Stockholm is the capital and most populous city of Sweden, with about a million people in the municipality and 2.5 million in the metropolitan area. It stretches across fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea, and the island chain of the Stockholm archipelago spreads out along the coast to the east.
Founded as a city in 1252, according to tradition by the statesman Birger Jarl, Stockholm has a medieval old town, Gamla stan, a baroque Royal Palace, the 17th-century warship of the Vasa Museum, the open-air museum of Skansen and a metro known for the art in its stations. Water and greenery are never far away, from the royal park island of Djurgården to the waterfront of Lake Mälaren. Apartments in Gamla stan or Norrmalm suit short visits, while Södermalm, Östermalm, Vasastan and Kungsholmen offer residential streets for families and longer stays. Drottningholm Palace, Uppsala, Sigtuna and the archipelago islands are all within easy reach.
Gamla stan, the old town on the central island, is the original core of the city, with narrow lanes, the Stortorget square, the Cathedral and the Royal Palace; it is the most atmospheric base for a first visit, though busy with sightseers by day. Norrmalm, the modern centre around Sergels torg, is the largest shopping district in Sweden and lies next to Stockholm Central Station, practical for short stays and airport trains.
Södermalm, the large southern island, is known for its bohemian and alternative culture and its cultural venues, and some small pre-industrial houses still survive there; it suits couples and younger travellers. Östermalm, east of the centre, is one of the most exclusive districts in the country, with elegant streets close to Djurgården. Vasastan, north of the centre, and Kungsholmen, an island in Lake Mälaren with the City Hall at its eastern tip, are residential areas that kept many older buildings and blocks, comfortable choices for families and longer stays.
Gamla stan grew up on its central island from the middle of the 13th century, and until 1980 it was officially called the Town between the Bridges. Its main square, Stortorget, is surrounded by old merchants' houses and the Stockholm Stock Exchange Building, and the old town is also home to Storkyrkan, the Cathedral, the Nobel Prize Museum and Riddarholmen Church. The Royal Palace, Kungliga slottet, built in the baroque style in the 18th century after the earlier Tre Kronor castle burned down, is the official residence and main workplace of the Swedish monarch.
Across the water on Kungsholmen, Stockholm City Hall, built between 1911 and 1923, is the seat of the municipality and hosts the Nobel Prize banquet, while the award ceremony takes place at the Stockholm Concert Hall. Underground, the Stockholm Metro, opened in 1950, is famous for the decoration of its stations, and it has been nicknamed the longest art gallery in the world, so a ride is part of the sightseeing.
Djurgården, a royal park island whose land the Swedish monarch has held since the 15th century, combines forests and meadows with some of the city's best-loved attractions. The Vasa Museum displays the only almost fully intact 17th-century ship ever salvaged, the 64-gun warship Vasa, which sank on her maiden voyage in 1628. Skansen, opened on 11 October 1891 by Artur Hazelius, is an open-air museum and zoo showing how people lived across Sweden before the industrial era, and Gröna Lund is an amusement park dating from the late 19th century. A heritage tram line has run to the island since 1991.
East of the city, the Stockholm archipelago extends about 60 kilometres out to sea, with tens of thousands of islands, islets and skerries. People live on the larger islands nearest the coast, such as Vaxholm, Värmdö and Ljusterö, which are reached by bridges or road ferries, and the archipelago boats of Waxholmsbolaget serve many of the others.
The area has been settled since the Stone Age, and the name Stockholm first appears in writing in 1252, by which time the iron mines of Bergslagen made it an important trading site. According to Erik's Chronicle, Birger Jarl founded the city to protect Sweden from sea raids after the pillage of Sigtuna on Lake Mälaren in 1187. After Gustav Vasa came to the throne in 1523 and strengthened royal power, Stockholm grew steadily, reaching 10,000 inhabitants by 1600, and its population multiplied sixfold between 1610 and 1680.
In the early 20th century the city became the home of the Nobel Prize ceremonies and a showcase of new architecture, from Gunnar Asplund's Stockholm Public Library to Skogskyrkogården, the Woodland Cemetery designed by Asplund and Sigurd Lewerentz, now a World Heritage Site. Much of the centre was rebuilt during the modernist era, but Gamla stan, Södermalm, Östermalm, Kungsholmen and Vasastan kept many older buildings, blocks and streets.
