As the train from Copenhagen approaches Stockholm, the sight of a water body and the entire city thriving around it is breathtaking.
The water body, I learnt later, is Lake Mäleran.
The city comprises fourteen islands, all of which are located between the lake and the Baltic Sea, thus giving Stockholm the title of 'Venice of the North'.
Just some observations about Stockholm
- Stockholm, like some other European cities, like Paris, Berlin and Rome to name a few, cannot be just seen, it needs to be experienced. We had only three days, but if possible, I would recommend at least 4 to 5 days in the city to see its many sights and absorb its vibrancy.
- We were in Stockholm in July in summer and it was warm and pleasant, but this is the peak season, there are crowds everywhere and prices are skyrocketing at this time.
Stockholm, in any case, is an expensive city, so planning your vacation is important. This also means that one needs to prioritize what one wishes to see since there are so many museums and conducted tours.
- 'Fika' is the word that I hear quite often in Stockholm. It refers to hanging out with friends and having coffee but I think there's more to it than just coffee.
The Swedish people flaunt their rich cultural heritage, the museums and the monuments with understated pride.
- Swedish are a bit reserved I noticed, in the sense that they will not wave out to strangers like the Brits and Americans but they are helpful and tourist-friendly.
- Buses in Stockholm do not accept cash, only cards. It's best to buy tickets at the vending machine beforehand.
I have enumerated the Top 8 Attractions in Stockholm in my 3-day itinerary...
In my opinion, this is what you can comfortably cover in 3 days. Besides, Stockholm is such a beautiful city, it would be a shame to not spend some time along its lakes or take one of the many cruising options available.
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day One
Ericsson Globe Arena or Globen
We reached Stockholm by train. It was noon by the time we checked into our hotel.
We headed out to see the Globe Arena, people in Stockholm call it the 'Globen'. It's about an hour of walk through the city or one can catch a metro line that will drop you right next to the mammoth structure.
This is the largest spherical building in the world and can accommodate up to 16,000 people when events are hosted here.
There are gondolas fixed to the outer facade of the sphere that takes you to the top and offers beautiful views of the city. This entire outing will take about 2 hours to complete.
My Tip -
Most tourists might not agree with me, but honestly, I did not find the place very exciting.
I am sure it must be bustling with activity when there is an event but on the day of our visit, the entire area wore a deserted look.
If you have done many gondola rides over mountains and valleys, then skip this one. Go visit the Globen only if you have extra time on hand or if there is some event going on.
Drottninggatan, the main street in Stockholm
After a slow start at Globen, we decided to spend the remaining part of the day at Drottninggatan. Our hotel Best Western was situated right in the centre of the street.
This is an important pedestrian street in Stockholm, almost 1 and 1/2 km long and also one of the busiest. The entire area is flooded with tourists, eateries, restaurants, fashion brand stores and souvenir shops.
My Tip -
You will get a first-hand experience of the culture and the people of Stockholm on the street.
The place is very lively in the evening, so spending some time there can be fun. I learnt about the concept of Fika in a small bakery on the street from a friendly, talkative vendor.
Day Two
Stadshuset - Stockholm City Hall
City Hall is one of the most iconic buildings in the city. It is the seat of Stockholm municipality and is open to tourists only in the summer.
Its claim to fame is also the fact that it's the official venue for hosting the Nobel Banquets. It has the famous Blue Hall and the Golden Ballroom.
The best way to see the City Hall is by taking the 45-minute guided tour.
My Tip -
It is a must-see attraction I believe. But the most important thing to remember is that the City Hall can be visited only on a guided tour. However, the timings of the guided tour keep changing because there is a lot of state activity in the place since it's an operational office.
So, your best bet is to cross-check the timings for the day you plan to visit. No bookings are allowed in advance, only same-day tickets are issued.
Sadly for us, all tours of the day were sold out. I had to settle for a picture from the outside only.
Take a guided tour and check their website for any changes in timings on the day of your tour on the official website of the City Hall at https://stadshuset.stockholm/en/
Plan ahead and try to arrive early, well before the tour timing. There was a lot of confusion when we reached the venue since some tours for the day had been moved around and a lot of complaining tourists could be seen loitering around.
But I still got a nice shot of the iconic Three Golden Crowns on the top of the City Hall!
Change of Guard at the Royal Palace
After having missed out on our tour of the City Hall, crestfallen, we headed to the Royal Palace to watch the Change of Guard.
This is one attraction that brought back the smile to our faces.
The Royal Palace is about 2 km from the City Hall, with a walkable distance of 10 to 15 minutes. It's a not-to-miss attraction and worth all the walk to the palace and the wait.
This change of guard is ceremonial and elaborate. If you have seen the change of guard at Buckingham Palace, then this is comparable to that in terms of pageantry and fanfare.
My Tip -
It's better to reach the palace a bit early and take a nice spot under the shade since the entire ceremony lasts 40 minutes, sharp at 12:15 p.m. on all weekdays and 1:15 p.m. on Sundays.
