Dear Reader,
Last month I got the chance to visit Stockholm with my family. I spent a total of four days there exploring, enjoying, and engaging with the culture. Here are some of the things we did or wanted to do, from things to do to places to eat to anything else you need to know.
Basic information
Stockholm is the capital if Sweden, located up in Scandinavia. Unlike this year, it is normally a cold climate. Summer’s are chilly with a wind and can be cloudy. Winters are very cold and often there is snow. Stockholm is an old city with a palace, a beautiful old town, and so many small alleys to explore.
Getting around Stockholm is also very simple. They have a great public transport system that connects all parts of the cities and so much more. We arrived my air, and came to the city via the Arlanda express. This is a train which runs from the airport to the main train station which runs every 20 minutes from 4:20 am to 1:30 am.
If you arrive by cruise ship or ferry, you will most likely dock at the edge of the city. The inky company docking at a different port is MSC, however they provide a shuttle service to the center, which run continuously. The other port is very easy to access via bus. Bus number 53 to Londonviadukten from where it will take you 5 minutes to walk to the terminal.
Tickets are easy yo come by at any 7/11. You can also get tickets at the metro station, although they will not sell you single use tickets, only rechargeable ones which will cost you 20 Kronws. Single tickets cost 31 Krowns for adults, 21 for children, Swedish students, and elderly. You can also get tickets for 24 hours and 72 hours as well. To check out all the options and prices, you can check them all here.
Be aware that they are renovating the Metro station Slussen, so the red line is not running between T-Central and Slussen. This might make your trip a little more tedious than usual.
Gamla Stan (old town)
This is such an adorable old town. Located on an island in the middle of the city, it is separated from the rest with canals. On one end we have the Royal Palace which dominates the island. The rest of the old town is small alleyways, old buildings, and beautiful storefronts. You can stead hours walking through and get lost.
If you are looking for a cheap place to eat around here, there is a great booth serving Mexican food. It is run by this adorable Mexican family and only has about five tables, but the food is absolutely delicious and very affordable, especially for Scandinavian standards.
City hall
The city hall is located along the water outside the old town. This building is famous for hosting the yearly about Nobel Prize gala. The building, while looking old, was only built in the 1920s. The building incorporates many different styles from baroque and renaissance to a style resembling ancient Egypt. They have guided tours in Swedish, English, German, Italian, Spanish, and even Chinese. English happens every half an hour, the other languages are little more infrequent. Your best bet is to go by and ask when they have the tour in your preferred language. You can check out more information about the city hall here.
Drontningholm
If you have the time, make sure you make the trip out of the busy city to the beautiful countryside palace that serves as the family home to the Swedish royal family. You can get there by car or bus, but the most picturesque way to get there is a beautiful old boat leaving from opposite the City Hall. The ride takes about one hour, but is absolutely worth it, since you get to see the picturesque landscapes of Sweden.
Once you reach there, you can walk around the grounds for free or visit the official rooms of the palace. The rooms are old and baroque style, but the views from the windows are absolutely gorgeous both over the water and the gardens. If it is nice weather, you can take a stroll around the gardens. There are spread out over a large area with hedges and fountains. If you grow hungry, you can stop at the restaurant connected to the palace. It is a very decent price and the food is very good. I had the typical Swedish meatballs and recommend them.
Wasa museum
This specific attraction we did not make it to, but it is iconic in Stockholm. The viking ship that sunk right after leaving the port and being got brought up 300 hundred years later still fully intact. It is a magnificent sight, and definitely something I will have to go visit on my next trip.
There you have my very basic guide to Stockholm. I hope you enjoyed it and will share any of your tips in the comments below or on social media.
Kisses,
Juli