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| "God Our Father on the Rainbow" by Carl Milles at Nacka Strand |
Are you planning a trip to Stockholm this summer? Smart! Summer is always the best time to visit. Not only does the city (and locals) come to life after a long winter, but also many things outside of the city open up for visitors during this short period, like certain attractions as well as the archipelago. Here is some information, as well as recommendations, which you will hopefully find helpful in planning your stay.
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| View of City Hall from Södermalm |
To start things off, click here for a calendar of events and festivals happening in the city. The months of June and July are especially busy with festivals and events. July tends to be a little slower as this is the month most Swedes tend to have their vacation and often leave the city. Even if you don't find a festival or event of interest happening during your stay, keep in mind that they may still affect your visit. For example, a marathon will cause street closures, a popular concert might cause restaurants to be full that evening and so on.
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| Djurgård's Canal |
Some practical information. Stockholm has a great public transportation system that is very easy to use. It encompasses busses, subways, commuter trains, trams and some ferries. This means that tickets and travel cards work for all of these modes of transportation. Click here for more information about the various cards and tickets visitors can purchase. You can also use commuter trains to get you to and from Arlanda airport. Especially convenient for guests of the Hotel Rival as they make a stop at the Södra Station which is just four blocks from the hotel. Click here for more information on how to use the commuter train for the airport. Another convenient feature is the cross harbor ferry that takes you from Gamla Stan to the attractions on Djurgården. When it comes to taxis in Sweden... BEWARE! Companies aren't regulated and smaller taxi companies can charge double the price legally. To be safe, just follow these simple rules.
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| Millesgården |
Most people want to visit a museum or two when travelling... and Stockholm has many great options. If art is you cup of tea, then click here to see what exhibitions will be showing at the major art museums in the city this summer. However, if history, royalty and culture is of more interest, then click here for a list of museums and attractions that focus on these subjects. If you will just be in Stockholm a few short days, then there are some museums which are uniquely Swedish and shouldn't be missed (I mean, cathedrals, castles and art museums can be found in every European city). These include the Vasa Museum, Skansen, Nobel Prize Museum, ABBA the Museum, Historiska and Millesgården.
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| View of Gamla Stan from bridge to Skeppsholmen |
If you wish to do a sightseeing tour in the city, there are many options to choose from. The main sightseeing company in Stockholm is Strömma. They offer many different tours... everything from boat tours, to Hop On/Off bus tours and even combination tours. There are also some great smaller companies that also have many options of city tours. Two that we recommend are OurWay Tours and Stockholm Adventures. These companies both offer a variety of tours, some more out of the ordinary like with Segways, bikes and kayaks... or walking tours with different themes or neighborhoods. Or, if you are on more of a budget, there are a few companies that offer free walking tours in Stockholm, like Free Tour Stockholm and Stockholm Free Tour.
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| Djurgården, national city park |
If you have a few days in Stockholm, you should definitely earmark one of the days for an excursion outside of the city. Stockholm is located where Lake Mälaren empties into the Baltic Sea... so there are many beautiful waterways, countryside and islands to explore. Strömma, once again, offers several day excursions by boat. Head out into the archipelago and visit the art museum Artipelag or picturesque sailing harbor at Sandham. On the lake side, they offer boat tours to two different UNESCO World Heritage Sites... the Viking trading town Birka and the royal palace Drottningholm.
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| Strandvägen |
Or else you can use their Cinderella boats and explore the archipelago on your own! I usually head out to the archipelago several times every summer. A few of my favorite things to do are visiting Artipelag, eating lunch/dinner at Fjäderholmarnas Krog, spending the day on the beautiful island of Grinda and having lunch at Hembygdgårds Café on the island of Vaxholm. I usually manage to do all of these things once every summer... sometimes with friends or else with visiting family. You could also stay on dry land and make an excursion to the nearby city of Uppsala with its cathedral and Viking graves.
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| Fjäderholmarna |
This will be my last blog post for the foreseeable future. I am leaving the hospitality industry and heading on to new adventures! If you will be staying at the Hotel Rival you can contact my colleagues there at concierge@rival.se if you have any questions or need any assistance ahead of your stay. I have been writing this blog for over 10 years and there are over 1,000 posts in the archives you can peruse to get any extra inspiration... maybe for a visit to the seaside, walk around Långholmen, a visit to the national city park Djurgården or perusing the Stockholm Gallery District? I sincerely hope you will find something here to inspire you and that you have a wonderful stay in Stockholm! PS. All pictures in this post have been taken by me over the years.
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| Stockholm City Hall |
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