website: www.dansenshus.se), was set up in the 1990s, as Sweden’s foremost dance venue. The Royal Swedish Ballet, founded in 1773, is one of the oldest companies in the world. It is based at the Royal Swedish Opera, Strömgatan (tel: [phone]; website: www.operan.se). Moderna Dansteatern, 103 Slupskjulsvägen, Skeppsholmen (tel: [phone]; website: www.mdt.a.se), hosts more impromptu, innovative performances. Film: The Stockholm International Film Festival (website: www.filmfestivalen.se) is the key event in the city’s cinema calendar. All movies in Sweden are shown in their original language with subtitles and mainstream movies are screened at Biopalatset, Medborgarplatsen (tel: [phone]) and Filmstaden Sergel, Hötorget (tel: [phone]), while arthouse movie aficionados should head to Biografen Sture, Birger Jarlsgatan 28 (tel: [phone]; website: www.biosture.se). Ingmar Bergman grew up in Stockholm and his schooldays at Palmgren’s School in Östermalm were the basis for his 1944 screenplay, Hets (Torment). His 1952 film, Sommaren med Monika (Summer with Monika), kicks off with a majestic voyage through Stockholm in a small boat. Many film buffs will also remember Stockholm’s crop of Swedish Hollywood sirens - Greta Garbo (born Greta Gustavsson in 1905) and Ingrid Bergman (born in Stockholm in 1915). Cultural Events: The July week-long sports festival Stockholm Summer Games (tel: [phone]; website: www.summergames.se) draws considerable local and international participation and is the kick-off for other events. The customary summer programme (May to August) of opera and ballet at Drottningholm Court (tel: [phone]; website: www.drottningholmsteatern.dtm.se) is especially popular with music lovers, as is the Royal Palace Music Festival (tel: [phone]; website: www.royalfestivals.se) in September. The Stockholm International Film Festival (tel: [phone]; website: www.filmfestivalen.se) takes place in November. The St Lucia Day festival, on 13 December, includes singing events and traditional parades of girls crowned with candles. Literary Notes: The granddaddy of the Swedish literary fraternity was August Strindberg, with his The Red Room (1879) considered by some as the first real Swedish novel. Swedish writers have received the Nobel Prize for literature seven times but only Selma Lagerlöf (1909) and Pär Lagerkvist (1951) made any significant impact outside Sweden. Nelly Sachs, winner of the 1966 prize, was a naturalised Swedish citizen of German Jewish extraction who wrote in German. Ingmar Bergman is the only other renowned international cultural figure to have drawn much from the city (see Films above). His career was constantly involved with the Stockholm film and theatre scenes. More recent literary works to touch on the city include two hilarious chapters in Bill Bryson’s Neither Here Nor There (1998) and Colin Forbes’ thriller The Stockholm Syndicate (1989), which centres on an international conspiracy based in the city. Key Attractions Vasamuseet (Vasa Museum) Sweden’s most visited museum enshrines the warship Vasa, sunk inside Stockholm harbour while on her maiden voyage in 1628. The ship was built to the order of the great Vasa king, Gustavus Adolphus, and was the most powerful war galleon of her age. She was raised whole from the harbour bed in 1961, over 330 years after she had last seen the light of day. Carefully preserved, the ship now rests intact in the museum’s main hall. Displays recreate life on board the ship and a film shows how the salvage operation was carried out. The museum’s beautiful waterfront site on the island of Djurgården is an added attraction. There are guided tours in English on a daily basis, several times a day, more frequently during the summer months. Galärvarvsvägen 14 Tel: [phone]. Booking: [phone]. Fax: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail] Website: www.vasamuseet.se Transport: Bus 47 or 69. Opening hours: Daily 0930-1900 (10 Jun-20 Aug); Thurs-Tues 1000-1700, Wed 1000-2000 (21 Aug-9 Jun). Admission: SKr80; concessions available. Stadshuset (City Hall) Voted by the Swedes as the country’s finest building, Stockholm’s City Hall was begun in 1911, to an Art Nouveau design by Ragnar Östberg. Its interior has grand civic apartments, including the Golden Hall, with its glass and gold mosaics, while its tower gives a sweeping panorama of Stockholm. The building’s