Drottningholm Palace, on the island of Lovön in Ekerö Municipality west of the city, was begun in 1662 and is the private residence of the royal family; the Royal Domain of Drottningholm, with baroque gardens first laid out at the end of the 17th century, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991. Uppsala, about 70 kilometres or roughly 40 minutes north by train, is home to Uppsala Cathedral, long the coronation church of Swedish monarchs, and Uppsala University, founded in 1477; the original settlement, Gamla Uppsala, lies a few kilometres north of the modern city.
Sigtuna, a harbour town established around 980 on Lake Mälaren, is about 10 kilometres from Arlanda Airport and pairs well with an arrival or departure day. In the archipelago, Vaxholm grew around a fortress that Gustav Vasa built in the mid-16th century to defend Stockholm from the sea, and the small Fjäderholmarna islands lie close to the city centre.
Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN), about 37 kilometres north of the city in Sigtuna Municipality, is the main international gateway. The Arlanda Express train reaches Stockholm Central Station in about 20 minutes. Bromma Airport, about 7 kilometres north-west of the centre, handles smaller aircraft, and Skavsta Airport, about 108 kilometres south, serves some international flights.
Public transport is extensive and mostly organised by SL: the metro has seven lines in three colour-coded systems, and there are commuter trains, light rail and tram lines, local railways, many bus routes and the Djurgården ferry, while Waxholmsbolaget runs the archipelago boats. Many islands of the centre are linked by bridges, so walking between Gamla stan, Södermalm and Norrmalm is easy. A car is not needed for a city stay; it is mainly useful for exploring the countryside or the outer coast.
Stockholm has a warm-summer humid continental climate. Winters are cold, with average temperatures around or a little below freezing, and snow covers the ground for 75 to 100 days in an average year; precipitation, as rain or snow, falls in every season. Because of the city's northern latitude, the day lasts only about six hours in late December, while around midsummer there are more than 18 hours of daylight and the nights from late May to mid-July never get completely dark.
Summer is the favourite season, pleasantly warm, and the city averages about 1,900 hours of sunshine a year. Late spring and early autumn are fresher and quieter, good for museums and city walks. Winter suits the museums, concerts and cosy cafés, with snow on many days.
For a first visit, Gamla stan and Norrmalm keep the old town, the Royal Palace and Central Station within walking distance. Södermalm suits younger travellers who like its bohemian feel, Östermalm is elegant and close to Djurgården, and Vasastan and Kungsholmen are calm residential areas for families.
June to August is the most popular season, with pleasantly warm weather, more than 18 hours of daylight around midsummer and the archipelago at its best. May and September are fresher and quieter. Winter is cold and dark, with about six hours of daylight in late December.
Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) is about 37 kilometres north of the city. The Arlanda Express train reaches Stockholm Central Station in about 20 minutes, and commuter trains and airport coaches also link the airport with the city.
Three days cover Gamla stan and the Royal Palace, the City Hall, the Vasa Museum and Skansen on Djurgården, and a metro ride to see the station art. With four or five days you can add Drottningholm Palace, Uppsala, Sigtuna or an archipelago boat trip.
No. The metro, commuter trains, trams, buses and ferries cover the city, many central islands are linked by bridges, and archipelago boats reach the islands. A car is only worth it for touring the countryside or the outer coast.
Yes. Skansen's open-air museum and zoo, the Vasa Museum, Gröna Lund amusement park and boat trips to the archipelago suit children of all ages. A flat in a residential district such as Vasastan, Kungsholmen or Östermalm gives space and a kitchen close to parks and the water.
Yes, for subletting. A flat in a tenant-owner housing association, a bostadsrätt, may be let to someone else only if the association agrees or the rent tribunal grants permission, and letting without consent can cost the owner the right to the flat. Associations can also set their own conditions. Check that your host is allowed to let.
Stockholm is known for its setting on fourteen islands between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic, the medieval streets of Gamla stan, the Vasa Museum and Skansen, the art in its metro stations, the Nobel Prize banquet at the City Hall and the thousands of islands of its archipelago.
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