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Stockholm

Stockholm is Sweden's capital and largest city, with nearly a million inhabitants in the city, and 2.4 million within Stockholm County (as of 2021). The inner city is made up of 14 islands across Lake Mälaren and three streams into the brackish Baltic Sea, with the Stockholm archipelago with some 24,000 islands, islets and skerries. Over 30% of the city area is made up of waterways, and another 30% is made up of green areas. Air and water are said to be the freshest of any European capital. Stockholm hosts the Nobel Prize ceremony and has around 70 museums.

Stockholm is the hub of most Swedish rail and bus traffic and has two of the country's busiest airports nearby, so it is a good starting point for visiting other parts of Sweden.

Districts
Stockholm's suburbs sprawl out across most of Stockholm County. Stockholm's administrative division may be perplexing - municipal borders might cut right through neighbourhoods.

This article describes areas that are geographically close and easy to visit together as districts; the administrative borders of districts and municipalities may differ. The outer parts of the county consist of Norrtälje, Sigtuna, Norrort, Stockholm Archipelago, Södertörn and Södertälje.

Understand
Due to the post-glacial rebound, Stockholm is slowly rising from the sea. Mälaren was a bay of the Baltic Sea throughout the Viking Age of the 9th and 10th centuries; today's Stockholm was the waterway for the first Swedish cities; Birka, Uppsala, and Sigtuna. As Sigtuna was sacked by pirates in AD 1187, the Swedes needed to fortify the strait.

As the rising land cut off Mälaren from the sea in the 13th century, Stockholm became an important trading post. The city is said to be founded by Birger jarl (jarl is a title corresponding to British earl), who had a fortress built on an island later known as Gamla Stan. The first known written records that mention Stockholm date from 1252; this is the considered year of foundation. In the 15th century Stockholm replaced Uppsala as the effective capital. Stockholm was an associate of the Hanseatic League, and since its liberation from Denmark by King Gustavus Vasa in 1523, Stockholm has remained Sweden's most important center of commerce, although Gothenburg later became the largest international port. During the 17th century, Stockholm was the base of the Swedish Empire, with a land area twice the country's current size, nearly encircling the Baltic Sea.

Much of the inner city plan was laid out in the 19th century, and the inner city still contains buildings from all ages since the 15th century. Like the rest of Sweden, Stockholm was largely untouched by the World Wars, but, particularly between 1955 and 1975, hundreds of old buildings in Norrmalm were demolished in a large-scale modernization process, emulating similar projects in other European cities.

Since 1901, Stockholm has hosted the annual Nobel Prize ceremony for all categories except the peace prize, which is handed out in Oslo. In the 20th century, metropolitan Stockholm sprawled out across most of Stockholm County, with the development of the Stockholm Metro, famous for its contemporary art. 1950s suburbs such as Vällingby became a model for suburban development in other cities. While most of the attractions are in the inner city, a majority of the citizens live in the suburbs.

Otherwise a safe and calm city, Stockholm is also known for the term Stockholm Syndrome, which was coined to describe a hostage's sympathy for a captor during a bank robbery in Norrmalm in 1973.

Sustainable technology
As of 2023, Stockholm is striving to become a world-leading city in sustainable engineering, including waste management, clean air and water, carbon-free public transportation, and energy efficiency. Lake water is safe for bathing, and in practice for drinking (though not recommended).

Some new neighborhoods with state-of-the-art technology in this field are Hammarby Sjöstad, Norra Djurgårdsstaden and Hagastaden. See Stockholm environmentalist tour.

Climate
Despite its northern location, Stockholm has fairly mild temperatures throughout the year. The city sees a dramatic seasonal variation in sunlight, from more than 18 hours of daylight around Midsummer (03:30 to 22:00), to around 6 hours of daylight around Christmas (08:45 to 14:45). Stockholm has an average of nearly 2,000 hours of sunshine a year. Average yearly precipitation is 539 mm (21.2"), with July and August slightly the wettest months. Snowfall can occur from late November to early April, but the amount of snowfall and snow on the ground varies greatly from year to year, and through the winter. No date is a safe bet for snow in Stockholm; for real Scandinavian winter, visit Dalarna or Norrland.

In other words, May to September tend to have the most comfortable weather. From Midsummer to the end of July, most inhabitants leave the city, and some venues close for summer, making the city more dominated by tourists.

By plane
Stockholm is served by several international airports; Stockholm-Arlanda airport (near Sigtuna) being the dominant one. Stockholm-Bromma is the only airport within the city. The airports in Skavsta (near Nyköping) and Västerås also receive some international flights.

Arlanda Airport

 * See Stockholm Arlanda Airport for details on the airport.

