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Sweden is the largest of the three countries of the Scandinavian Peninsula, shared with Finland and Norway.

Stockholm: Capital of Sweden

 

Stately and sublime, a model of green living and sustainability - and at the forefront of innovation while preserving its past - Stockholm is one of the fastest growing cities in Europe.

Sweden’s lively capital city has what you are looking for! You can go to Stockholm to see where distinguished Nobel Laureates dance the night away in the aptly named Golden Hall, stroll its quaint old town with cobblestoned streets and enjoy the pageantry of Sweden’s finest military parade. At the Royal Armory, you’ll marvel at splendid costumes, glittering carriages and an armor-clad soldier and horse. If busy and multicultural is more to your liking, start at Sergels Torg, a round, center square, and look up at the thoroughly modern granite and glass obelisk with bustling city streets branching out, or sit in the public garden park for a bit of people-watching. Drop in for Midsummer celebration at the world’s oldest outdoor folk museum. Nearby you can feel sophisticated as you wander about the “Versailles of Stockholm” at Royal Drottningholm palace and garden, or tour an outdoor sculpture garden where magnificent statues seem to float on air. This exceptional city is chock full of interesting and unusual sights and stories!

A Dual Personality Capital City

Stockholm's Old Town at the confluence of Lake Mälaren and Salt Bay, an arm of the Baltic Sea.

Gamla Stan

 

From the ground up, everything about Sweden’s capital city is unique. It’s not even one contiguous body of land! A string of 14 islands connected by a network of 57 bridges comprise Stockholm. At its heart is the Old Town, Gamla Stan, which is considered one of the biggest and best preserved medieval city centers in Europe, in large part because cars, banned in most areas on this island, have not worn down the lovely cobblestoned streets. Tourists rule the roadways as they meander from one centuries-old sight to another or pass an afternoon at one of the abundant outdoor cafes – and omnipresent coffee shops – or saunter into local shops. 

Click on the photo above of

Gamla Stan to enter the Old Town.

The City

 

Step across one of the pedestrian bridges to Stockholm’s other side – the busy and cosmopolitan Norrmalm, the New Town. Shopaholics find more than enough upscale and chain stores to fill their cravings here. Foodies are satiated at fancy restaurants, sidewalk cafés, food halls, and Fika stops for the nation’s favorite pastime – a timeout for coffee and pastry, cookie or slice of the ever so decadent Princess cake. Architecture buffs find façades running the gamut from the 16th to the 21st centuries. Pedestrian-only streets and the King’s Garden provide balance with Stockholm’s fast-paced side. 

Easily identifiable by its grey and white patterned pavement, Sergels Torg is a central public square in Stockholm, Sweden.

Click on  Sergels Torg above to walk on Stockholm’s wilder side.

For centuries, Gamla Stan has been the home and seat of administrative power for Swedish rulers.

Click on the Royal Palace above to visit the Monarchy’s official residence in Gamla Stan.

Royal Residences

 

Stockholm is home base for Sweden’s royal family, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. The country is a parliamentary democracy with a Constitutional Monarchy, Prime Minister and elected 349-member Parliament.

 

The monarchs have one palace in old Gamla Stan and another in the quiet countryside. 

A UNESCO World heritage site, Drottningholm Palace, constructed in the 17th century, is the permanent residence of Sweden's royal family.

Click Drottningham Palace above to visit the Monarchy’s suburban residence.

Nordiska is Sweden's largest museum of cultural history, depicting Swedish life from the the 1500s on.
Experience Sweden's family and work lives through centuries by visiting houses and farmsteads from every part of the country.

Magnificent Museums

 

There are over 100 museums in Stockholm, so you are never far from one that would suit your interests. No visit to Stockholm would be complete without stopping into some of its world-class museums. Must-sees include the Vasa, a time capsule of Swedish workmanship; Millesgarden, where sculptures appear airborne; Nordiska, Sweden’s largest museum of cultural history; and Skansen, the world’s oldest open-air folk museum. 

Click any of these photos and step into another era.

After spending more than 300 years on the sea floor, the Vasa is the world's only preserved 17th century ship. See it up close in Stockholm.
Widely viewed as Sweden's greatest sculptor, Milles's massive works are on display at his island home on Lindingö.

Continue your trip through Stockholm with a visit to the Capital City, Royal Residences or Magnificent Museums pages.

For a taste of Stockholm, try the delicious Cardamom Rice Pudding recipe on the Recipes Tab (under More).

To enjoy the Stockholm experience at its fullest, attend a Savvy Sightseer - Stockholm Travelogue at a library or community center near you! Check the Programs page for upcoming dates and locations.

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