Savvy Sightseer - tips and insights for seasoned travelers!
Stockholm’s only remaining medieval abbey, built in the late 1200s, Riddarholm Church is the last resting place of the Swedish monarchs and aristocracy.
In a land where you can be in total darkness 32 days a year, Swedes tend to make the most of their short summer and long days dining al fresco.
Buildings #18 and 20 in Stortorget - the red Schantzka or Ribbinska Huset, home to Kaffekoppen, and the tan building housing Chokladkoppen - are popular outdoor cafes in the historic square. The iron forms dotting building exteriors are "anchor plates" indicating the era when the building was constructed and the type of plate used at the time to bind wooden beams.
Stockholm – A Capital City
There are many stories about the town name’s origin, but the most fanciful one involves a floating log filled with gold. Birger Magnussen was a Jarl (Earl) of nearby Sigtuna, Sweden’s oldest town, established in 970 AD. It was frequently raided by neighboring tribes until Sigtuna’s leaders decided the seat of power should be moved. Reportedly, in 1252 they filled a hollowed-out log with gold, set it onto the water and waited to see where it hit land. That became the new capital region, named Stockholm, or “log island.” Less colorful stories hold that Birger was looking for a place better suited for trade, and decided on what has become Gamla Stan.
Regardless, the location proved an ideal one, and the new capital of Sweden flourished. Today, Stockholm is the fastest-growing city in Western Europe and by 2030, it’s expected to double its current population of about 1 ½-million inhabitants.
Gamla Stan
Initially, the little island of Stadsholmen comprised the entire capital, a walled city. Today it’s a pedestrian paradise: around every corner is some unique sight. There’s Stortorget, the square where a historic bloodbath occurred in 1520 when neighboring Danes staged a coup and slaughtered Swedish aristocrats. Of course a capital city needs a regal Royal Palace (see the Royal Residences page for more on the Palace), and Stockholm celebrates every day in front of theirs with a dramatic Changing of the Guard. Narrow lanes are crammed with delightful shops, cafés and homes. There’s also the quirky but compelling smallest sculpture in town – the Iron Boy, only six inches tall, but with a larger than life place in the hearts of Stockholmers. There is much to see and enjoy in Gamla Stan!
Stockholm's historic Old Town is a pedestrian-friendly area for shoppers and history lovers.
Stortorgsbrunnen, the well in the center of the historic square, was designed by Erik Palmstedt in 1778.
Formally known as Järnpolke, or informally as Olle, this tiny 6-inch statue represents the sturdy and resilient orphans who labored to haul cargo from sea ships to lake boats before the locks were built. Rubbing his head or dropping coins at his feet is thought to bring luck. Locals dress him in hats and scarves during the winter. Items are regularly collected by the nearby Finnish Church and donated to charity.
Stockholm's historic Old Town is a pedestrian-friendly area for shoppers and history lovers.
Click on the above photo of Gamla Stan to unlock your gateway into old Stockholm.
The City
Eventually population spilled out of Gamla Stan, the walls came down and the entire region around the island grew. In the 17th century, the northern suburb of Norrmalm started bustling with expansion. Once an open ridge on which the pivotal Battle of Brunkeberg was fought in 1471, Norrmalm today has become the capital’s modern center, and is referred to as the City. It’s a shopper’s wonderland where busy streets are flanked by high-end stores and pedestrian roads offer a mix of churches, chain and local shops, bakeries and cafés. Mouth-watering markets display an array of tasty treats from every food group in sea and on land. For a timeout from shopping, Kungstradgarden, The King’s Garden, is a perfect place to relax and people-watch. The royals' vegetables were grown here in the 15th century, but today the oldest park in Stockholm is open for everyone’s enjoyment, and is often referred to as “Stockholm’s Living Room.” In the summer it’s a hot spot for concerts and festivals; in the winter locals flock to its ice skating rink. Norrmalm also features some interesting architectural sights, including Kristallvertikalaccent, a 123-foot tall glass obelisk in the town’s central square, Sergels Torg; and the Stadsbiblioteket, the city library with a grand three-floor high, book-lined rotunda.
Click any of the pictures below for an expanded view and additional information.
Kungstradgarden, or “King’s Garden,” is the city’s most popular meeting place. Known as Stockholm’s Living Room, it is an oasis in the middle of the modern city.
The nine-acre King's Garden is Stockholm’s oldest park. In the heart of the city, this is a great people-watching spot and recreational center. In the summer, concerts and festivals take center stage.
At the heart of the park stands the statue of King Karl XIII (1748-1818); he rests his right arm on an anchor – a symbol of his Naval history. Four lions surround him; each holds a globe that bears symbols of Sweden and Norway, both of which he ruled. In winter, the faux grass surrounding the statue is converted to an ice skating rink - a big draw during the long winter days.