The Royal Palace
The Royal Palace of Stockholm, one of the largest in Europe with 600 rooms and long corridors, lies on the waterfront close to Gamla Stan, the old town.
It is the official residence of His Majesty the King of Sweden.
There are 3 museums inside the palace -
The Treasury
Tre Kronor Museum depicting medieval history through interesting artefacts
Gustav III Museum of Antiquities
There is a curious vibe about the palace since the palace serves a three-fold purpose, it is the residence of the king, an active workplace for the state and also a monument that has a lot of cultural and historical significance.
There is a lot of grandeur around the palace and visiting it is surely worth your time and money.
Keep about 2 to 3 hours aside to see the entire palace which is replete with beautiful reception rooms, royal costumes, armoury, the royal treasury, the royal change of guard, of course, and the royal stables with the ornate royal carriages.
My Tip -
Even a very conservative estimate would mean spending at least 3 hours on the tour of the palace. Like most palaces, there is a lot of walking involved here too. So, wear comfortable shoes.
One can buy tickets both at the entrance to the Royal Apartments and the Treasury too. It wasn't clear which entrance to use to buy tickets. This caused some confusion for us although eventually, we figured it out. The confusion also ensued because massive crowds hit the entrance as soon as the Change of guard was over. In retrospect, I think we should have seen the palace before the change of guard.
I am normally not a big fan of conducted tours with guides who dish out a lot of information that one quickly forgets as one leaves the place but in this case, I strongly recommend a guided tour to fully appreciate the beautiful artefacts all around because the palace is massive and there is lots to see.
Gamla Stan, the old town
The visit to the palace was rather tiring, so we decided to spend a lazy evening at Gamla Stan, the old town centre. It's a short walk from the palace and one can see some amazing architecture along the walk.
Gamla Stan in Stockholm is the oldest and best-preserved medieval centre in Europe.
Buildings with colourful facades, churches and squares lined with shops are a treat to watch. We just sat in Stortorget Square and watched the crowds go by.
Look for Storkyrkan, the cathedral with its tall clock tower that you would have to crane your neck to see! It's right next to the Royal Palace, you can't miss it.
Just about 5 to 7 minutes away is the islet of Riddarholmen, also called Knight's Island, which is also home to the Church of Riddarholmskyrkan.
The church, with its impressive spires and red facade, stands out imposingly on the island. It was earlier used as the resting place of Swedish monarchs.
The entire area around the church has stunning views of the city and is separated from the old town of Gamla Stan by a narrow water channel.
There is a small stone statue of the 'Swedish Ear' on the embankment called Evert Taube Terass after the famous Swedish poet.
Day Three
Island of Djurgarden
The Island of Djurgarden is 3.5 km from Gamla Stan. You can reach there in about 20 minutes by bus or tram from Gamla Stan.
The island is very serene and beautiful with excellent infrastructure and one can easily spend a good part of the day here.
There are many historical buildings, monuments, museums and galleries on the island.
My Tip -
If you're travelling with kids, then there is a small amusement park Groena Lund, Skansen, an open-air museum, the famous ABBA museum and of course, the Vasa Museum touted as the most visited museum in all of Scandinavia.
We decided to first visit the Vasa Museum and then spend the rest of the day at the Royal Djurgarden Park.
Vasa Museum
The Island of Djurgarden has many museums. You will have to take your pick of the museum depending on your area of interest.
In my opinion, the absolutely not-to-miss out of the whole lot is the Vasa Museum. You can easily spend about 2 to 3 hours inside the museum.
Inside Vasa
Coming back to Vasa, this refreshingly engaging museum will take you on a flight of fancy through 17th-century life in Sweden.
Vasa is the name of a warship that sank on its maiden voyage and the entire ship was salvaged 333 years later in 1961 and is now put on display at the museum.
How this massive warship was built and how it sank on its maiden voyage form the crux of this exhibition.
The museum displays the lives of sailors, how they lived, what they wore, what they ate, life on the ship and many other facets of their life in the 17th century.
A short film is played throughout the day in the small amphitheatre and is included in your ticket. Kindly check the language of your choice and pick the show.
My Tip -
Very close to Vasa is Nordiska, another museum, just a 3 to 4-minute walk from Vasa, that offers interesting insights into Swedish culture and history.
Once a week, the entry in the evening is free. If one has extra time, then one must find out the day of free entry.
We were left with a last evening in Stockholm.
To make the most of it, we spent some time in the beautiful Royal Djurgarden Park.
Entry to the park is free. The royal hunting grounds make for some nice walking trails. There are benches to sit along the waterfront.
After spending a good two hours, we headed back to Gamla Stan.
On the previous day, we were exhausted but today we walked along its narrow streets and saw the 'Alley of Marten Trotzig', the narrowest alley in Sweden which is only 35 inches wide.
One can never tire of sitting in the town centre of a vibrant city and watching its people go by.
Gamla Stan is one such town centre.
We spent the entire evening gawking around, savouring locally made cinnamon rolls or Fika, which Sweden is so famous for and soaked in the exuberance of a thriving metropolis that still has its roots in the 13th century.
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