KEY AREAS
Norrmalm Stockholm’s modern centre is focused around Sergels Torg. Close to the central station, this highly trafficked business and shopping area is also home to Sweden’s parliament.
Ostermalm The swanky area around Stureplan and north of it attracts the beautiful and wealthy people. This is the place to visit if you’re looking for trendy nightclubs, hip cafés or the most exclusive shops.
Vasastan An area popular among students, with the university and city library close to hand. It also has a high concentration of restaurants and bars and is well worth a look if you’re on the hunt for some good food.
Kungsholmen A popular residential area and working district. There is a major park, Ralambshovsparken, located here as well as the City Hall, but other than that it’s not of much interest to non-residents. Djurgarden Originally a royal park, the peninsula of Djurgarden is a popular and beautiful area with green parks, an open-air museum and zoo, botanical garden and amusement park. This is a perfect area for a walk, picnic or just for relaxing and getting away from the hectic atmosphere of the city itself Gamla Stan The old town’s narrow alleyways are packed with small boutiques, gourmet restaurants and bars. It’s a picturesque area that dates back to the city’s origins in the 13th century and the atmosphere is evident at every turn. The architecture and special feel of this area make it well worth a visit. Don’t miss the royal castle, located at the height of this island in the middle of the city. Sodermalm Stockholm’s Soho, which is sometimes referred to as Sofo (South of Folkungagatan), is a young, laid-back, trendy area with a lot of nice restaurants, bars, cafés, second-hand shops and fashion boutiques. The area has a very distinct feel to it and you’ll either love it or hate it.
GETTING AROUND
Buses and the subway are usually going to be your quickest way around the city.
A full-day pass can be bought for Kr 95, a three-day pass for Kr 180, or a 30-day pass for Kr 600. These passes grant you unlimited use of all public transportation. Travelling within central Stockholm isn’t complicated or time consuming. Using the subway, you can get from one side of the city to the other in about 10 to 15 minutes. If you’re going far outside the central parts, you’ll want to take the pendeltag, which can get you as far out as Sodertalje within an hour.
A general tip is: if you don’t mind walking a little, the subway is almost always going to be quicker then a bus. Take the bus if you want a view of the city while travelling or if you’re going someplace without a subway station nearby.
Taxis, as mentioned earlier, are quite expensive in Stockholm, but very convenient. The traffic in Stockholm isn’t too bad and you can often get where you want with just a short ride. Short distances often costsabout Kr 100.
SHOPPING
The main shopping streets are found in the modern centre of Norrmalm.
Here Drottninggatan, Kungsgatan and Hamngatan streets encompass several shopping centres, including Ahléns, PUB, Dagenham’s and NK. Drottninggatan is the longest shopping street in the city, leading from the market place Hotorget to Gamla Stan, with high-street shops like H&M, Lindex, JC & Clothes, Kappahl and Stadium lining the pavements. Expensive designer-wear is found around Stureplan, where Louis Vuitton, Diesel, Filippa K and Gucci have stores. Shop ’til you drop and let cutting-edge fashion be your inspiration.
For second-hand shops and alternative design, head to Sodermalm. Bondegatan, Gotgatan, Skanegatan and Krukmakargatan have a myriad of trendy small boutiques and second-hand stores. If you stop by Sodermalm, don’t miss Bruno, a mall on Gotgatan that houses a number of known brands such as We, David Design and Stuck. Those interested in interior design should stay on Gotgatan, whereas antique hunters should head to Upplandsgatan and Odengatan in Vasastan.
For tourist gifts and picturesque boutiques, Gamla Stan rules. Along Österlånggatan you’ll discover many handicraft shops, while souvenir shops line Västerlånggatan.
Spirits can only be purchased in the state-owned monopoly Systembolaget.
GIFTS TO BUY
A typical tourist gift from Sweden is vodka, but absolut vodka is now world famous and can be purchased all over the world. So why not take the opportunity to get some traditional snaps at Systembolaget instead? Swedes like to sing drinking songs while downing their snaps, and are also partial to a Skane spiced vodka—the perfect accompaniment to the local pickled herring.
Pickled herring is part of a typical Swedish smorgasbord and comes in various flavours. Knackebrod (crisp bread) is also typical, as is Kalles Kaviar, made of roe. Find them all in grocery stores. Ostermalmshallen, located right at Ostermalmstorg, is a wonderful place to stroll around if you’re looking for something linguistic to take back to the folks at home.