During the 16th century the kitchen garden became a formal Renaissance garden. It was opened to the general public in 1792 and today is a central hub offering something for everyone.
Shops, churches, museums, statues and restaurants surround the popular park.
In the middle of the Norrmalm central square stands a 125-foot tall granite obelisk, the Kristallvertikalaccent (loosely translated as Vertical Crystal Accent) designed by Edvin Öhrström. It was completed in 1974 and placed in a fountain at the center of Sergels Torg giving tourists and locals alike a nice place to relax away from traffic.
Sergels Torg, named in honor of 18th century Swedish sculptor John Sergel, forms the center of the modern city. It was constructed on two levels to allow pedestrians free movement to shops. It is also known as The Platten, and is easily recognized for its unique grey and white triangular patterned pavement.
For an easy-going shopping experience, there’s Drottninggatan (means Queen Street in Swedish). This premier pedestrian street cuts right through the heart of Stockholm. It amounts to a mile-long shopping street from Vasastan to Gamla Stan.
Drottninggatan can trace its beginnings back almost 400 years, to the 1600s when it was planned as a tribute to the young Queen Kristina.
Sveavägen is considered to be the busiest street in Sweden. It is also where Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated in February 1986 after leaving a movie house with his wife. Swedish police have yet to solve the mystery of his assassination, but continue to seek his killer.
Along one of the City’s poshest streets is a rather odd structure: The Mushroom (Svampen) at Stureplan Square. It was built in 1937 as a rain shelter and is a popular meeting spot today – rain or shine!
High-end designer names like Gucci, Armani, Swarovski, and Louis Vuitton along the posh streets are a big draw for shoppers, but if they focus only on window displays, they might miss this unusual building sporting a ship-at-sail look.
Brunkebergs tunnel, a +1/8 mile-long shortcut for cyclists and pedestrians through a ridge in the city center, was engineered back in 1884 and took two years to finish. It’s so unique inside, it’s become a classic Instagram spot in Stockholm.
Kungstornen are twin tower skyscrapers, individually named Norra Kungstornet and Södra Kungstornet, in Norrmalm, Stockholm. The 16-storey Norra Kungstornet (left) was built between 1919 and 1924; and the taller 17-storey Södra Kungstornet (right) was built between 1924 and 1925. Together, they are considered the first modern skyscrapers in Europe. Both are just under 200-feet tall. The look of them was modeled on the skyline of lower Manhattan of the 1920s.
Outdoor food markets are especially popular in Stockholm. One of the best mouth-watering displays is at Hötorget (Haymarket Square), a popular Stockholm meeting place for hundreds of years. These days the square is home to a lively market with vendors selling some of the city’s best fresh fruits and vegetables. On Sundays the produce stands are replaced by a flea market.
After shopping for the main meal, finding a floral centerpiece is easy among the many colorful floral stands at Hötorget.
There’s also a culinary catch-all in the Square’s indoor marketplace. In its Saluhall, you will find meats, cheeses, specialty teas, coffee and fish, as well as what amounts to a national foody obsession – licorice (lakrits). Swedes are huge consumers of the salty treat.
An architectural study in contrasts is the city library. Back in 1728, avid book collector Andreas Geist offered his collection as the foundation of a city library. It wasn’t until 1928 that a permanent city library building was finally completed. Professor Gunnar Asplund, a noted Swedish Architect at the forefront of the modernist style, opted for an exterior boiled down to its most primitive geometric elements: a cylinder emerging from a straight-lined box.
At a marked contrast to its minimalist exterior, the city library is a stunner inside with a grand three-floor high, book-lined rotunda that exudes warmth and elevates book shelves to a whole new level. The 360-degree tower of books at the top has been likened to a bibliophile’s temple to reading in-the-round. It was one of the first libraries to allow direct access to the stacks without the help of a retrieving librarian.
Specialty shops are found at every turn in Stockholm. Delectable displays of sweets and treats constantly tempt walkers.
The Parliament
Fittingly, Sweden’s Parliament building, the Riksdagshuset is on an islet bridging the capital’s modern city center and its old town. The massive structure takes up almost half of the little island called Helgeandsholment. It was originally built at the close of the 19th century, then underwent a major renovation nearly a hundred years later. Touting complete transparency of its legislative body, visitors to the Parliament House are welcome to observe everything happening in the chamber, from listening to debates and votes to attending public hearings or seminars.
Riksdagshuset – Parliament House of Stockholm
Continue your trip through Stockholm with a visit to the Stockholm Home Page, Royal Residences or Magnificent Museums pages.
For a taste of Stockholm, try the delicious Cardamom Rice Pudding recipe on the Recipes Tab (under More).
