A city where the new and the old synthesis with less effort than elsewhere. Its 14 islands ricing from blue water in the elegant cold and windy weather. Below I will try to tell you the best 10 things to see in Stockholm that I have visited on my short city break.
Facts:
- Sweden is the fifth biggest country (447 435 km2) and has the second lowest population per square kilometer in Europe.
- Swedish passports is the best pass in the word, gives entry without a visa to 124 countries.
- ABBA, Roxette, Ace of Base, Avicii, Zara Larsson and Lykke Li – all famous Swedish artists.
- With 25% as standard VAT – with highest VAT in the world.
- Volunteering is the value add in Sweden, with more than 1% of the total GDP goes to donations.
- And, they have the oldest limited company in the world (1288) – Falu Koppargruva AB, still active today.
Metro & Transportation
The distances are not big and you can easily walk to main attractions or, if it’s raining or you are not in the mood for walking, you can use Metro, Uber, Taxi and public bus. Lime and another companies also offer scooters for renting all over the city – just be sure to have their application downloaded. If you are more a romantic type, rent a boat and go from one island to another.
Metro – A single way is 45 SK (4,5 EUR) and its valid for 95 minutes from the acquisition. The Metro system is very complex so you will need for sure Stockholm Metro application downloaded on your device for a better orientation. Metro itself is like an art museum, with each station decorated in a theme. I heard that more than 150 artists were working on decorating each station. Try the Central Station and Solna Station – I guess they are the best 🙂
Boat – the best way is to take Hope On – Hope Off boat. You can visit all the islands and the best way to buy a ticket is online (with 10 EUR cheaper). You can make your reservation here and check the tour.
Lime – there are scooters all over the city, it’s easy and fun to ride one. They charge you for how many minutes do you raid it. Parking – the application shows you exactly where you are aloud or not to park the scooter.
Uber – is fast and not very expensive.
Main attraction points:
1.NOBEL PRIZE MUSEUM
- June-August daily 9am-8pm; Sept-May Tues-Thurs 11am-5pm, Fri 11am-8pm, Sat-Sun 10am-6pm
- SEK 120, free for children under 18 years (12 EUR)
- official site here
You can find out the history of Alfred Nobel who is the inventor of dynamite and how he established the the first five Nobel prizes in 1895. As you walk in, look up towards the ceiling to view portraits of 800 Nobel laureates over the years. The Nobel Prize ceremony is taking place annually in Stockholm, only the Peace Prize Ceremony is celebrating in Oslo.
After finishing your visit, take a break at Bistro Nobel, this cafe is similar to Café Museum in Vienna. You have to turn your chair upside down and you will find signatures of the various Nobel laureates who have visited the museum. 🙂
2. NORDIC MUSEUM
- Daily 10am–5pm
- SEK 100, under 18 free, free admission Wed 5–8pm (except in summer) – (10 EUR)
It’s the biggest history and cultural museum in Sweden. Explore the 50 exhibits they offer. Learn about folk art from the 18th and 19th centuries in Sweden. Browse the library collection with 250,000 books, maps, and other literary products.
GRONA LUND TIVOLI
- 8:30am-5pm, check the website for details.
- Free for 65+ years and 0-6 years. 7-64 years: SEK110. On concert nights: 220SEK. Individual rides cost extra.
- official cite here
Grona Lund is one of the best amusement park in the world. The park is relatively small because of its central location. With more than 30 attractions – roller coasters for each of you, from the easy once to very hardcore. My advice is to try to avoid the weekends as it can get very crowded and you will have to wait a lot in line for each ride.
Tips: Try the Jetline, it’s the most popular ride with a fantastic rock and roll experience, you will totally love it.
3.SWEDISH HISTORY MUSEUM
- October 1-May 31: Tue-Fri 12am–6pm; Sat-Sun 11am–6pm; Mondays closed; June 1–August 31: daily 11am–6pm;
- Free; special fees may apply for specific events
Founded in 1866, one of the biggest museums in Sweden and with the biggest collections of Viking exhibits. You will be surprised to see how many exhibits you will find.
