Stockholm, Sweden
Last Updated on 17th December 2018
Sweden is where my lust for travel was rekindled and where my passion for all things Scandinavian started.
One snowy January, I stopped over in Stockholm for a couple of days on my way to the Ice Hotel in Jakkeasjärvi. There was still a christmassy feel to the city, Christmas lights were twinkling surrounded by a thick layer of snow.
After a magical night of exploring the city at night, I woke up the next morning with the cold from hell. While I didn’t let it ruin my holiday, I didn’t explore Stockholm as much as I had liked. Here’s what I did do!
Stockholm at Night
Stockholm is absolutely beautiful at night with its lights and pristine fresh snow. It’s definitely worth wrapping up warm and wandering around the peaceful streets of Stockholm. For those of you travelling alone, I felt safe walking around Söder and Gamla Stan on my own.
Roam Around Medieval Stockholm
Steeped in history, you will need at least a day to roam the streets and alleys of medieval Gamla Stan. You won’t be lost for things to do, the pedestrian friendly area is full of museums, sights, amazing architecture, shops, restaurants and bars.
Vasa Museum
Want to see a perfectly preserved 17th century ship? You must head to the Vasa Museum. There are many museums to explore in Sweden but the Vasa Museum has to be my favourite. Be warned, many of Stockholm’s museums are closed on Mondays.
Ice Skating at Kunsträdgåden
Based in the city centre, Kungsträdgården ice rink is free and opened from 9am – 9pm weekdays, 10am-9pm weekends. Skates are available for hire at a reasonable price (60kr at time of post).
Sunset Walk along Monteliusvägen cliff path
Walking along the Monteliusvägen path gives you beautiful views of the Stockholm vista. It’s also a good place to view the sunset over the city. Be quick! The sun sets about 3pm during the winter months.
Fika
There are many good cafés in Stockholm but I favoured Lises Café and Hembageri (Skänegatan 68) in Söder. A friendly café frequented by locals, Lises’ is perfect for no nonsense coffee and delicious kanelbulle.
View Stockholm from Above – Katarinahissen
The elevator is closed until 2019 but you can still see the spectacular views via the footbridge by walking to the top of Hökens Gata.
Explore and Explore Some More
There are so many wonderful things to do in Stockholm. Two days was too short and my cold had me hurrying to my bed super early. Plus being so sick, I didn’t get to sample the cuisine or beer. Stockholm is definitely a city I will return to.
Where did I stay?
Hotel Rival, a boutique hotel owned by ABBA’s Benny Andersson. Located in Södermalm, Hotel Rival is only a 10 minute walk to Gamla Stan and 20 to the City Centre. I was saving all my pennies for my Ice Hotel trip so I stayed in an economy single room. It was perfect for a solo traveller and did not skimp on amenities, though I would have been very happy with just the ABBA CDs. There is the added bonus of having Café Rival downstairs, which you must stop by for Swedish fika.