40 km north of the city is Sweden's largest airport, and the destination for most flights to Sweden. It consists of four terminals under the same roof. There are several means of travelling between Stockholm and Arlanda:

By rail The dedicated Arlanda Express Train leaves from the basement level of each terminal (Arlanda South/Södra and Arlanda North/Norra) and runs non-stop to Stockholm Central Station in 20 minutes, departing every 15 minutes during daytime. Tickets are sold at kiosks at the platform, via app, or online (100 kr surcharge for ticket purchase on board). One-way tickets cost 300 kr for adults, 380 kr for two adults, 480 for three and 580 for four. 150 kr for youths <26. Youths and children travel for free with adults, and children for free with youths. The trains have free Wi-Fi.

Regular trains serve the airport through a third station, Arlanda Central, beneath Sky City between terminal 4 and 5. Commuter trains (pendeltåg) in Stockholm County are run by the public transport company SL (see also the ) section. Line J38 of the commuter train from Uppsala C via Stockholm Central Station to Älvsjö (with Stockholm International Fairs) calling at all stations between, with peak hour services continuing to Huddinge and Tumba. The train runs twice an hour and takes 38 minutes to Stockholm Central Station. Tickets can be used and bought at the entrance to the station, though everyone over the age of 18 has to pay the Arlanda passage supplement fee of 75 kr for passing between the trains and the airport terminal at Arlanda. A one-way ticket including the Arlanda passage supplement fee to Stockholm city costs 125 kr (110 kr for people under 20 or over 65). For 210 kr (or 90 kr for youth) you get a 24-hour travel card (this is reduced to 190 kr for adults and 70 kr for youth if you already have an SL Access card). These prices all include the Arlanda passage supplement fee. See SL's web page for local transport tickets.

There are faster regional trains on the Linköping - Stockholm - Gävle route, which cost 278 kr (2nd class) to central Stockholm if bought on the spot, though if booked approximately 45 days in advance, they can be as cheap as 95 kr. They take 20 minutes, like the Arlanda Express, but only operate hourly (with several strange gaps). Also, many inter-city trains bound for cities such as Umeå, Mora or Östersund, call at Arlanda. It is not, however, permitted to use these trains to travel from the airport to central Stockholm. See SJ's web page for regional/intercity rail tickets.

By local bus and rail The cheapest ride between the airport and the central bus station is FlixBus. They are going 2-4 times per hour in either direction between roughly 05:00 and 23:00, travel time about 50 minutes, and prices starting at €3.90. Schedule and tickets via their app, using the free airport wifi if needed.

The second cheapest and usually slowest ride between Arlanda and Stockholm is by SL bus to Märsta, and changing to commuter train. Local bus 583 (from outside the terminals) connects the airport to Märsta railway station, connecting with frequent commuter trains (line J36 which arrives on platforms 15/16) to central Stockholm in 65 minutes, for a regular public transport fare, which is 60 kr for a one-way trip. Several kinds of discounted tickets can be purchased at the airport, making this route the cheapest, but the slowest, way to get to and from Arlanda; the pre-paid SL Access cards are valid for the whole journey. See Stockholm County for more details on the SL services and ticketing system.

By airport coach Flygbussarna company run frequent bus service between airport terminals 5, 4 and 2 (terminal 3 via terminal 2) and City Terminal (Cityterminalen), just next to the Central Station in 45 minutes. Adult single ticket cost 119 kr (99 kr for people under 25), and adult return ticket cost 215 kr (179 kr for people under 25) if purchased on-the-spot. There is a discount if you purchase your ticket online or with your smartphone (some devices have a smartphone-friendly ticket). Tickets can be bought from ticket machines at the stops at T5, T4 and T2, and in the arrivals halls at T5 and T4 and from some 7-Eleven shops. You can't buy tickets with cash on board, but credit cards are accepted and during normal hours agents sell tickets at the airport stop. They stop elsewhere in Solna (Ulriksdal/Järva Krog, Frösunda, Haga Norra, Haga Södra), and Vasastan (Norra Stationsgatan and Sankt Eriksplan) before arriving at Cityterminalen. Flixbus follows the same route, but is considerably cheaper.

By taxi Major taxi companies operate on a fixed price basis between Arlanda and central Stockholm. Prices at the taxi stands range from 450 kr (Transfer Taxi) to 520 kr. Generally, you can freely choose among the waiting taxis, or ask the operator for a specific company. Beware of the smaller, expensive, taxi companies. Each taxi has a yellow and white price tag (per 10 km and 15 minutes) on the right rear window; prefer cabs where the price is no more than 350 kr. A taxi ride to central Stockholm takes approximately 40 minutes. With some companies, you can get a lower price if you pre-book your ride. See the Taxi section below for some general advice on taxi travel in Stockholm.

By car See the airport's webpage for information on car rental at Arlanda Airport.

