Stockholm

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Quick Facts

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Coordinates

• Latitude: 59.332788
• Longitude: 18.064488

On Travellerspoint

• 2 Stockholm Apartments
• 5 Stockholm Guesthouses
• 27 Stockholm Hostels
• 11 Stockholm Hotels

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Introduction

Telephone

© All Rights Reserved Peter

Sweden's capital Stockholm is situated on the east coast of southern/central Sweden. Its coastal location is not easy to overlook when visiting the city situated on 14 islands. All the water in the city has earned it the nickname "Venice of the North", but unlike Venice the water is clean and clear as you would expect in Nordic countries. You can even see fishermen fishing right off the sidewalks and bridges, with salmon and sea trout being the main targets. At the right time of year you can even see salmon climbing the small waterfalls.

At Stockholm’s heart lie the cobbled streets of Gamla Stan ("Old Town") where most buildings date from the 16th to 19th century and house numerous little shops, cafés, restaurants, museums and hotels, in addition to the 18th century Royal Palace. Although many of the stores lining the main narrow streets contain the usual tacky items associated with popular tourist attractions, the area is unique, cozy and beautiful. The moment you turn off the main streets you are greeted by a plethora of old buildings and tiny backstreet courtyards, adding to the charm that has made this area so popular. Originally founded in the 13th century, Stockholm's roots might go back even further than Gamla Stan lets on but the city itself is as modern as they come and it's considered one of the most trendy and fashionable cities of Scandinavia. Stockholm also houses over 100 art galleries and 70 museums, no small feat for a city with a population of just 1.6 million, including the metropolitan area.

Neighbourhoods

• Inner town.
• Norrmalm - Southern Norrmalm is usually regarded as the absolute centre of Stockholm and contains the central train station and metro.
• Östermalm.
• Gamla Stan (Old Town) - the historical centre includes the royal Palace and the Swedish parliament.
• Södermalm.
• Kungsholmen.
• Western suburbs - includes Bromma airport.
• Southern suburbs.

Sights and Activities

Towers of Nordiska Muséet

© All Rights Reserved Makini

• City hall is appropriately considered the symbol of Stockholm with its majestic towers and location overlooking the waters. The city hall's Golden ballrooms hosts the annual Nobel prize banquet.
• Old town (Gamla Stan) is one of the first places that a visitor to the city visits for the first time or re-visits as it has a special old grace and beauty about it. Some special sights that one shouldn't miss in the old town are the: iron boy (jarnpojken) behind the Finnish church, St. George and the Dragon statue at the Cathedral of Stockholm (Storkrykan) and the old square of Gamla Stan (Stortorget) where there are nice cafes all around and christmas markets in december.
• Royal Palace (Kungliga slottet).
• Swedish Parliament (Riksdagshuset).
• The Royal Armoury (Livrustkammaren).
• Postmuseum.
• Medeltidsmuseum.
• Nobel Museum.
• Museum of National Antiquities (Historiska Museet) is located on Narvavägen, within walking distance of Vasa Museet.
• Djurgården.
• The Vasa Museum features a 17th century warship. That sunk in the harbour of Stockholm and was salvaged in the 20th century, A unique and not to be missed sight!
• Nordiska Museet is a museum on Swedish culture founded by Arthur Hazelius and is located next to the Vasa museum.
• Skansen is a nice open air museum supposedly the oldest in the world and is located on Djurgården.
• Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde museum is the lovely former home of Prins Eugens and now state-owned museum. The Prince was an artist and many of his works are exhibited at the museum, along with his art collections. Art exhibitions are also held there. The museum has a lovely cafe with great walnut bread. To reach the museum, one has to go past Skansen on Bus 47.
• Junibacken is a children's museum comprising of the characters from Sweden's most famous children's book writer Astrid Lindgren.
• Grona Lund is an amusement park more popular with teenagers.
• Stockholm National Museumof Art is located on Södra Blasieholmshamnen, off the elite Ostermalm street, Strandvägen.
• Kungsträdgården, close to Sergelstorg, is a popular meeting place and event location in both summer and winter, with the annual restaurant festival held here in the summer and the ice rink in the winter among numerous other events. The tourist center is located here.
• Gustav Adolfstorg, near the Kungsträdgården metro station, is a public square which has the Royal Opera House where ballet and opera performances are given. Also, facing the Opera house is the Dance Museum which exhibits dance costumes and forms of dances as well as gives free performances and sample courses. Also, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defence are located on this square.
• Sergelstorg may well be one of the most famous landmarks of Stockholm as it marks the center of the town, with a huge pedestrian public space that is used for meetings, celebrations and christmas markets. It is also literally the hub of the metro as the underground trains start and end here at T-Centralen. The Kulturhuset overlooks the square and the many roads branch off to various parts of the city.

