If you're a first-time visitor to Stockholm you'll love the city's stunning waterside setting. Head straight for the Old Town with its lavish Baroque Royal Palace and charming historic squares. You'll find European and Swedish art at the National Museum in the Norrmalm district. But there's much more to Stockholm than meets the eye, so make a return visit for hearty Swedish cuisine and sassy nightlife in the Õstermalm area.
It's hard to escape Lake Mälaren – Stockholm stands on 14 of its islands. You'll most likely begin your visit in or around the Old Town, the historic city centre which dates back to the 1300s. Filled with palaces and picturesque squares, it's also home to Stockholm's opulent Storkyrkan cathedral, dating back to the 13th century. Buy tickets to the Royal Swedish Opera or the 18th-century National Museum. Located across the bridge in northern Norrmalm, it's home to paintings, porcelain and prints from the 14th-19th centuries.
Start off in the Old Town as this is where the main attractions cluster. Visit the King's official residence, the Royal Palace, with its dazzling collection of crown jewels. When it's time to stop for a break, try a traditional Swedish herring dish in one of the Old Town's numerous Swedish restaurants. After lunch go shopping for clothing and crafts along Västerlånggatan and Österlanggatan streets, and seek out the antique shops of Köpmangatan street.
Stockholm hovers over the water so take a sightseeing boat tour around the Stockholm Archipelago. Stop at Djurgården island to view the 17th-century Vasa warship, now at home in the Vasa Museum. Head back into the Old Town to warm up on a local favourite, meatballs and gravy. Then join the locals for a laid-back night out in the bohemian Södermalm area or head for Õstermalm district to mingle with Stockholm's highfliers.
Sweden's largest airport, sleek Stockholm-Arlanda Airport flies around 16 million passengers a year from four passenger terminals. The airport is situated just 42 km north of Central Stockholm and the Arlanda Express train takes you to Central Station in 20 minutes.
- Favourites
- Delicious
- Facebook
- Windows Live
- Digg
- Google
- MySpace
- Yahoo
More bookmarks- StumbleUpon
- Technorati
- Blinklist
- Ask
- Furl
- Newsvine
- Reddit
- Fark
- Propeller
What are these?