Bromma Airport

, in Västerort is a smaller airport 8 km west of central Stockholm, mainly used for domestic flights, but also Aarhus, Helsinki and Brussels.

From Bromma, it's easiest to take tram 31 from Bromma flygplats to Alvik strand. At Alvik, you can change onto the green line of Stockholm's metro, which will connect you to T-Centralen, the central hub of Stockholm's public transit. Alternatively, to get to Sundbyberg and Solna, you can change trams at Norra Ulvsunda heading towards Solna station with line 30. Getting to T-Centralen takes just shy of 30 minutes, with tramline 31 departing from Bromma every 20 minutes.

Skavsta Airport
is 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Stockholm, at the outskirts of Nyköping, making this airport's branded name "Stockholm-Skavsta" rather far-fetched. As of 2023, the airport is only used by Wizzair and Norwegian, with flights to Tirana, Sofia, Budapest, Skopje, Gdansk, Kraków, Warsaw, Bucharest, Belgrade, Alicante and Malaga. Budget air travellers landing here might find the transfer costing more time and money than the flight.

The most practical option is Airport coaches to/from the City Terminal in Stockholm. Adults 199 kr online. The trip takes about 80 minutes. A sometimes cheaper option is to take take local bus 515 or 715 to Nyköping rail station (alight at Nyköping Centralstation), from where SJ regional trains (timetable, direct services run to stations marked in white) on the Norrköping - Nyköping - Stockholm route connect to Stockholm. The fare starts 26 + 49 kr (16 + 49 kr for youth under 20) and tickets can be bought the following two ways:
 * 1. Buy a combined ticket from Skavsta to Stockholm at SJ:s website which is both valid on the local bus and the regional train.
 * 2. Pay for the local bus on board with your VISA or MasterCard (cash is not accepted) and buy the train ticket at Nyköping station.
 * Travel time from Skavsta is 80 minutes to Stockholm and 100 minutes to Arlanda airport.
 * The cheapest fare is only offered on select days; on other days fares start at 97 kr. The cheapest tickets are also nonrefundable and nonrebookable.

Schedules for public transportation is available at the Resrobot webpage.

Västerås Airport
is 100 km west of Stockholm in Västerås, and serves Ryanair flights to/from London (Stansted). Like Skavsta, Västerås can be reached in two ways: Airport coaches go to/from the City Terminal in Stockholm. 139 kr one way, 249 kr round trip, takes about 80 minutes. Alternatively you can take the public taxi shuttle (order can be made online, but the site is as of 2016 in Swedish only) that runs between the airport and Västerås rail station in 6–7 minutes, departing from outside the terminal 20 minutes after each flight arrival and costing 50 kr one way. From there regional trains on the Stockholm - Västerås - Örebro - Hallsberg - Göteborg route (timetable, M-F = Monday-Friday, L = Saturday, SoH = Sunday and holidays) connect to Stockholm in 53 min at a price of 59 kr, resulting in a total fare of 10 kr. Total travel time Västerås Airport - Stockholm is 65 minutes, but this option is as much as 25 minutes faster, since the airport coach departs 10 minutes later from the airport and arrives there 10 minutes earlier.

By train
. See Stockholm/Norrmalm for details on the Central Station.

The main station, (Norrmalm), serves both commuter and long-distance routes. It is in lower Norrmalm, connected to T-Centralen, the central hub for the Stockholm Metro, and Cityterminalen, the long-distance bus station. The national rail company SJ, has a store inside the station and a travel planner with ticket booking service on its web page. The train companies Snälltåget, VY and Flixtrain serve the city.

Internationally, there are services from Copenhagen (Denmark) (5 hr) and Oslo (Norway) (4½-5 hr) with several direct connections daily. A daily sleeper train is available from Narvik (14 hr). From Trondheim, a quick change in Storlien and Sundsvall is needed (10 hr). Both the national railway company SJ as well as the private Snälltåget seasonally operate daily overnight trains from Berlin and Hamburg taking 12 to 14 hours.

There are numerous direct domestic services to Stockholm from most major cities. There's high-speed SJ 2000 and SJ 3000 services from Gothenburg (3 hr), Malmö (4½ hr), Sundsvall (3½ hr) and Östersund (5 hr). Conventional trains mostly follow the same routes, and run slightly slower, but can slash prices considerably. Most other mid-sized cities in Sweden have a train connection with Stockholm. Malmö has an overnight service as do the northern cities of Luleå, Kiruna and Umeå. In fact, this service originates in the far northern Norwegian town of Narvik and offers spectacular views of Lapland along its journey to Stockholm.

