We loved our summer trip to Stockholm. We had perfect weather - clear skies and high 60s. The city is almost entirely on the water (Sweden is actually an archipelago of 30,000 islands...Stockholm is made up of dozens of little islands). A few things to know before you go:
- Buy the Stockholm Pass: Buy it before you go if you plan to see many of the attractions, it covers multiple boat and bus tours...every museum...palaces. Anything you would want to see as a tourist. It's pricey, but worth it.
- Prepare to Splurge: Stockholm is a very expensive place...comparable to Geneva or Copenhagen. Brace yourself a bit for the prices - food, transportation, and shopping were expensive.
- Eat Cinnamon Buns: Seriously ate two a day. Cinnamon Capital of the world.
With all of that..for us, the trip was totally worth it! Highly recommend.
Hotels
Hotel at Six: This hotel had just opened when we arrived. It's a five star hotel in the center of town. It's very hip and modern....walkable to just about everything and next to a mall that has every amenity you could imagine (including snacks!). Highly, highly recommend this hotel ($225/night)
Restaurants
Brod and Salt: If you take none of my recommendations, you MUST come here. Best cinnamon buns, hands down. There are Brod and Salts all over the city, but try the one that is the central bakery. They cook thousands of cinnamon buns every day. Such an amazing spot.
Oexen: This is a modern restaurant not far from the Vasa Museum. They have a very fancy restaurant and then a more casual bistro. The bistro had great food (at reasonable, DC prices). Great views of the water and a diverse menu. Highly recommend - reservations are a must.
Nytorget 6: We had reservations here our first night. It's a bit out of the way in a residential area, but it's clear that the Swedes eat here as a local spot. Our food was fantastic - I had the steak and P had the Swedish meatballs ;-) We also had a couple of delicious appetizers. Definitely recommend - reservations are a must here.
Things to Do
Vasa Museum: Perhaps the most famous museum in Stockholm, this features a boat that sunk 300 years ago and was pulled up from the bottom of the ocean in the 1950s. Perfectly preserved because of the cold, Baltic sea - you can see the clothes, jewels, and the ship itself. Recommend
Drottningholm Palace: If you have a half day, I highly, highly recommend the boat ride and visit to this summer palace. The inside is nice (but not the nicest we have seen)...but the gardens are stunning and the views of the palace over the water are really unbelievable. Highly recommend if you have at least a half a day.
Royal Palace: The joy of Stockholm is that it's not filled to the brim with tourists...the palace was no different. We got to enjoy a nearly empty palace, take cool photos, and generally look around! Recommend
Nobel Museum: A museum dedicated to the various Nobel winners. Interesting to hear all the history of the award and its winners. You can see the whole museum in under an hour...but an interesting shot to visit.
