We get asked a lot: what place has surprised you the most so far? And my answer to that is definitely Stockholm.
Part of the charm is in the beauty of the country, as well as it’s long history. Also surprising is the progressive royal family – my favorite example of King Carl XVI Gustaf is a story about his daughter, Crown Princess Victoria. Prior to his reign, queens were not allowed to ascend to the throne. After his daughter was born, the king amended the constitution to allow the eldest child of the king to be named monarch without regard to gender. Score one for equality.
We stayed in nearby Sundbyberg, just a short walk from the metro line that will get you to Stockholm Central Station in about 15 minutes. Great neighborhood with a great vibe. The hosted apartment was amazing, with more room than we needed, but it came in handy when Shawn’s sis and brother-in-law came to visit. We also had a clothes dryer in the apartment, a luxury we hadn’t experienced for over a year.
The area we stayed in offered tons of grocery, restaurant and shopping options, with nearby transit access including metro, bus and train. You can purchase an SL Access transit card at the windows in the subway and train stations and buy several trips at a time; the SL app also lets you scan your card to see how many trips you have left and reload as needed.
A few things to note: get to know Fika, my favorite custom in Sweden. It’s the time in the afternoon when people come together to eat, drink (coffee and tea) and talk. It’s a time to connect and relax, and catch up on daily events. And if you have a sweet tooth (or even if you don’t), try the Prinsesstårta, or Swedish Princess Cake, a classic dessert made of layers of sponge cake, raspberry jam, vanilla custard and whipped cream, then covered with a layer of marzipan. It is credited to cookbook author Jenny Åkerström, who was an instructor to the Swedish princesses in the early 20th century, and there is a reason it’s Sweden’s most iconic dessert.
Things To Do & See
Part of the city’s beauty is in the many islands that Stockholm was built on and the surrounding archipelago.
Officially founded in 1523, Sweden, or Sverige, has an incredible and long history. Inhabitants have called the region home for thousands of years, and the country has done a wonderful job of preserving that history. This means there is no shortage of activities in and around Stockholm.
A great way to tour the city is from the water. There are a number of tour operators offering canal and ferry service, including Hop On-Hop-Off boat passes (like the buses in major cities, but on the water). We opted to tour with Stromma on their Royal Canal Tour. Many operators also have days trips, dining cruises and sightseeing options; keep in mind that where you sail is sometimes dependent upon the water levels, so check the operator site and book ahead, especially during the peak season from June to August.
If you’re planning a shorter visit, you can see a ton of popular Stockholm attractions in just one or two days within a walkable area. Start with a stroll through Gamla Stan; Stockholm’s iconic old town is a labyrinth of streets and alleys filled with restaurants, boutiques, museums and history. Nearby is De Kungliga Slotten, Sweden’s royal palace and one of Europe’s largest. It’s the king’s official residence, and your ticket allows you to tour the palace as well as the treasury, the Tre Kronor museum displaying the palace’s medieval history, and Gustav III’s Museum of Antiquities. Buy tickets ahead of time and opt for the combo entry that also gets you into the Riddarholmskyrkan (Riddarholmen Church); with it’s beautiful spire towering over the island, it’s the final resting place of the Swedish kings of old. From there, you can walk over one of the area’s many bridges past the Parliament building to the Medieval Museum – entry is free, and the museum highlights Stockholm’s medieval history in what is known to be an original section of the city. Fun fact: it was discovered when the city was excavating to build a parking garage for the parliament building.
Don’t leave the city without a trip to the Vasa Museum: an unbelievable experience featuring the Vasa, a 17th century ship that sank on its maiden voyage (spoiler alert: it was too tall, and didn’t have enough weight in the ballast). It lay on the bottom of the harbor for 333 years and was rediscovered in the 1950s. What followed was decades of painstaking recovery and preservation. The result is a ship on display that’s 98% original. It’s quite remarkable, and recommended by most travelers.
Also within walking distance is Skansen, the world’s oldest open-air museum and zoo. Get a feel for life in Stockholm pre-Industrial Era; it’s great for families with kids.
A walking tour is always recommended: we booked the Nordic Food Walk Stockholm with Suzy and wandered around the city to sample some of the foods that Stockholm has to offer. The meeting point was Östermalms Saluhall, an 1880s food hall with stalls selling everything from meats and cheese to desserts and seafood. Stop in at one of the many restaurants for a bite (tour booking not required).
If you have some extra time, here are a few recommendations outside of the Stockholm area:
- Drottningholmsslott, or Drottningholm Palace – built on the island of Lovön, it’s a gorgeous 17th century palace where the royal family still lives (part-time). Accessible by car or bus, we recommend getting there via ferry ride from Stockholm
- Uppsala – just under an hour from Stockholm by train, Uppsala is a busy university town where history meets academia, and the canals are reminiscent of those in Amsterdam. The cathedral and castle are especially lovely in the fall
- Sigtuna – Sweden’s fist town, founded in the 10th century; stop by the stone ruins of St Olaf’s and the old main street
- Vaxholm – the capital of the archipelago, it’s just an hour away by ferry
Eats
Though not generally known for it’s cuisine, Sweden has a lot to offer when it comes to food. Here are a few of the places we experienced.
- Aifur – pretty much the coolest dinner experience in Stockholm – your party will be seated at the restaurant’s family-style tables, likely next to people you don’t know. Every new group that comes in is announced in true Viking-style, loudly, then greeted with table-pounding and hollering. The food is good and the mead pours are generous. Reservations are recommended.
- Amfora Vinbaren – an eclectic wine bar featuring a very different kind of wine: instead of following modern winemaking processes, these wines are fermented in mugs and amphorae made of clay as they were in ancient times. The result? A very simple, different, and special kind of wine. The tapas-style food options are also delicious.
- The Hairy Pig – farm-to-table food in a pub-style environment, their specialty is the homemade wild boar sausages. Also try the reindeer and moose dishes.
- Östermalms Saluhall – An 1880s food hall with stalls selling everything from meats and cheese to desserts and seafood. Stop in at one of the many restaurants for a bite.
- Panem – a great café in Gamla Stan with really good sandwiches.
- Ristorante Rustico (Sundbyberg) – traditional Italian, the pastas are good and, according to our in-laws, the pizzas are better
- The Public (Sundbyberg) – very good food in a very cool building, the lounge area is especially classy. Try the duck confit and the beef plank.
- Princess Konditoriet (Sundbyberg) – a nice blend of bistro and bakery, this was across the street from our apartment and we returned several times (and not just because it was convenient). It also has what is probably our favorite version of the Prinsesstårta
- Bistro Boulangerie (Vaxholm) – a bistro in the heart of Vaxholm’s tourist area, the burgers are good and the view is lovely
