Stockholm, the capital of Scandinavia, was one of the European destinations for TBEX. I was lucky enough to be taken on a tour by Visit Stockholm with the fabulous Rachel from Blond Wayfarer. We first met on the day that we visited Copenhagen in 2016, after being Facebook friends for about a year! We’ve been great friends ever since. Today in this blog I will bring to you all the best reasons to visit Stockholm!
We eagerly boarded our coach outside the Radisson Blu Waterfront hotel. Our first stop was Fjällgatan, one of the most popular look out and photography points in Stockholm. I’ve got to admit that Sweden was never high on my list as a travel destination. However, it became clear that this forward thinking eco city should have been high on my bucket list way before now! Here’s 7 reasons to visit Stockholm…
Reasons to Visit Stockholm
There are oh, so many reasons to visit Stockholm. The Old town is one of the most stunning in Europe. Add in the fabulous museums, canals and of course, the meatballs and you really do have one amazing city.
#1 The Stunning Old Town
Sweden was neutral during both World War 1 and World War 2, meaning that Stockholm’s Old Town (Gamla Stan) has been well preserved and remains intact, boasting 400 year old houses and apartments. Amsterdam style houses on Stockholm Old Town main Square.
#2 Museums of Stockholm
Stockholm has a fantastic variety of museums to visit, so make sure that you factor in plenty of time for this. The Nordic Museum, full of Nordic culture, was supposed to be four times the size that it was, but if they had gone ahead with these plans, it would have been four times larger than the Royal Palace! Nordic Museum (Wikipedia Creative Commons) Don’t miss the Vasa Museum, where you can see an amazingly preserved 17th Century Warship… Vasa Warship in the Stockholm Vasa Museum If you love music and are looking for some fun, head to the Abba Museum, where you can do Abba Karaoke and dance with holograms of the band! I had a fabulous time singing and dancing with Elaine from www.runawaybrit.com.
#3 The Royal Palace
The Baroque style Royal Palace in Gamla Stan (old town) used to be home to the Swedish Royal family, and today it is used for representative purposes by the King, whilst performing his duties as the head of state. I highly recommend an internal tour, where you will be amazed by Royal clocks, gold plated decor and elaborate old furniture. There are also 5 museums in the palace, including the Royal Armoury.
#4 Swedish Meatballs!
You can’t visit Stockholm without enjoying the delicacy of Swedish Meatballs. I had mine at Cafe Nomad, in City Backpackers for just 90 Krona.
#5 Södermalm
I always love to find the hip, ‘up-and-coming’ artsy district in any town or city. Södermalm is the ‘bohemian quarter’. It will keep you entertained for days on end, with shops and restaurants galore. While you’re there, the Fotografiska Museum is also well worth a visit.
#6 Canals and water Everywhere!
Stockholm is the city of 14 islands and 57 bridges, and is one third water. To truly appreciate the beauty of Stockholm’s waterways, take a canal tour by boat. Canal Tour – Visit Stockholm Read about Stockholm Canals on TripAdvisor. If you are feeling even more adventurous, head to one of the islands of Stockholm’s Archipelago. I visited the beautiful island of Landsort.
#7 Swedish Quality of Life
The Swedes are famous for having one of the highest qualities of life in the world. They are highly taxed, but this allows them to have free education, excellent healthcare and up to a year off work when they have a family, hence the term ‘latte moms and sour dough dads’! Have you ever visited Stockholm? What was your favourite highlight?
Further Reading
You may also like to read about the Stockholm Boat tours and visiting Stockholm in Winter.
*Many thanks to Visit Stockholm for their sponsorship. They provided me with a free tour of Stockholm and a 72 hour pass. My article also includes affiliate links – please click on them to help me to get this information to you for free.