Sweden's "capital of cool" is a vibrant city, sprinkled across 14 islands which feature many historical and cultural sites, and an endless selection of bustling restaurants and bars. Distinctive neighbourhoods include the old town, Gamla Stan, with its lamp-lit cobbles; Östermalm, a plush, party-loving district; and Södermalm, home to concept stores, cafes and markets.
Without "a shadow of a doubt", said Rough Guides, Stockholm is one of the "most beautiful cities" in Europe. And it's not really "a city at all", said Ingmar Bergman, the late filmmaker and theatre director. It is "simply a rather large village, set in the middle of some forest and some lakes". Stockholmers may call their home "beauty on water", said Lonely Planet, but despite the "well-preserved historic core", this is "no museum piece": it's "modern, dynamic and ever-evolving".
Comprising somewhere between 24,000 and 30,000 islands and islets, Stockholm's archipelago is "astounding", said Ingrid K. Williams in The New York Times. Many are accessible by ferry, bus or car, "but the vast majority can be reached only by motorboat or sailboat, which one can rent with or without a skipper". With "so many islands", the hard part of visiting the archipelago is often just deciding how to spend your time.
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Stockholm's archipelago has thousands of islands and inlets
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Top attractions and things to do
Stockholm excels at modern art – and we don't just mean the Abba Museum. Save your "mamma mia" for the collection at Moderna Museet, which includes pieces by Edvard Munch, Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol. Other top art galleries include Färgfabriken, a soap factory turned avant-garde hub, and former cocoa lab Marabouparken, which houses functionalist exhibitions and a sculpture garden. You can find art and design attractions all over the city, including the Metro, one of the world's "most beautiful underground systems", said the Daily Mail. "One of the world's longest galleries", 90 of the 100 stations display "colourful public works of art".
Often called "Sweden in miniature", said Lonely Planet, Skansen is "unmissable" and visitors should expect to spend a full day "wandering this hilltop open-air museum". When it comes to "camera-ready sights", you could hardly do better than "photogenic" Stockholm, said Time Out. Highlights to have you "snapping away in no time" include Stortorget square in Gamla Stan, the Djurgården Royal National City Park, and The Royal Palace.
Culture vultures can also discover Stieg Larsson's Stockholm with a "Millennium" walking tour based on the trilogy of books: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", "The Girl Who Played with Fire", and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest".
Skansen is a hilltop open-air museum
(Image credit: trabantos/Shutterstock)
Best hotels and places to stay
Hotel-wise, there's "a lot happening" in Stockholm, said Kerry Walker in The Times. In recent years, it has "played master of reinvention" with "glorious" baroque and art nouveau buildings transformed into "intimate" boutique hotels. Hotel Ruth "really nails the hotel-as-home concept" while Hotel Tapetfabriken is now one of Stockholm's "coolest digs", after architects "waved a magic wand" on an old wallpaper factory built in 1906.
A number of properties get a 9/10 rating in The Telegraph and top of the list is Ett Hem, which has "redefined the notion of a luxury hotel in Stockholm". The whole concept is that "it's a home", said Condé Nast Traveler, so it has a kitchen "you can stroll into anytime". Located in the heart of Östermalm, this hotel is like the "ultra-stylish townhouse of a friend who's gracious enough to let you stay the night".
Try the most famous food in the Nordics at Meatballs For The People
(Image credit: JJFarq/Shutterstock)
Eating and drinking
Stockholm is home to nine restaurants which have been awarded at least one Michelin star. The city's – and Sweden's – only three-starred restaurant is Frantzén, which offers a "truly immersive experience" that you "won't forget in a hurry", said the Michelin Guide. Led by head chef Björn Frantzén, it has "cemented its reputation" as one of the "most innovative, beautiful, and delicious New Nordic restaurants in Scandinavia", said the Scandinavia Standard. Other Michelin-starred restaurants worth a visit include Aloë ("contemporary, romantic gastronomy"), AIRA ("Nordic contemporary") and Ekstedt ("wood-fired meats").
You're in Sweden so "you have to sample the meatballs", said Time Out, "even if you claim you've already tried them in Ikea". Taste the most famous food in the Nordics at Meatballs For The People, an "edgy yet homey" restaurant which has "built its entire menu" around the "humble" meatball. There are vegan and vegetarian options, too.
Ranked at No. 31, Röda Huset (Red House) was a new entry on the 2023 World's 50 Best Bars list. Set in a "crimson-hued building", and layered over three floors, Röda Huset is a "pure celebration of Scandinavia".
How to get to Stockholm
Stockholm-Arlanda Airport is located around 25 miles (40 kilometres) north of the city. According to VisitStockholm.com the Arlanda express train provides a shuttle service between the airport and Stockholm Central Station, taking around 25 minutes. The Flygbussarna Airport Coaches depart every 10-15 minutes between Arlanda Airport and the City Terminal, located next to the Central Station, with a travel time of 35-45 minutes.
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