4. STOCKHOLM OLD TOWN
Old Town or Gamla Stan dated from the 13th century, representing the heart of Stockholm city. Visit Stortorget, the main square and from here you can visit the Royal Palace or Kungliga Slottet and Royal Chapel. Visit the cafés and restaurants, enter in shops that sell all kind of souvenirs and take a ton of pictures.
From here you can visit the galleries – the Nobel Museum, the Post Museum, and the Royal Coin Cabinet, which you can find in the National Museums of Economy.
Experience the changing of the guard, which happens outside the Royal Palace. It’s every day and all year around. The Royal Guards Ceremony lasts about 40 minutes. It starts at 12:15 pm and at 1:15 pm on Sundays.
5.ROYAL PALACE OF STOCKHOLM
- 14 September–13 May: Tuesday–Sunday 10am–4pm, 14 May–30 June: Daily 10am–5pm, 1 July–31 August: Daily 8:30am–5pm, 1 September–14 September: Daily 10am–5pm
- Adults SEK 150 (15 EUR), Children 7–17 years old and students SEK 75 (7 EUR), Free for children below 7 years accompanied by a guardian.
- official site here.
Royal Palace is considered one of the biggest and one of the most magnificent palaces in Europe. It’s the official home of the king and queen of Sweden (the palace where they actually stay is the Drottningholm Palace).
6.THE VASA MUSEUM
- June 1–Aug 31 daily, 8:30am–6pm, Sep 1–May 31 Thur–Tue 10am–5pm, Wed 10am–8pm
- SEK 130 (13 EUR), students SEK 100, under 18 free
- official site here
The intact ship that can visit it’s a 64-gun warship that unfortunately sunk in 1628. After 333 years, the boat was salvaged from the water. Inside the museum are a lot of different exhibitions – the Battle Exhibition and the Face to Face exhibition. It’s a very nice experience and you will not regret it.
7.STOCKHOLM CITY HALL
- Apr-Sep daily 10am-4:15pm. City Hall tours (subject to change) June-Aug daily 10am-3pm every hour. Sep-May daily at 10am, noon, and 2pm
- 60SEK (6 EUR) adults, free for children 11 and under. Tower additional 20SEK (2 EUR)
Stadhuset a very popular tourist attraction and one of the symbols of Stockholm. The venue of the Nobel Prize Banquet (held on 10th December every year). The visit of the City Hall can be done through guided tours only.
8.ABBA MUSEUM
- Mon–Tue 10am–6pm, Wed–Thur 10am–8pm, Fri–Sun 10am–6pm
- SEK 195 (20 EUR), under 7 free;
- official site here
ABBA comprising Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid, they have composed hits from 1972 to 1983, one of the biggest in pop music history. You can find everything related – stage costumes, pianos, furniture, and more – and is a very nice interactive exhibition. You can play karaoke or make pictures in ABBA famous clothes.
9.HAGA PARK
- Open all year and it’s free
Location of the park is in Solna Municipality. The park is part of the Royal National City Park. You can visit Gustav III’s Pavilion only. Enjoy the Copper Tents café for a break.
Memories & Experiences:
10. Lush cosmetics.
You will find the mini shops all over the city and on the very first day I went to check the shop. I was amazed to see how many products they offer and to find out all the process of how they do the cosmetics. By the way, it’s an English company.
In 2018 they launched The Lush Prize that offers a global prize fund to support initiatives to end or replace animal testing. Their motto is “fighting animal testing”.
Stockholm, a vibrant and colorful city of contracts, ultra-modern, set among centuries-old buildings and with a very rich history. You can feel the change, the peace, the love and the acceptance. The Swedish culture worth exploring. I hope that my article with 10 things to visit in Stockholm helped you to try and visit it.
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