Welcome to Stockholm, where shopping, culture and entertainment are intermingled with history. The capital of Sweden is also lovingly called the Venice of the North thanks to its many bridges, islands and waterways. The city is famous for its beautiful archipelago, where visitors can spend time. Even though Stockholm is Scandinavia's largest city, it’s still easy to get around town on foot or by public transportation.
Gamla stan – the old town, a well-preserved medieval town offering plenty of shopping, souvenirs and restaurants.
The Royal Palace of Stockholm – the official residence of Sweden’s monarch. Other well-known castles and buildings are the Drottningholm Palace, Kina Palace and Rosendal Palace, along with Stockholm City Hall – a well-known silhouette on the Stockholm skyline.
Vasa museum – displaying the warship Vasa, a well-preserved 17th century ship that was salvaged after 333 years under water. The Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of History and the Museum of Nobel are also worth a visit. For music lovers, we recommend checking out the popular ABBA Museum.
Situated on the central island of Djurgården is Skansen – an open-air museum containing a zoo filled with animals from the Nordic region.
Junibacken – a fairy-tale playhouse for children based on the world-famous children's books, where you can visit Astrid Lindgren's fantastic fairy-tale world.
Gröna Lund – a big amusement park filled with attractions and rides.
Södermalm – a pleasant district with local flair and a trendy atmosphere. Södermalm offers lots of small shops with vintage and Swedish fashion.
For a view of the city, visit Globen (a spherical arena building) and take a gondola ride to the top. At 155 metres, Kaknästornet is Stockholm's tallest building – it also contains a sky bar.
Stockholm archipelago – can be experienced by boat. Three ferry companies sail to the archipelago, and many of the boats depart from central Stockholm.
Sigtuna – Sweden's oldest town is just 15 minutes by car from Arlanda. From Stockholm, you can reach Sigtuna by taking first a train to Märsta and then a local bus from Märsta to Sigtuna.
Uppsala is another historically important city that boasts museums, a cathedral and a castle. Many remains from the Viking era can be found in this area. The train ride from Stockholm to Uppsala takes around 45 minutes.
Stockholm has a wide range of shops, whether you’re looking for local crafts, design items, food or fashion. Malls and shops are located in the city centre, while there are larger retail parks in the outskirts.
Drottninggatan is Stockholm’s main shopping street, where you can find large department stores and all the major clothing retailers; it´s all about the young and trendy. Around Norrmalm, Sergels torg and Kungsträdgården there are also plenty of stores offering a wide selection of clothes.
Hötorgshallen – a great market hall offering food and delicacies from around the world. There are also restaurants, cafés and coffee bars aplenty.
NK – Nordiska Kompaniet – a luxury department store established in 1902, where you can find everything from jewellery to interior design.
Mall of Scandinavia – opened in November 2015, this brand new shopping mall in Solna Arenastaden is one of the largest in Scandinavia with over 220 stores.
Åhléns is a traditional one-stop department store for all things imaginable. Located at the intersection of Drottninggatan and Hamngatan, the store serves customers until 9:00 p.m. every weekday.
Design House Stockholm offers modern Swedish interior design. Svenskt Tenn is well known for its Swedish interior furnishings.
Each year in February, the city also hosts Stockholm Design Week and the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair, with a focus on modern Scandinavian design.
IKEA – visit the popular furnishing and interior giant by taking a free shuttle bus from Vasagatan 16 right outside Central Station. Buses depart every 30 minutes.
Swedish cuisine has been influenced by food from around the world, and in Stockholm you’ll find restaurants to suit every taste. Traditional everyday Swedish food with local ingredients – so-called husmanskost – can be seen side by side with modern fusion cuisine. Your next delicious food experience is just around the corner!
Köttbullar – ground meat, breadcrumbs, minced onion and eggs rolled into small balls
Smörgåstårta – a sandwich cake that can be made with various ingredients
Smörgåsbord – a traditional Swedish buffet containing both warm and cold dishes served with bread and butter
Potatis (potatoes) – often boiled and common as a side dish
Knäckebröd – crispbread often made from rye and served at breakfast or as a side dish
Falukorv – a classic Swedish sausage made from a grated mixture of smoked pork and beef, usually served with pasta
Lingonsylt – a jam made of lingonberries, usually served with meat dishes, especially meatballs (Köttbullar)
Inlagd sill – pickled herring, served with boiled potatoes and eggs or on a smörgåsbord
Stekt strömming – fried herring, usually served with mashed potatoes
Prinsesstårta (“Princess cake”) – a dessert cake with vanilla custard and raspberry jam, with a green marzipan coating
Schnapps – a small shot of aquavit, vodka or bitter liqueurs usually taken during a meal
Lingonsaft – lingonberry juice, an alternative beverage at lunch or dinner
Kaffe – Swedes love their coffee, and they drink a lot of it! Kaffe is always offered as a fika, which is coffee or tea between meals, often served with something sweet on the side
Subway (Tunnelbana) & bus – quick and simple transportation.
Taxi – taxis with a meter always have yellow registration plates. Prices can vary greatly due to the fact that they are not regulated.
Hop-on Hop-off bus – for convenient sightseeing, buy a day pass to Strömma Hop-on Hop-off buses that take you around popular attractions around town.
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Currency – Swedish krona (SEK)
Electricity – 230 volts, 50 Hz
Tips – not necessary, but appreciated (up to 10% is fair)
Time zone – Stockholm (Sweden) UTC/GMT + 1 hour
Water – safe to drink from the tap, no need for bottled water
The airport is located 41 km north of Stockholm.
Check-in to flights from Stockholm-Arlanda is also possible at the check-in kiosk in the departure hall of the Arlanda Express train at the central railway station and at the Cityterminalen bus station in Stockholm.