Stockholm Sightseeing Tips

[Stargazer]

WARNING: MAY CAUSE EXTREME WANDERLUST!

This is for anyone who will be traveling to Stockholm for Eurovision, but would like some tips on what to do/see while there. I know most of Stockholm by heart, so I put together my own personal "Best of Stockholm" map for you here, with all my favorite sights and things to see. For additional tips, the tourist information centers will be able to provide you with plenty. Things that cost money will be marked with ***.

Each number on the map has a corresponding picture/explanation in the spoilers below.

Zoomable map:
http://kartor.eniro.se/m/83wtH


Lookout Spots
The places offering the best views of Stockholm from above!

1. City Hall tower ***
Climb all the steps to the top (or take the elevator) for this magnificent view:

2. Skinnarviksberget
The highest natural point in Stockholm:

3. Ivar Los Park

4. Monteliusvägen
Directly below (and in connection to) Ivar Los Park is a wonderful little road that runs alongside the cliff-face called Monteliusvägen that offers an equally fantastic view along the way:

5. Katarinahissen/Katarina Gångbro
The actual elevator is currently undergoing renovations and so you will not be able to use it, but you should be able to access parts of the walkway leading to the top of the elevator, and should therefore be able to see this view from up there (definitely recommended at twilight/dusk/night to see the city lit up at night):

6. Mosebacke Terrace ***?
This is a famous and popular outdoor biergarten/bar/grill next to Södra Teatern that offers a fantastic view of the city. I'm not sure if you're required to order something to be able to stay there and take in the view (since it's outdoors and I don't think it's enclosed), but it would probably be worth it anyway:

7. Katarina Kyrkobacke
This might not offer you a vast panorama view of the city like the other examples above, but the surrounding 18th-19th century buildings offer a nice framing and gives you quite the picturesque view:

8. Fjällgatan
Popular vantage point among tourists:

9. Kaknästornet ***
View from the TV tower:

Gamla Stan
The iconic Old Town of Stockholm. You can spend all day meandering down the narrow, winding cobblestone streets. No matter where you go in Gamla Stan, it's bound to be great. Below are some of my favorite spots!

10. Storkyrkan Cathedral
There are many old churches in Stockholm, all beautiful both inside and out, but Storkyrkan is probably the one with the most majestic interior. This is where most royal weddings are held! Don't forget to check out the impressive St George and the Dragon statue inside:

11. Stortorget
The site of the legendary Stockholm Bloodbath in 1520 and a pretty iconic square all in all:

12. Brända Tomten
The Burned Lot. Nothing exciting happens here, it's just a really cute, wee square where a building once burned down.

13. Köpmantorget/St George and the Dragon/Österlånggatan
One of two St George and the Dragon statues in Gamla Stan. The other one (an impressive painted/golden woodcarving) is inside the Storkyrkan Cathedral.

14. Mårten Trotzigs Gränd
The narrowest street in all of Stockholm!

15. Västerlånggatan
The touristy shopping street that runs all the way through Gamla Stan. Souvenirs galore!

Skyline View Spots
Places that offer some nice skyline views.

1. City Hall park
Get a lovely view of Riddarholmen/Gamla Stan and Södermalm from the waterfront park outside the City Hall:

16. Strömgatan
Lovely waterfront street that will give you a nice view of the parliament in one direction and Gamla Stan/Riddarholmen in the opposite direction:

17. Södra Järnvägsbron
Railway bridge with a pedestrian path from which you can see the famous Mariaberget skyline, perfectly showcasing the heights of Södermalm:

18. Sjöbergsplan/Mälarrampen
From here you can get a really nice view of Kornhamnstorg and Gamla Stan in general:

19. Skeppsholmsbron
The bridge between Blasieholmen and Skeppsholmen offers a nice view of Gamla Stan:

20. Nybroviken
Stop by, sit on the steps leading down to the docks, bask in the beauty of the Strandvägen apartment buildings, have an ice cream and watch the archipelago boats go by. Or why not catch one of the archipelago boats:

21. Djurgårdsbron
Bask in the beauty of the Strandvägen apartment buildings once more from the opposite end, either from the Djurgården bridge, or from the café down below like the people in the picture:

Points of Interest
Things that can often be found on tourist itineraries.

