Stockholm: Archipelago, Nature and Culture

Archipelago and trails across the islands

The Stockholm archipelago stretches 80 kilometres eastwards from the city into the Baltic Sea. The Stockholm Archipelago Trail runs through this island world as a 270-kilometre hiking trail across more than 20 islands. Every section of the trail can be reached by public ferry services.

The directly linked areas represent the various facets of the Stockholm region: Björkö, Nykvarn, Lidingö, Täby, Tyresö, Sundbyberg, Huddinge, Nacka, Sollentuna, Vaxholm, Norrtälje, Haninge, Värmdö, Upplands Väsby, Österåker, Nynäshamn, Boo, Djurhamn, Drottningholm, Upplands-Bro, Enhörna, Stockholm, Sigtuna, Yxlan, Vallentuna, Solna, Danderyd, Järfälla, Södertälje, Botkyrka and Ekerö.

Nature and trails

Stockholm County has nearly 370 nature reserves. Activities available there include hiking, berry picking, paddling, skiing and swimming. Tyresta National Park complements this selection with 55 kilometres of hiking trails, fireplaces and wind shelters.

Tyresta comprises primeval forest, beautiful forest lakes and mighty trees up to 400 years old. Rare lichens, wood fungi, mosses and beetles are found in this area. At the main entrance to the national park in Tyresta by, there is a visitor centre, accessible toilets and parking.

Ängsö National Park has herb-rich groves and untouched forests that provide a habitat for many birds. Easy-to-walk trails lead through meadows and woodland around the island. Ängsö can only be reached by boat; scheduled services from Stockholm or Furusund operate in spring and summer.

Close to Stockholm city centre, the Royal National City Park combines a unique historic landscape with parks, buildings, forests, open land and beaches. Large parts of the park can be reached by bus, metro or boat. It also has walking and cycling paths.

Water and regional cuisine

The Stockholm archipelago offers opportunities for swimming, fishing, kayaking and cycling. It is also possible to enjoy traditional Swedish cuisine in the fresh sea air.

Culture and history

The royal domain of Drottningholm comprises the palace, the palace theatre, the Chinese Pavilion and the gardens. Drottningholm Palace Park is open year-round. A walk leads through a formal garden from the late 17th century, an English-style park begun about a century later, and the more intimate bosquets from the 1760s at the Chinese Pavilion.

Drottningholm Palace Theatre still has a wooden stage machinery system operated by hand; around 30 stage sets have been preserved. Every summer, it presents operas, drama and dance performances as well as concerts, guided tours and events related to the 18th century.

Skogskyrkogården is an outstanding early 20th-century cemetery whose design combines vegetation and architectural elements. The Woodland Chapel is closely integrated into its surroundings.

Skansen is the oldest open-air museum in Sweden and the world, bringing together cultural history, nature and animals in one place. Birka and Hovgården are complete and exceptionally well-preserved archaeological sites from the Viking Age on Björkö and Adelsö in Lake Mälaren. Visible remains include a trading town, a royal domain, a harbour, defensive structures and prehistoric cemeteries.

The Vasa Museum offers guided tours centred around one of the best-preserved 17th-century ships in the world. The museum on Djurgården in Stockholm can be reached by tram, bus, car and ferry.