Sweden · City break
Stockholm City Guide
Stockholm is 14 islands, medieval lanes and royal pomp in the middle of the water. Ready-made routes from the T-bana lead you through Gamla Stan and across the Djurgården museum island, with no planning at all.
🗺️ Open Stockholm interactively – map & navigationOur walking tour of Stockholm
The walk starts at T-Bana T-Centralen and takes you on foot in 15 stops (about 5 km) through Stockholm.
Stockholm on foot: City Hall, Gamla Stan & palace
From the central station to the waterfront Stadshuset, across the bridges to Riddarholmen and through the lanes of Gamla Stan: palace, Storkyrkan, Stortorget and the city's narrowest alley.
- Klara kyrka – Just behind the central station hides one of Stockholm's most beautiful churches: the 16th-century Klara kyrka, whose 116-metre spire rises over Norrmalm - a quiet opening amid the city bustle.
- Stadshuset (Rathaus) – The 1923 city hall with its 106-metre tower and three golden crowns hosts the Nobel banquet. The Golden Hall glitters with 18 million mosaic tiles; the tower surveys all the islands.
- Riddarholmen – Gamla Stan's quiet neighbouring island, crowned by the cast-iron spire of Riddarholmskyrkan, burial church of Sweden's kings. From Evert Taubes terrass the view sweeps across Lake Mälaren to the city hall.
- Riksdagshuset (Reichstag) – On the narrow island of Helgeandsholmen stands the Swedish parliament: the monumental 1905 building and its curved modern annexe face across the water to the royal palace. During the summer recess and on Saturdays, free tours lead through the debating chamber and galleries.
- Königliches Schloss – With over 600 rooms one of Europe's largest palaces and the king's official residence: state apartments, treasury and the Tre Kronor medieval museum. The musical changing of the guard is the crowd-puller.
- Storkyrkan – Stockholm's cathedral of 1279 holds the dramatic wooden sculpture of St George and the Dragon (1489) and the oldest portrait of the city - Crown Princess Victoria married here.
- Stortorget – The city's oldest square with its famous colourful gabled houses - scene of the Stockholm Bloodbath of 1520. In the old stock exchange, the Nobel Museum tells the laureates' stories.
- Tyska kyrkan (Deutsche Kirche) – The 'German Church' with its 96-metre spire tells of Stockholm's close ties to German merchants of the Hanseatic era - a German-speaking congregation still worships here. Its carillon rings out over Gamla Stan several times a day.
- Mårten Trotzigs Gränd – Stockholm's narrowest alley: 36 steps between house walls, just 90 centimetres wide at its tightest - Gamla Stan's favourite photo spot.
- Järntorget – The 'Iron Square' was the medieval trading hub for Swedish iron; today it tempts with cafés like Sundbergs Konditori of 1785, the city's oldest patisserie.
Djurgården: Vasa, Skansen & museum shore
Stockholm's museum island in the green: the Nordic Museum, the world-famous warship Vasa, the Liljevalchs art gallery, the ABBA museum and Skansen, the world's oldest open-air museum.
- Nordiska Museet – Just past the Djurgårdsbron, the grand Nordic Museum greets you like a Renaissance palace: five centuries of Swedish everyday life, from folk costume and table manners to Sami culture.
- Vasa-Museum – The most expensive warship of the 17th century sank in the harbour on its maiden voyage in 1628 - the Vasa was only salvaged 333 years later. Today the 98-per-cent-original three-master stands almost unreally complete in its hall, Sweden's most visited museum.
- Liljevalchs Konsthall – The venerable art gallery of 1916 stages changing exhibitions from classics to contemporary art - its spring salon is famous. Across the road, the historic Gröna Lund amusement park beckons.
- ABBA The Museum – Costumes, gold records and the Polar studio: in the interactive ABBA museum you sing your way through 'Dancing Queen' and co. as the fifth band member - toe-tapping guaranteed.
- Skansen – Opened in 1891, Skansen is the world's oldest open-air museum: historic farmsteads and a wooden church from every part of the country, craftspeople at work and Nordic animals from elk to lynx - plus a view over all of Stockholm.
Getting there & around
Gamla Stan and the centre are easily explored on foot; SL's metro (T-bana), buses, trams and ferries link the islands. Easiest is tapping your contactless card or phone at the reader (75-minute ticket), or buy day passes in the SL app. From Arlanda Airport, the Arlanda Express reaches the central station in 18 min. Payment is in Swedish kronor (SEK), almost everywhere by card only. Bonus tip: many T-bana stations are artworks - the blue line is called the world's longest art gallery.
Going out & nightlife
Rooftop bars
- Tak – Rooftop bar and restaurant above Brunkebergstorg with a wide view over the rooftops to the city hall - outdoor terrace in summer.
- Himlen – Sky bar on the 26th floor of the Skrapan tower on Södermalm - the 360-degree view over city and water is unbeatable.
Nightlife quarters
- SoFo (Södermalm) – The quarter south of Folkungagatan is Stockholm's creative corner: bars around Nytorget, vintage shops and laid-back pubs.
- Stureplan – Around the 'mushroom' at Stureplan, chic Stockholm parties in clubs and cocktail bars - dress codes and queues included.
- Gamla Stan am Abend – After the shops close, the lanes belong to cellar pubs and wine bars - nowhere in Stockholm is more atmospheric for a drink.
Food & restaurants
- Östermalms Saluhall – The splendid market hall of 1888: fish counters, reindeer specialities and classic Swedish lunches at the stalls.
- Meatballs for the People – Meatballs in every variety - from elk to vegetarian - in a rustic SoFo spot; book for the evening.
- Pelikan – Time-honoured beer hall on Södermalm with high ceilings and Swedish home cooking - meatballs, herring and schnapps.
Bars & clubs
- Pharmarium – Cocktail bar in a former pharmacy of 1575 right on Stortorget - drinks with herbs and history.
- Tjoget – Bar collective in Hornstull with Mediterranean-inspired cocktails, regularly among the world's best bars.
Stage & concerts
- Kungliga Operan – The Royal Opera on Gustav Adolfs torg stages opera and ballet in gilded 1898 splendour, opposite the palace.
- Cirkus – The historic show and musical venue on Djurgården, hosting big productions and concerts since 1892.