Viking Vibes to Modern Marvels: Top 10 Things To Do In Stockholm
With plenty of history and culture, culinary delights, and waterfront views, Stockholm has everything you need for a quintessential European city experience. The Swedish capital is built on 14 islands and if you’re there in the late spring and summer, offers long hours of daylight that give you ample time to explore.
You can easily see the highlights of Stockholm in a couple days, but you can also spend some time getting to know the city. Along with the famous old town area, Gamla Stan, there are plenty of cute neighborhoods to wander through, bars and restaurants to try, and bakeries for taking a fika break (the Swedish tradition of a coffee or tea break that’s generally accompanied by a sweet treat).
Are you ready for a European city adventure replete with cinnamon and cardamom buns, museums, and islands galore?
Here’s my short list of the top ten things to do to make the most of your time in Stockholm.
Top 10 things to do in Stockholm
1. Wander around the Old Town (Gamla Stan): With its cobblestone roads and colorful historic century buildings, Stockholm’s old town center, called Gamla Stan, has a charming medieval atmosphere and is easily walkable in a couple of hours. With plenty of shops, cafes, and restaurants, I’d recommend strolling around and seeing what catches your eye, whether it’s a Swedish candy shop, the colorful houses in the public square (Stortorget), or the massive Royal Palace (built in the 17th century, it’s one of the largest palaces in Europe and offers tours).
2. Choose your own Stockholm museum adventure: This city has a plethora of museums and there’s something for everyone. I was blown away by the Vasa Museum, which houses a beautifully preserved (and massive) 17th century medieval ship. Along with the Vasa Museum, other popular museums include:
- ABBA The Museum: A museum focused on the famous Swedish musical group, ABBA
- Skansen: Founded in 1891, Skansen was the world’s first-ever open air museum and has over 150 buildings and structures (from a zoo to farms to houses) representing hundreds of years of Swedish history, customs, and culture
- Fotografiska Stockholm: A hip, contemporary photography museum
- Nobel Prize Museum: A museum focused on – you guessed it – the Nobel Prize, Nobel Laurates, and the prize’s founder, Albert Nobel
3. Take a fika break (or three): Make sure to take an occasional break from your adventuring, and following Swedish tradition, grab a coffee or tea and pastry. I highly recommend getting a traditional cinnamon bun (kanelbulle) or cardamom bun (kardemummabulle), but you really can’t go wrong with any of the baked goods in this town. My favorite bakery for fika is Lilliebrors, but there are many good ones around the city including Svedjan Bageri and Soderberg’s Bakery.
4. Explore Stockholm’s diverse neighborhoods: Along with the historic charm of Gamla Stan, there are many Stockholm neighborhoods of all flavors worth a wander through. Some of the best-known include:
- Södermalm: This former working-class neighborhood has become an artsy, trendy hipster haven full of vintage stores, art galleries, funky contemporary shops, and all kinds of restaurants and bars.
- Norrmalm: This modern neighborhood is known as a commercial shopping area with various shops and restaurants as well as some artistic and cultural venues, including the Stockholm opera house and concert hall.
- Djurgården: This neighborhood is reachable from Gamla Stan by car or ferry and has museums galore, including ABBA The Museum, the Vasa Museum, Skansen, and more. It’s also the place to go if you’re looking for greenery in the urban Stockholm jungle: its National City Park is a massive urban green space that’s about 27 square kilometers (~8x the size of NYC’s Central Park). There’s even an amusement park (Gröna Lund).
- Östermalm: An upscale district of the city with plenty of shopping, ranging from high-end brands like Chanel and Prada along Bibliotekstan street to the Östermalms Saluhall food market, which dates back to the 1880s and has stalls selling produce and local Swedish delicacies. You can also take a stroll along the water at Strandvägen, a street with a waterfront esplanade, or check out the handful of museums (e.g., Swedish History Museum) and arts institutions (Royal Dramatic Theater) in the area.
- Skeppsholmen: A charming little park-island oasis in the middle of Stockholm, this neighborhood on a tiny island offers scenic views as you stroll around and is home to the Museum of Modern Art.
5. Admire sweeping city views at Monteliusvagen: Get a little cardio in and enjoy the views at Monteliusvagen, a 500-meter walking path with gorgeous city overlooks along the way. It’s also near Mariatorget, a charming city park and square in the Södermalm neighborhood.
6. Sweat it out at a sauna: Although not as well-known for sauna culture as their neighbors over in Finland, there are some saunas and spas in Stockholm worth visiting. Centralbadet is one of the oldest in the city (established in 1904) and offers a three hour visit at a reasonable price with lots of different saunas, spa pools, and a cute garden restaurant. I had a great time trying the different saunas and baths and emerged after my visit feeling refreshed and relaxed.
7. Try a traditional Swedish dish: Stockholm has plenty of restaurants with cuisines of all varieties, but if you’re looking to try traditional Swedish dishes like meatballs and dumplings, I highly recommend Restaurang Tradition in Gamla Stan, Meatballs for the People (with every kind of meatball you can imagine from bear to moose), or Malarpaviljongen with its lovely views by the water.
8. Explore the islands in the Stockholm archipelago: With over 20,000 islands scattered across the Baltic, the Stockholm archipelago has plenty of islands to visit by sea. If you have limited time, check out Fjaderholmarna, a slightly touristy but cute little island that’s only 30 minutes by ferry from Stockholm. If you have more time, other popular islands include Sandhamn (a more touristy, beach-forward island), Grinda (known for its nature reserve and agriculture), Vaxholm (a harbor-centric island with wooden houses and a fortress-turned-museum), and Svartsö (also known for its nature reserve).
9. Take a day trip to Drottningholm Palace: Located 20-30 minutes drive from central Stockholm, this stunning 17th century palace and UNESCO World Heritage site is remarkably well-preserved and the official residence of the Swedish royal family today. Along with the main palace, it also features impressive gardens and a lovely Chinese Pavilion. Make sure to check out its website for opening days and hours – it’s open most days in the summer months and on the weekends during other seasons. It’s reachable by car, ferry (from City Hall Quay), and public transit (a combo of metro and bus).
10. Check out the urban art in Stockholm’s metro stations: Want a less traditional cultural experience? There’s plenty of cool underground art in Stockholm’s network of metro stations, which has been called the world’s longest art exhibition. I highly recommend taking public transit in Stockholm – it’s clean, efficient, and safe – and as you do, keep an eye out for some funky artwork.
I had an absolute blast visiting Sweden’s capital – from eating many, many pastries to exploring this city’s charming and varied neighborhoods to absorbing the history and culture at its museums. Stockholm is a wonderful place to spend a few days, especially in the late spring and summertime. I hope this guide serves a starting point for planning your own fabulous Stockholm adventures.
Stopping in Stockholm on your way to Finland? Check my guide to Helsinki’s best saunas here.
