Stockholm top attractions
Stockholm, the capital and largest city of Sweden, is a lively, cosmopolitan city, with both modern Scandinavian architecture alongside fairytale towers, a captivating Old Town and an abundance of green space. Most attractions are found in the inner city, “innerstaden” and there’s a good chance here of experiencing a lot of things in a one day itinerary.
Stockholm has been called the Venice of the North, and certainly the city has an intimate relationship with the sea. It is made up of 14 islands connected by 57 bridges on Lake Mälaren, which flows into the Baltic Sea, and passes the Stockholm archipelago with some with 30,000 islands, islet rocks and skerries.
With time on your hands you could easily spend weeks going from island to island with the regular boats, staying at floating hostels or other luxury and cheap hotels in Stockholm, finding your own special place to enjoy this fairytale city. But if your time is short, we offer you the chance to experience big-city life, history and natural scenery, all in the course of the same day. Here’s a short list of the top attractions in Stockholm.
Norrmalm Stockholm Financial District
Norrmalm is the city’s business and commercial district, perfect for shopping. It is a rather large, mainly residential area which recently has attracted a younger crowd. The most central part, around the Odenplan square, offers some good shopping opportunities and a lively nightlife with a great number of bars and clubs.
Southern Djurgården Stockholm island-park
Southern Djurgården is an island-park with some of Stockholm’s major tourist attractions: Skansen – the world’s oldest open air museum, where to visit historic Sweden in miniature, which also includes Stockholm’s Zoo – the Gröna Lund amusement park, Vasamuseet – which hosts the only preserved seventeenth-century ship in the world, the Vasa warship. Northern Djurgården, instead, houses a museum cluster with Tekniska museet and Kaknästornet, as well as the campuses of Stockholm University and the Royal Institute of Technology.
Gamla Stan Stockholm old town
Gamla Stan, the Old Town, is dominated by the Riksdag – the Swedish parliament, and the Royal Palace, which houses no less than five museums. Here, don’t miss the changing of the Royal Guard. In the middle of Gamla Stan is Stortorget, the oldest square in Stockholm, from which runs Köpmangatan, the oldest street in Stockholm. Check for Mårten Trotzigs gränd: you will discover the narrowest alley in Gamla Stan, only 90 centimeters wide at its narrowest point! In the Old Town you also find the cathedral, Storkyrkan, and the Nobel Museum.
Kungsholmen where Stockholm City Hall rises
Kungsholmen is an island at the western inner city. On its eastern tip, the Stockholm City Hall, Stadshuset, stands by the water (terrific!) Enjoy its superb spire featuring the golden Three Crowns, one of the most famous silhouettes in Stockholm.
Gröna Lund’s Amusement Park
Finally, especially if you’re traveling with your kids, enjoy a visit at the above mentioned Gröna Lund’s Amusement Park. 32 attractions, including seven roller coasters and the world’s highest Free Fall Tilt. Excitement for the whole family is guaranteed.
If you’re too lazy to walk, don’t underestimate a day tour on a boat! A city built on fourteen islands offers marvelous views over the water, so you may experience the beauty of Stockholm even from the water!
Photo by Mr Phil Price
About the Author
Elena Hey there! My name is Elena and I live in Pavia, where I work as a freelance journalist and Events Coordinator. My personal interests are culture, languages and art. I love travelling and learning about foreign cultures and different lifestyles, and then I like to share my experiences with others writing articles for this blog. My passions drive me forward to live the life of my dreams, and well that’s what I am really good at!
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