Discover Stockholm: 16 Points Of Interest You Can’t Miss
Welcome to Stockholm, Sweden! Come and find the best points of interest to explore in this lovely Scandinavian city.
Given that half of my family is Swedish, I spend a lot of time in different parts of the country. I love to see parts of my wife’s home country and experience how varied the culture is in the different regions of Sweden. When we last came to visit Stockholm, we stayed in Old Town, and highly recommend doing the same, as you’ll have a great jumping-off point for your visit.
1. Royal Palace
The Swedish Royal Palace, located in Gamla Stan (Old Town), is one of the largest of its kind in all of Europe. The building is the official residence of the King of Sweden, where official duties, special events, and other ceremonies are performed. The palace is a great place to see several exhibits, allowing visitors better insight into the country’s current and historical events.
2. Royal Armory
The Royal Armory, located just below the Royal Palace is where historical artifacts of the past throughout Swedish history can be found. In addition to weapons, jewels, and clothing, the exhibits tell much history about Sweden and its current and past royal family.
One of the coolest things I saw was toward the end of the exhibits where, in an effort to do something new, a new exhibit was founded, turning the royal family into anime-like characters. I have never seen something like this outside of Japan, and it definitely caught my attention.
3. Royal Stables
Even if you aren’t into equestrian activities, the Royal Stables are a really interesting place to take a tour. During your visit, you’ll get to see the grounds where the royal family’s horses are trained for both riding and pulling the royal carriages.
The tour consists of the grounds, the stables, and a few exhibits that you won’t want to miss, and of course, you’ll get to see more than a horse or two. In addition to the horses and gear, visitors get to see the still-operating classical transport vehicles for the king and royal family on the ground floor.
On one of the upper floors, which the movement of such artifacts still perplexes me, various horse-drawn carriages throughout time can be viewed, some of which are extremely ornate.
4. Skansen
Skansen is Sweden’s oldest open-air museum and is certainly worth a leisurely afternoon walk. The park was founded in 1891 and is a great place to see several timeframes worth of Swedish history, filled with disassembled and reassembled buildings and dwellings from all over the country. Within the area, visitors will find a variety of gardens, animals, historical buildings, and various seasonal events during Christmas, Midsummer, and Walpurgis Night festivals. The park does require an entry ticket, but they are fairly cheap and can be booked either in advance, or same-day on-site.
5. Gröna Lund
For visitors with kids, or just those who need a bit of a thrill, Gröna Lund, Stockholm’s local amusement park is a great spot to boost your adrenaline. The park offers a large variety of rollercoasters, fast food, and smaller kid-friendly rides, not to mention is located right on the water. In addition to the rides, the park also hosts several concerts throughout the year that attract tourists from all over. One of the past notable headliners include Bob Marley, who still holds the capacity record in the park to this day.
To see upcoming events for the park, what rides they have, or what restaurants are available, visit the park’s Official Site.
6. Gamla Stan
Gamla Stan, also known as Old Town, consists of a small island in the middle of Stockholm, Sweden. The area is a charming place to explore and is a short walk to the Riddarholmen Church and Royal Palace. The narrow cobblestone streets are filled with small shops, restaurants, cafes, and is my favorite place to stay in the city. If you want to learn more about this charming downtown area, consider taking a quick walking tour around the island.
7. Stortorget
Stortorget is the Grand Square in Gamla Stan, and if you’re staying in Old Town, you will likely walk past this area at some point. The square stands out for some of its tall, thin buildings and is a popular spot for seasonal events and markets. If you are in Stockholm during December when Christmas Markets are happening, known as Jul Markets in Sweden, be sure to stop by for some hot mulled wine, called Glögg, and a snack.
8. Vasa Museum
The Vasa Museum is a great location to visit an enormous ship from the 17th century. The ship, Vasa, is the best-preserved ship of its era in the world. The details throughout its deck and hulls are amazing to see, and its size can really only be admired up close, though good luck finding a good spot to take a photo of the entire thing in one frame.