Gamla Stan Street (Old Town), Stockholm

© All Rights Reserved mico82

• Hotorget is a popular market square, leading away from Sergelstorg, that is a fruit and vegetable market during the day and also a flea market on Sundays. The square is overlooked by the Royal Concert Hall, Filmstaden Sergel and the Hötorgshallen food market.
• Lidingö: At the other end of the red line, one can reach the island of Lidingö using the special train, Lidingöbanan, or walking over the bridge from Ropsten. This area is a place worth visiting for its large woody areas and it is nice to take a bus that takes one around the island.
• Of special interest within this island are the Raoul Wallenberg monument in front of the commune hall. Raoul Wallenberg was born in Lidingo though his childhood home was destroyed by fire in the 1930's.
• Millesgarden is one of the most famous tourist destinations of Stockholm. The home and works of Carl Milles is worth visiting. An especially lovely sculpture is a tiny bronze work of a park bench with seats on both sides: with a couple cuddling on one side and a homeless person huddled in a sleep on the other side. Look out for this lovely work over the stone wall under the shade of a tree, close to the entrance of his art workshop.
• August Strindberg museum is the apartment where he spent the last years of his life and it includes his library. Of interest to his fans as well as general theatre enthusiasts is the Intimate theatre (Intima Teater) on Norra Bantorget, a small but highly regarded theatre started by Strindberg in the last years of his life and now shows performances of his work as well as others, including rare English performances.
• Engelbrektskyrkan is located on Östermalmsgatan, close to Kungliga Tekniska Hogskolan. The loveliest part of the church is the tiny courtyard behind the church which is partially walled off and has huge trees providing shade and which gives one privacy though overlooking a busy street. Great place for meditating and reading.
• Botkyrka kyrka is an interesting 12th century stone church amidst the fields close to the Hallunda/Norsborg station (end of the red line) worth the visit.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Stockholm has moderately warm summers, between 19 and 22 degrees Celsius from June to September, but 35 degrees is the record. Nights are around 13 or 14 degrees.
Winters last from December to March with temperatures around zero during the day, -5 degrees at night and an absolute low of -28 degrees.
Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year, but with some more rain in summer and quite some snow in winter.

Getting There

By Plane

Flights into Stockholm-Arlanda Airport (IATA: ARN, ICAO: ESSA) are serviced by numerous airlines, both domestically and internationally. In the arrivals hall a huge sign welcoming you to the "capital of Scandinavia" is sure not to go down well in Oslo and Copenhagen, whose airports are both more trafficked.

From the airport, The Arlanda Express high speed train is the quickest way (approximately 20 minutes) to the centre of Stockholm which is about 42 km away. It costs 220 SEK for a one way ticket for adults. Tickets are available from machines at the airport, some of which allow you to pay with a credit card. For a fee of 50 SEK can you buy the ticket on the train.

For half the price there are the http://www.flygbussarna.se/Tidtabell.aspx?lid=2&hid=1〈=EN (< ERROR: the link title is too long!) with a travel time of approx 40 min. Costs 110 SEK single and 199 SEK return. Takes a bit longer to travel by during rush hours (about 08-10 and 16-18).

By Train

Gamla Stan Street (Old Town), Stockholm

© All Rights Reserved mico82

Stockholm has good train connections to Norway, Denmark and Germany, with onward connections further away, for example to London.
Norway
NSB (Norwegian State Railways) operates trains between Oslo and Stockholm. Trains also link Narvik in the north of Norway with Stockholm.
Germany
Trains from Hamburg travel directly to Stockholm, via Copenhagen.

By Car

By Bus

Eurolines, Säfflebusen and Swebus Express all have connections to and from Copenhagen in Denmark. There are also connections from Stockholm to Oslo with these operators.
There are a few direct buses from Stockholm to Tornio in Finland each week, provided by Tapanis Buss.

By Boat

Finland

• Silja Line and Tallink between Turku and Stockholm.
• Viking Line and Silja Line between Helsinki and Stockholm.

Aland

• From Stockholm to Mariehamn with Viking Line, Silja Line, Birka Cruises and Tallink

Estonia

• Tallink between Stockholm and Tallinn.

Latvia

• Stockholm to Riga with Riga Sealine.

Poland

• Pol Ferries between Nymashamn (just south of Stockholm) and Gdansk.

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

SL is the company running all public transportation in Stockholm. The city is separated into three zones; A, B and C. Tickets are valid in all modes of public transport for one hour in the respective zones. There are also Travelcards available for unlimited journeys during the time of validity. For comprehensible information about the Stockholm public transport in English please see this guide.

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

For a wide range of restaurants in Stockholm Allt om Stockholm offers many tips, and has addresses to most restaurants in Stockholm with ratings as well. Unfortunately only in Swedish. Cafes and restaurants in Gamla Stan are lovely places to have a meal.

Low Range

• Kokyo is a Japanese restaurant offering a wide variety of vegan and meat/fish dishes in the range of £6 to £13

• There are relatively cheap eating places around Hotorget. At the Hötorgshallen, there is a vegetarian cafe which serves nice lunch buffets for under 100SEK.