Blue Hall (which is actually red) is the venue for the annual Nobel Prize banquet. Visitors must join one of the scheduled tours to see the interior, although access to the tower is unrestricted during opening hours. Hantverkargatan 1 Tel: [phone]. Fax: [phone]. Website: www.stockholm.se/cityhall Transport: Five-minute walk from Stockholm Central station; bus 3, 48 or 62. Opening hours: Daily 1000, 1100, 1200 and 1400 (Jun-Aug), 1000 and 1200 (Sep-May) for tours of the interior; daily 1000-1615 (May-Sep) for the tower. Admission: SKr60 (interior); SKr20 (tower); concessions available. Kungliga Slottet (Royal Palace) Situated in the heart of Stockholm, on the central island of Riddarholmen, the Royal Palace is the official residence of the monarchs of Sweden and the chief venue for official state events. With 608 rooms, it is among the largest surviving palaces in Europe. The present glorious Baroque edifice is the work of Nicodemus Tessin the Younger, from a 1692 design, however, parts of the older medieval Castle of Three Crowns still survive. Attractions include the Banqueting Apartments, the Apartments of the Orders of Chivalry, the Hall of State, the Royal Treasury, Gustav III’s Museum of Antiquities and the Royal Chapel. In addition, the changing of the guard at the palace is as much of a spectacle in Stockholm as it is in London. Slottsbacken Tel: [phone]. Fax: [phone]. E-mail [e-mail] Website: www.royalcourt.se Transport: Metro Gamla Stan; bus 43, 46, 55, 59 or 76 to Slottsbacken or bus 3 or 53 to Riddarhustorget and a short walk from there via Storkyrkabrinken. Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1200-1500 (1 Feb-14 May and 1 Sep-31 Dec); Tues-Sun 1000-1600 (15 May-31 Aug). Admission: SKr120 (combined ticket, for all parts of the palace); SKr80 (separate tickets, for selected parts of the palace each); concessions available. Historiska Museet (Museum of National Antiquities) Sweden’s national historical museum, which traces the nation’s history from prehistoric times to the present day, is now graced by a spectacular Gold Room, housing the gold of the Viking chiefs. These hoards, recovered from tombs or hiding places, show Scandinavian Viking culture at its most prosperous and magnificent. There is also one of the finest European collections of medieval painted wooden religious sculpture on exhibition. Narvavägen 13-17 Tel: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail] Website: www.historiska.se Transport: Metro Karlaplan; bus 44, 47, 56, 69 or 76. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700 (summer); Tues, Wed and Fri-Sun 1100-1700, Thurs 1100-2000 (winter). Admission: Free. Strindbergsmuseet (Strindberg Museum) Stockholm’s most famous cultural figure has his temple here. The Blå Tornet (Blue Tower) was August Strindberg’s last home, from 1908 until his death in 1912. His apartment and library have been preserved in their original state. An exhibition showcases his last works, written on the premises. The museum, which also hosts temporary exhibitions and plays, is furnished in a strikingly sparse Nordic Art Nouveau style. Drottninggatan 85 Tel: [phone]. Fax: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail] Website: www.strindbergsmuseet.se Transport: Metro Radmansgatan. Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1200-1600 (summer) Tues 1200-1900, Wed-Sun 1200-1600 (winter). Admission: SKr40; concessions available. Skansen (Open-air Museum and Zoological Park) This open-air museum and zoo on Djurgården was founded in 1891, to preserve Sweden’s rural culture and is the first such collection to be built. It contains some 160 historic wooden farms and houses from across Sweden. The farms have their own animals (traditional breeds tended by ‘farmers’ in period costumes) and the zoo and aquarium hold both animals native to the region and more exotic species. The children’s circus, zoo and playgrounds make Skansen particularly attractive to families. Djurgården Tel: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail] Website: www.skansen.se Transport: Bus 44 or 47. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1600 (Oct-Apr); daily 1000-2000 (May); daily 1000-2200 (Jun-Aug); daily 1000-1700 (Sep). Admission: SKr70 (June-Aug), SKr50 (Sep-April), SKr70 (May), SKr30 (May after 1700); more for special events; concessions available.