1. City Hall ***
The City Hall again! It's the gift that keeps on giving. See the Blue Hall where the Nobel Prize banquet is held every year, or check out the famous Gold Room:

22. Parliament ?
I'm not sure if you're able to visit the inside of it, and if so whether it's free or costs money, but the building and surrounding area is nice enough from the outside:

23. The Royal Palace ***
This isn't where the royal family lives, but it's the official royal palace nonetheless. It's used for representation and other official business. You can either enjoy it for free from the outside, or pay to see the inside:

24. Kungsträdgården
Downtown park/plaza that is popular all year around:

25. Hallwyl Museum (free admission)
The Downton Abbey of Stockholm. Imagine if you could step back in time to the turn of the last century and see exactly what an aristocratic luxurious apartment palace looked like with everything intact and untouched. See the drawing rooms, smoking rooms, servant passageways, etc. The Hallwyl Museum is precisely that. It's been left practically untouched since the 1920s and is quite the treat to walk through:

26. History Museum (free admission)
Probably my second favorite museum after the Nordic Museum. This is the museum for all you Viking and Medieval geeks:

27. Nordic Museum *** (free admission Wednesday evenings)
Stockholm has around 70-80 museums, but this is probably my favorite. Not only does the building look like a freakin' palace (!!) but it also holds many interesting ebitions on Swedish culture, traditions, customs, etc:

28. Vasa Museum ***
The Vasa Ship sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 just outside the harbor in Stockholm and lay on the bottom of the sea until the 1960s when it was brought back up and restored. The entire ship is intact and the only 17th century ship of its kind in the world. This might be the number one item on most tourists' itineraries. It's definitely impressive, so well-worth a visit, but the entrance fee is a tad pricey:

29. The ABBA Museum ***
Not everyone is an ABBA fan, but I included this on the list since they are currently having a Eurovision Song Contest ebition there, celebrating 60 years of ESC!

30. Gröna Lund ***
Classic waterfront amusement park that dates back to the 19th century. There are some really great, fun rides here and the park itself has a great atmosphere. You can get there either on foot, by bus, tram or boat! The latter option highly recommended:

31. Skansen ***
The world's first open air museum, opened in the late 19th century. The place to go to get a glimpse of Sweden from a hundred years ago. The enclosed park contains manors, farmsteads, homesteads, huts and cabins from every province of Sweden. They interiors are fully furnished and decorated the way they would have been at the turn of the century when people were actually living in them, and the park often has actors in authentic costume to enhance the effect. The park is also a zoo, where you can see Nordic animals such as wolves, bears, moose, reindeer, seals, lynx, wolverine, otters, etc:

Cultural, Historic Södermalm
Stockholm isn't only fancy, luxurious palaces.

All throughout the 17th-19th centuries, Södermalm (the South Side) was the absolute poorest and least developed part of Stockholm. This is where the working class (and the poorest of the poor) lived, mostly in tiny red wooden huts and cabins (or if they were lucky, in rendered stone houses). Cramped together like sardines in filth and disease. After a major sanitation of Södermalm in the 1930s, many of these old cabins were demolished. Luckily, some of them are still there and have since been well taken care of, and now look like picturesque little postcard dwellings. Walking along the streets that still have these tiny old houses is one of my absolute favorite things to do in Stockholm. It feels like you're transported back in time!