Mid-Range

• Laowai Best Chinese restaurant in Stockholm, all courses vegetarian/vegan. Offers food in the range of £13 to £16.
• Landet is a two story venue. With a restaurant on the ground floor and a club/bar upstairs. It's in the suburbs, but in Telefonplan which is considered a hip area to live in. Being next to the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design Konstfack it's often crowded with art students. Mains are from £14 to £19.
• Bistro Boheme is a very welcoming restaurant on Drottninggatan in central Stockholm. It's very popular so booking ahead is advised even on weekday evenings. Main course are £9 to £20.

Upscale

• Restaurang Kryp In (Crawl In) is located just off the main street of Gamla Stan and has good food in a cozy small establishment. A 3-course menu costs £30 to £34. Mains are from £17 to £26. Address: Prästgatan 17, 111 29 Stockholm Tel: +46 08 20 88 41.

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Property	Address	Type	Popularity
2kronor Hostel - Old Town	Skeppsbron 40	Hostel	80
2kronor Hostel - Vasastan	Surbrunnsgatan 44	Hostel	84
Acco Hostel	Ansgariegatan 10	Hostel	66
Alexandra Hotel	Magnus Ladulasgatan 42	Hotel	77
Alfa Hotel	Stockholmsvagen 35 Lidingo	Hotel	81
Amani Hotel	Marknadsvagen 6	Hotel	73
Archipelago Hostel Old Town	Stora Nygatan 38	Hostel	84
Backpackers Inn	Gärdesskolan Banérgatan 56	Hostel	68
Best hostel old town	Trångsund 12	Hostel	81
Best hostel old town Skeppsbron	Skeppsbron 22	Hostel	80
Casablanca Bed and Breakfast	Turingevägen 35 125 43 Älvsjö Stockholm	Guesthouse	88
Castanea Old Town Hostel	Kindstugatan 1 Old Town	Hostel	88
City BackPackers Hostel	Upplandsgatan 2a 11123	Hostel	87
City Lodge Stockholm	Klara Norra Kyrkogata 15	Hostel	80
Cityhostel - Central Station	Fleminggatan 19	Hostel	83
Connect Hotel Stockholm	Gotalandsvagen 218	Hotel	81
Crafoord Place	Crafoords v'g 12 H'lsobrunnsgatan 10	Hostel	82
Helen's Bed & Breakfast	Östrandsvägen	Guesthouse	82
Hostel Bed & Breakfast	Rehnsgatan 21	Hostel	86
Hostel Turdagis-school	Gavelvägen 12	Hostel	85
Hotel Attache	Cedergrensvägen 16	Hotel	87
Hotel Haga Kristineberg	Hjalmar Soderbergsv 10	Hotel	82
Hotell Dialog	Dialoggatan 1	Hotel	84
Hotell Norrtull	St Eriksgatan 119	Hostel	70
IYHF Youth Hostel Zinkensdamm	Zinkens väg 20	Hostel	80
Jumbo Hostel	Stockholm Arlanda	Hostel	89
Langholmens Vandrarhem STF/HI	Langholmsmuren 20 Box 9116	Hostel	88
Liljeholmens stadshotell	Nybohovsbacken 43	Hotel	67
Lodge32	32 Hantverkargatan	Hostel	77
LogInn Hotel	Sodermalarstrand kajplats 16	Hotel	73
Renstierna Hotel & Hostel	Renstiernas Gata 15	Hostel	80
Rygerfjord Hotel & Hostel	Södermälarstrand, Kajplats 11-15 S-118 25 Stockholm	Hostel	81
Skanstulls Vandrarhem	Ringvägen 135	Hostel	84
STF / IYHF Fridhemsplan	Sankt Eriksgatan 20	Hostel	81
STF/IYHF af Chapman	Västra Brobänken	Hostel	89
STF/IYHF Gardet	Sandhamnsgatan.59	Hostel	78
STF/IYHF Skeppsholmen	Flaggmansvägen 8	Hostel	71
Stugan Self Catering	Snovits vag 23 Tyreso	Guesthouse	77
The Red Boat Mälaren	Södermälarstrand kj 6	Hostel	80
Vanadis Hotel	Sveavagen 142	Hotel	20
Wasa Park Hotel	Sankt Eriksplan 1	Hotel	82

Mid-Range

• Sven Vintappare - small 7 room hotel down a small back street dead in the centre of Gamla Stan. The building dates back to 1607 and you'll notice this by the slight lean that can be seen throughout the building. The hotel is clean and holds a good standard at a reasonable price considering its location.

Upscale

Work

Learn

Keep Connected

Internet

There are internet terminals easily accessible throughout Stockholm, amongst others in 7-11s and other convenience stores. Several cafés offer wireless internet for free in return for a cup of coffee, although if you are really cheap you can probably also pick up the signal outside the cafés.

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

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