For some Swedish design, look out for Kosta Boda art glass. The range includes bowls and bottles as well as original sculptures. Its concept store is located on Birger Jarlsgatan and is also a gallery. At Blås & Knåda on Hornsgatan you’ll find an assortment of Swedish pottery and glass design, some by lesser known designers.
THINGS TO DO
Skansen (Djurgarden, www.skansen. se), the open-air museum and zoo, is a must-see. Opened in 1891, the park houses about 150 historical buildings and homesteads from all over Sweden. Stockholm’s only zoo specialises in Scandinavian fauna such as moose, wolves and bears, but also contains familiar animals like elephants and monkeys. The old-fashioned surroundings are a great setting to take in one of the best views of Stockholm. And why not have drinks or a meal up at Solliden while watching the sun set over Stockholm? The view is hard to forget.
If you’re interested in finding out more about the city’s origin, go to the Museum of Medieval Stockholm (Stromparterren, right next to the Royal Palace). It’s an exciting underground museum illustrating the medieval origins and expansion of Stockholm. The medieval environment has been painstakingly reconstructed around authentic remains discovered during excavations in 1978-80.
The Globe arena (Globentorget 2, www. globearenas.se), shaped like a giant 85-metre-high golf ball, serves as a symbol for the city of Stockholm. Worth a look just for the architecture, the Globe is the main arena for sports, concerts and other events. There’s always something going on there. Tickets for all shows and events can be bought on site.
EXCURSIONS
A wonderful way to explore the surroundings of Stockholm is to take a cruise through the archipelago. Just an hour away from Stockholm, the landscape opens up into 24,000 islands, some of which are inhabited, others not. Whether you want to take a break and spend a night in one of the hostels in the archipelago or just fancy a day’s excursion into the Swedish landscape, you won’t be disappointed. Cinderella Batarna offers cruises departing from Strandvägen (Tel: 587 140 00, www.cinderellabatarna.com), and Waxholmsbolaget (Tel: 679 5830, ww.waxholmsbolaget.se) also organises archipelago cruises all year round.
A special tip if you’re looking to get away for a day is to visit Fjaderholmarna.
This is a beautiful set of islands close to Stockholm where you can stroll around, enjoy a wonderful meal at one of the restaurants or visit one of the local handicraft shops for a souvenir.
A sightseeing tour on the water is also one of the best ways to see the city. There are a variety of canal tours, which explore different aspects and areas of the city (Tel: 587 140 20, www. stockholmsightseeing.com).
While you’re in the capital of Sweden, you might want to visit Sigtuna, the first town in the country. Located by the water, Sigtuna became a natural trading point in 980 AD. Today you can walk the alleyways, see old ruins and shop in picturesque boutiques. Unlike other ancient towns such as Oslo, Trondheim, York or Dublin, Sigtuna has preserved its original town plan, making it a sight not to miss. Catch a train from Stockholm central station to Marsta, and then take a bus into Sigtuna. The journey should take about an hour.
The Royal Palace is located right in the city centre, but this isn’t where the royal family actually live. The royal residence is now Drottningholm Palace, located in lush parks outside Stockholm. Take the underground to Brommaplan and then catch a bus.
For more information on excursions, visit the tourist centre in Kulturhuset, (Sergels Torg 1, www.stockholmtown.com, Tel: 508 285 08).
TOURIST TRAPS
The amusement park Grona Lund (Djurgarden, www.gronalund.se) is pretty small and unimpressive. If you don’t mind long queues and aren’t looking for exciting rides (because there aren’t many), it may be worth a visit. You can always challenge your friends to a pentathlon at one of the park’s several stalls. Katarinahissen in Slussen—an elevator with a viewing platform at the top—is a famous landmark in Stockholm. It costs Kr 5 and the ride is over in 20 seconds. Stuck in a cramped space, you barely get to even see the view. There are better places to get a view of the city that don’t cost anything. Just take a stroll 100 metres from the elevator, up on the heights of Sodermalm, and get a free magnificent view of the city.
CONVENTION CENTRES
Stockholm International Fairs & Congress Centre or Stockholmsmässan is situated in the south-west area of the city. The Centre is located favourably in terms of transport facilities and can be reached either by car or public transport. From the central station you can reach the fair site by commuter train in nine minutes. From Arlanda Airport, it takes less than an hour by car or bus. Using public transportation, you take the commuter train from the central station to Älvsjö station.
The First Hotel Royal Star on Massavagen (tel: 99 0220 www.firsthotels.se) is located about 300 metres from the Centre and is the best option if you are going to be Stockholmmassan bound. Less plush than other hotels, the standard is more than adequate with conference facilities.