Below are some of the best examples of these preserved streets and houses:

32. Yttersta Tvärgränd

33. Lilla Skinnarviksgränd

34. Mäster Mikaels Gata

35. Stigbergsgatan

36. Lotsgatan

37. Åsögatan/Sågargatan

38. Kvastmakarbacken

39. Mäster Pärs Gränd/Vitabergsparken

40. Nytorget

 

[kamc]

Thank you for that extremely helpful list
When the sun is shining, Stockholm is absolutely picturesque and like something straight out of a postcard. I am really looking forward to my return there and your list has given me some new ideas for places to visit

 

[Stargazer]

Glad you found my suggestions useful! Obviously there are tons of museums (for example) that I could have listed, but I figured those are pretty easy to get information about through the tourist information centers, whereas they might not tell you where the best lookout spots are, or which spots offer the best scenic views, unless you ask them specifically. They're probably more prone to promote Moderna Museet (Museum of Modern Art) or Fotografiska (Museum of Photography).

 

[Matt]

Awesome. I'm hope to get some Sightseeing in the second week. The first week I'm basically stuck either in the Press center or at Euro club.
[MENTION=4597]Stargazer[/MENTION] do you know of any real good eating establishments that are not outrageously pricey? Love me some good Swedish food. And don't tell me what the last person told me and go to IKEA to have their Meatballs

 

[Stargazer]

Awesome. I'm hope to get some Sightseeing in the second week. The first week I'm basically stuck either in the Press center or at Euro club.
[MENTION=4597]Stargazer[/MENTION] do you know of any real good eating establishments that are not outrageously pricey? Love me some good Swedish food. And don't tell me what the last person told me and go to IKEA to have their Meatballs

Well if it's not outrageously pricey you're after, IKEA probably is your best bet. Most restaurants are terribly expensive in Stockholm. Only fast food establishments will have food under 100 SEK.

But if you're looking for a truly genuine Swedish food experience, and could consider splurging a bit just for one day/night, I would highly recommend Kvarnen. They do offer lunch menus Mon-Fri, where you can either get the meal of the day for 95 SEK, or one of the "Kvarnen Classics" for roughly 139 SEK. Regular evening prices are around 200-260 SEK or more. The restaurant opened in 1908 and the original interior is still there. They serve genuine, traditional Swedish food and the atmosphere is just wonderful!

http://www.kvarnen.com/index.php/en/

 

[Matt]

Well if it's not outrageously pricey you're after, IKEA probably is your best bet. Most restaurants are terribly expensive in Stockholm. Only fast food establishments will have food under 100 SEK.

But if you're looking for a truly genuine Swedish food experience, and could consider splurging a bit just for one day/night, I would highly recommend Kvarnen. They do offer lunch menus Mon-Fri, where you can either get the meal of the day for 95 SEK, or one of the "Kvarnen Classics" for roughly 139 SEK. Regular evening prices are around 200-260 SEK or more. The restaurant opened in 1908 and the original interior is still there. They serve genuine, traditional Swedish food and the atmosphere is just wonderful!

http://www.kvarnen.com/index.php/en/

Thanks, that is exactly what I was looking for. And yes, I will go out at least a few times for a nice dinner. It's not that I can't afford it, it's that I refuse to pay this much

The place that I'm staying at is on that Island, I think it's called Gamla Stan? Looks like I'm around a bunch of tourist attractions.

 

[Stargazer]

Thanks, that is exactly what I was looking for. And yes, I will go out at least a few times for a nice dinner. It's not that I can't afford it, it's that I refuse to pay this much

The place that I'm staying at is on that Island, I think it's called Gamla Stan? Looks like I'm around a bunch of tourist attractions.

Gamla Stan is the Old Town, so if that is where you're staying you couldn't have asked for a better location. You'll be a stone's throw away from literally every popular tourist hot spot.

Kvarnen is on Södermalm:
https://www.google.se/maps/place/Re...1s0x465f77fa68275e6b:0x9bfb34080f66469a?hl=en

 

[Stargazer]

[MENTION=4364]Matt[/MENTION] And hey, on the plus side: you don't really need to tip in Sweden (it's already included in the food price) so you'll be saving money that way. On the other hand, drinks aren't included in the price.