The museum has a lot of history regarding the failed maiden (first) voyage, when the ship sank, as well as the intricate efforts required to recover the ship from the bottom of the sea. Not only can you see the ship and the artifacts found within, but from the top levels surrounding it, visitors can board the ship and tour parts of the deck. Check out their Official Site for more information and tickets.
The museum also has an attached restaurant with excellent food that I highly recommend if you’re hungry.
9. Nordic Museum
The Nordiska Museet, or Nordic Museum, is the largest museum of its kind in the country. From books, to photos, to other artifacts, the museum is a comprehensive collection of cultural history for Sweden and Nordic times. The museum contains so many items that only a fraction of its contents are displayed at any one time.
Stockholm has a great many museums to explore, all of them being unique to art, photography, history, Vikings, or more. If you only have the patience to visit one museum besides the Vasa Museum (a must-see), this is the one.
10. Museum of Modern Art
The Modernal Museet, or Museum of Modern Art, offers a great collection of exhibits for visitors to explore its halls. The museum includes many varieties to suit all interests such as wall art, sculptures, and more. If modern art is something of interest to you, don’t skip out on making a stop here.
11. ABBA Museum
If you like music, especially ABBA, stop at the ABBA Museum. While open hours are a bit limited, the museum is a fun experience to learn even more about the Swedish band known for their hits like S.O.S, Ring Ring, Nina Pretty Ballerina, and Mama Mia.
Don’t worry, the museum isn’t just another read-along tour, but offers quizzes, karaoke, and even the chance to get on stage as an unofficial 5th member of the band and sing along.
12. Drottningholm Palace
Just outside of Stockholm is Drottningholm Palace, the permanent home of King Carl XVI and Queen Silvia. The palace is situated on the bank of Lake Mälaren and is a hallmark example of European architecture. The compound is beautifully kept, particularly the palace park, with many hedges, lawns, and a central fountain in perfect symmetry with one another. Visitors can also take a tour of its interior and its many exhibits.
13. Stockholm Archipelago
An archipelago is a series of small islands off the coast, and the Stockholm Archipelago, also known as Skärgården, is the largest one in Sweden. Especially during the summer, take some time and hop on and off the commuting ferries to explore some of the islands or if you don’t want to island hop, taking a sightseeing cruise around the area is another great option.
There are over 30,000 islands in the area, but here are some of the most popular ones that are often visited:
Sandhamm | Quiet and filled with sandy beaches.
Gräddö | Many walking paths and a great place for kayaking.
Utö | Popular for its mining museum.
Möja | Charming harbors and small villages.
Väddö | One of the larger islands and a great spot for camping.
14. Aifur Viking Bar
If you’re looking for something to eat and need a new experience, stop at the Aifur Viking Bar. The bar offers a fun experience where you walk down into a dungeon-like serving and bar area where the workers are dressed up, music is playing, and lets you sit down and imagine you’re in the Viking era. The food is fantastic, and there is a great variety of mead, wine, and beer to choose from, so take a look at their menu.
15. Södermalm
If you’re looking for somewhere to let loose and partake in the best nightlife in Stockholm, Södermalm is the place to be. The area is the portion of the city with the most well-known hotspots for bars, pubs, clubs, and dancing. Perhaps if that isn’t your speed, the area is also popular for the surrounding nature and parks to walk around or have a quiet afternoon.
16. Östermalmstorg
Looking for some grade-A eats and shopping? Look no further than Östermalmstorg. This area is filled with stores and restaurants that will impress just about anyone and has not only good restaurants but world-renowned Michelin Star restaurants as well.
If stopping by the area, make sure you check out Östermalms Food Hall, a beautiful brick building stuffed with fresh fish, meats, gourmet ingredients, and more from nearly 20 different traders of all kinds.
Thanks for Reading!
Thank you for checking out this list of the top points of interest in Stockholm, Sweden! I have spent a lot of time in the country and love the Scandinavian culture here. I hope you found some helpful information here to make your trip as fun an memorable as mine was.
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