City Guide: Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. In the last years, it turned out to be a real gem for tourists – Stockholm has a lot to offer, its history goes back seven centuries and the city itself is just beautiful! Not to forget about the Baltic Sea and its many arms looping through Stockholm.
Stockholm is not only the capital of Sweden, it is also the biggest city in Scandinavia. Thus, distances for sightseeing can be long. And believe me, it is neither fun to buy a ticket for public transportation as well (let alone the taxis!), as one can see the pricetag of the city in this regard, too.
Old town of Stockholm
Depending on what hotel you chose, the distance to the old town (Gamla Stan) may vary a lot. We stayed at the Grand Hotel Stockholm and thus, the distance is nothing to write home about.
Grand Hotel Stockholm
Reaching the old town was very easy and we instantly indulged. Strolling through small streets, admiring the architecture of past centuries, catching a view of the Baltic Sea from time to time…
One of the nicest squares in Old Town is Stortoget, where you can find several colorful houses.
If you get hungry, you won’t starve here either as there are several restaurants in Old Town.
When walking around the Old Town, you’ll also see some beautiful buildings in the distance, or very close to you. For example, there is the Riddarholmskyrkan church.
Even more beautiful is the Stockholm House of Nobility, which has a lovely garden.
I’m sure that regardless of where you walk in Stockholm Gamla Stan, you’ll enjoy having a look at the various buildings!
Parliament and Castle in Stockholm
Not any surprisingly, the Parliament is located in one of the impressive buildings.
Parliament (Old Part)
When we later on got out of the old town and strolled around, we caught some sights of the other side of the façade as well!
Parliament (New Part)
In the old town you may also find other impressive buildings like the Riddarhuset, Bonde Palace and the beautiful Stockholm Castle!
The Stockholm Castle is particularly fascinating as it’s a truly beautiful building.
If you happen to be around at noon, you can also watch the change of the guard, which is fascinating.
While you definitely can’t miss the castle, you should try to get different views of it as the castle looks very different depending on from where you look on it.
You can also visit the castle, which is definitely worth it!
Stockholm Djurgaden
The largest park in the city, Djurgaden, is connected to the city center by tram. It’s not very far away, but feels like a different world. There are several recreation areas as well as museums and amusements parks. Yet, what I really loved about Djurgaden are the beautiful parks.
There’s quite some interesting art spread through the park, too.
If you happen to walk for a while, you can also have a look at the Rosendal Castle, which is tiny compared to the main castle, but yet very beautiful.
If you have some time, definitely plan a day to visit Djurgaden, where you can also easily get by boat!
National Theater, Opera House & Strömsborg
When walking along the waterfront in Stockholm, you’ll notice several noteworthy buildings. For example, the national theater is not only impressive from the inside, but also from the outside.
The Opera House is another highlight that you should definitely photograph.
My personal favorite though is Strömsborg, a tiny little building on a private island in the middle of the city.
Yet, also have your eyes open when walking through Stockholm as beautiful buildings are waiting from you at basically at every point!
River Cruise in Stockholm
Something very special when in Stockholm is doing a river cruise. Several different operators offer either tours or just normal ferry rides to islands around the city.
We opted for a tour through the Western part of the city, around Kungsholmen. The highlight of this tour is definitely catching a view of the incredible Karlsberg Castle – so beautiful.
But there’s more, you will not only see nice parks, houses and more, but also several floating homes.
When getting back to town, you can also catch a nice view of the Stockholm City Hall.
All in all, something I’d definitely recommend doing. Exploring Stockholm from the water is a very nice experience for sure!
Vasa Museet Stockholm
Something really worth seeing in Stockholm is the Vasa Museum.
An old ship from the 17th century was recovered. It is located in Djurgården, where you can also find some other museums like the impressive Nordic Museum and great parcs that were once used by the king of Sweden for hunting.
Vasa Museet
In the Vasa Museum, you can see the whole ship and learn moreover about its restauration and the life of the seamen four centuries ago.
Vasa Ship
We have a special about the Vasa Museum online, so that’s where you can learn more about this fascinating museum in Stockholm!
Architecture in Stockholm
Stockholm is characterized by its impressive architecture from a past time. I felt like every building there must be something special!
But as this was the case, it was hard till impossible to distinguish which building houses something special or important like a museum and which not. Yes, I can read, but if you take some photos and pass by, you don’t look at every sign whether this one might be more interesting than the others though.
Baltic Sea causing long distances
As the Baltic Sea and many of its arms loop through Stockholm, it might get difficult to get on the other side. The way through the city is simply interrupted too often. Bad for infrastructure, great for the quality of life in the city! Not to forget about the beauty it adds.
Not only offering lovely views, but also being the reason for many islands, the Baltic Sea is something really unique in Stockholm. It is really enjoyable being there, feeling the wind, feeling the sun etc.
Overall impressions of Stockholm
Stockholm is a truly amazing city and I can just recommend visiting. It might actually be the most beautiful city in the Nordics as I really enjoyed it more than Helsinki, Copenhagen and Oslo. That’s especially due to the truly impressive architecture in combination with lots of water, all around town. There’s hardly a more beautiful city than Stockholm I could imagine for a city trip!
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My hometown! I agree, public transportation sucks. I have lived here four years and can count the numbers of public transport rides I have done. No, running, biking and walking is the it here!
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