 

[lavieenrose]

I think it's called Gamla Stan?

You so picked it for the name.

 

[Lupus]

Whoah, Anna, thank you so much for this! I shall definitely be making use of this ready for when I go!

 

[Matt]

@Matt And hey, on the plus side: you don't really need to tip in Sweden (it's already included in the food price) so you'll be saving money that way. On the other hand, drinks aren't included in the price.

ARe you "allowed" to tip though? And by that I mean some countries take offense to it but I usually would leave at least a Euro or two (in Swedish Money that is) but don't want to be rude at the same time.

 

[Stargazer]

ARe you "allowed" to tip though? And by that I mean some countries take offense to it but I usually would leave at least a Euro or two (in Swedish Money that is) but don't want to be rude at the same time.

Yeah, you're allowed to tip, but since it's already included you would then be tipping twice.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

This thread has made me want to study in Stockholm even more lol

 

[MyHeartIsYours]

I'm not going to Eurovision but great thread Stargazer, I will remember to check it if I ever visit Stockholm in the future It looks beautiful The Royal Palace, Vasa Museum and Skansen would be first on my list

 

[kamc]

Maybe those of us going should attempt another ESC United meet-up?!

 

[Guitarhero]

Yeah, you're allowed to tip, but since it's already included you would then be tipping twice.

In a nice dinner restaurant like Qvarnen I believe you actually should tip or atleast round the price up. For example if it's 235 kr I would pay either 240 or 250 kr. Some cafés also have tipping boxes nowadays but it isn't common. On the other hand many cheaper restaurants you should not tip and the union might not like tipping because they want their members to have a salary they can live on unlike other countries where the tipping is the employees's main part of their income.

Edit: On second thought a too small tip may be insulting and a rule of thumb is to give 5-10%.

 

[CPV4931]

Thanks [MENTION=4597]Stargazer[/MENTION] for this great list :-)

Fits perfect because atm I am planning what exactly to see in Stockholm during Eurovision (will be my first time there) and this should be very helpful.

 

[aardvark]

[MENTION=4597]Stargazer[/MENTION]

Thank you very much for the super helpful information, it really helps a lot! xthank

I have also been looking at visiting some places in the direct vicinity of Stockholm, and I am currently considering the following attractions. Which of them can you recommend, and are any not really worth it:

-Drottningholm
-Birka/Bjorko
-Sigtuna
-Vaxholm
-Fjaderholmarna

And then in the week directly following Eurovision, we'll also make the trip down to Visby in Gotland, which also seems like a must-see destination in Sweden.

 

[Salmon]

It’s more than a year since I visited Stockholm with a small group from school, and I really shouldn’t have read this thread now… oh, the memories of that city!

I definitely agree Skansen is awesome. Best hand-made dry bread I’ve ever tasted, and the zoo there has the cutest otters I’ve seen! I still vividly remember how our Swedish teacher just told us to shut up and not talk German at the entrance because she had registered us as coming from a school in Sweden, in order to save money on the entrance fee.

Isn’t Södermalm full of hipsters though?

Minor brag: 4600 posts woo

 

[Guitarhero]

It’s more than a year since I visited Stockholm with a small group from school, and I really shouldn’t have read this thread now… oh, the memories of that city!

I definitely agree Skansen is awesome. Best hand-made dry bread I’ve ever tasted, and the zoo there has the cutest otters I’ve seen! I still vividly remember how our Swedish teacher just told us to shut up and not talk German at the entrance because she had registered us as coming from a school in Sweden, in order to save money on the entrance fee.

Isn’t Södermalm full of hipsters though?

Minor brag: 4600 posts woo

Yes Södermalm is full of hipsters, feminists and 35 year olds who dress like they think they are 18. It used to be a working-class neighborhood but gentrification has completely changed it.