Stockholm: Island City and Cultural History
Accommodation in Stockholm
Stockholm stretches across 14 islands. The Stockholm archipelago begins 20 minutes from the city; it comprises 30,000 islands and can be reached by sea or by land. This means that two different geographical scales sit side by side when planning a trip: the island city and the larger archipelago.
Districts, waterfronts and getting around
Stockholm’s compact districts and waterfront areas make it easy to move between shopping, dining and nightlife. You can therefore shape your exploration of the city around different interests, without reducing these areas to a single theme. Djurgården is also a useful point of reference: it is one of Stockholm’s most visited areas.
In Stockholm, bicycle parking is available near practically every metro station, arena, shopping centre, park and public square. These locations include both transport hubs and places for leisure and everyday activities. If you want to factor bicycle parking into your route planning, you’ll find it in many different parts of the city.
Museums offering different perspectives
The Vasa Museum houses the unique and well-preserved warship Vasa, built in 1628 and decorated with hundreds of wooden sculptures. Tours cover the ship’s construction, its maiden voyage that same year, its rapid sinking and its spectacular recovery more than 300 years later. The surviving ship is thus linked to a story that spans its construction through to its much later recovery.
Skansen is the world’s oldest open-air museum and has 190 museum buildings. The oldest dates from the early 14th century. The number of buildings gives a sense of the breadth of the museum’s collection, while the age of the oldest building provides a distinct historical reference point. Together, these offer a different perspective from the story of a single ship.
The Museum Tre Kronor covers the castle’s earliest history: from defensive fortress to Renaissance palace, which was destroyed in a severe fire in 1697. To reach the museum, visitors must pass through a five-metre-thick defensive wall dating from the 14th century. The history of the site and this specific entrance are therefore two distinct aspects of the visit.
In Salongen, on the first floor of the City Museum, visitors can look for answers to questions about Stockholm’s past, present and future. This permanent visitor activity focuses not only on past events but also on the city as it is today and as it may be in the future.
Architecture, design and city history
The Royal Palace is a cultural and historical monument. SkogskyrkogĂĄrden, meanwhile, is an outstanding cemetery from the early 20th century, designed to combine vegetation with architectural elements. Its design has profoundly influenced cemetery design in many countries around the world. Those interested in the interplay of landscape and architecture will find both a specific description of the design and an account of its international influence.
The tower of Stockholm City Hall is 106 metres tall and offers panoramic views across central Stockholm. City Hall can only be visited on a guided tour, so this access requirement is worth bearing in mind when planning your visit. Visitors can also walk along the water in City Hall Park.
Discover more destinations: Hässelby-Vällingby, Rönninge, Uttran, Svartsjö, Skarpnäck.
Back to the main travel overview: Stockholm.