By bus
The is the main bus terminal, wall to wall with Stockholms Central, and the T Centralen metro station. There are multiple daily departures to most other cities in Sweden, as well as a few international routes. FlixBus operates routes to Copenhagen and Oslo with several daily departures, and a twice-weekly service to Berlin. FlixBus also offers connections with Hamburg, Hannover, Cologne, Wuppertal and Berlin among other cities. NetBuss has a route to Oslo. Tapanis Buss has a route between Tornio, Finland and Stockholm running through road E4.

By boat

Stockholm is served by international luxury cruise ships (see cruising the Baltic Sea), and the local Baltic Sea ferries ("ferry" is quite a misnomer, most are giant ships). The Baltic Sea ferries link Stockholm to Helsinki, Mariehamn and Turku (these ships are locally known as finlandsbåtar, "Finland boat"), Riga and Tallinn every day. They are by far the cheapest way to travel between these cities. Even if you intend to use the boats to travel to or from Stockholm, it is almost always cheaper to book a round-trip cruise (kryssning), which can be as cheap as 80 kr (!) for a full 4-person cabin and rarely (even for a weekend cruise in high season) exceeds 400 kr for the cheapest 4-bed cabin. A one-way ticket for a cabin, in comparison, usually exceeds 1000 kr.

There are three cruise ship terminals:

In northern Östermalm there are and, one kilometre to the east from the former. These two are used by Tallink; Frihamnen for ships from Riga, Värtahamnen for ships from all other destinations (Turku, Helsinki, Tallinn, Mariehamn)

Värtahamnen is 400 metres from the Gärdet metro station; the route is signposted. You can also use bus 76 from Kungsträdgården. For Frihamnen, go to T-Karlaplan, take bus 72 from the avenue to Filmhuset, and then bus 76 to Magasin 3, which is outside that terminal. If you have a lot of luggage, or if your cruise ship is docked at Magasin 9, you may want to consider other means of transport.

, Stadsgården, is in Södermalm, with an astounding view of the inner port area. Most importantly, it's used by Viking Line for ferries to Mariehamn, Helsinki and Turku and their 22-hour cruises to Mariehamn. If you travel on a "real" cruise ship, such as Holland America Cruises you will probably also dock here.

There are direct bus lines from Stockholm center to Stadsgården, lines 53 from nearby T-Centralen and line 2 from Kungsträdgården. To get there from the city center by subway, go to T-Slussen and go for the bus terminal. Take the 401–422, 442–449 or 471 bus one single stop to Londonviadukten and the port will be on your left. Alternatively normal town buses 53 and 71 link Slussen and the Viking Line terminal, albeit via the backstreets. Public transport tickets are not sold on board buses, but the tourist office in the terminal sells them (at least day passes). Alternatively, you can walk to Slussen (it's little more than a kilometre) and buy the tickets you need there.

Yet another convenient but more expensive alternative is the shuttle buses operated by Flygbussarna that go directly from the terminal to the central bus station (Cityterminalen) in the city center. The price for a ticket on these are 55 kr (single) and 90 kr (return) and tickets are sold on board, at Flygbussarna's and Viking Line's booths in the bus station, and if you want to buy the ticket on the bus you can do it but only pay with a credit card. There are multiple departures from the port 15–60 minutes after the ferry arrives and from the station 1–3 hours before the ferry departs. If you are driving to the boat, follow the signs to Slussen, then Stadsgårdsterminalen (Slussen is confusing even for locals, so don't feel embarrassed if you end up spinning in the intersection a few times) and then Finland/Viking Line.

Some cruise ships call at Nynäshamn 50 km south of Stockholm. The ferry terminal is served by SL commuter train line 43. There are also buses which are slightly faster, costing 109 kr for adults.

By car
European routes E4, E18 and E20 converge in Stockholm. The few north-south bridges across lake Mälaren tend to be congested around rush hour. Roads in and around Stockholm are a toll zone (more exactly, "congestion tax"), and also foreign-registered vehicles are required to pay it – see more in the Get around section below.

Get around
Stockholm is easy to access by public transport, and on bicycle during the warm season. Travelling by car is suitable outside built-up areas.

By public transport

 * See Public transport in Stockholm County for details.

SL (Storstockholms Lokaltrafik) runs an extensive metro, commuter train and bus system, as well as some light rail and ferry services. They serve Stockholm County, with Sigtuna and Norrtälje in the north, and Södertälje and Nynäshamn in the south, with extensions to Uppsala, Gnesta and Bålsta for an extra fee (see below).

The SL website has detailed ticket and price information in English, and a journey planner. It is always updated.

Tickets
The simplest way to pay for tickets is to simply use your credit card to pay for tickets, by tapping at entry gates and electronic readers.

All SL services use an integrated ticket system with an RFID card called SL Access which triggers entry gates and other electronic readers. The card costs 20 kr to purchase and can load all SL tickets, but is being replaced with a new green card

There are two forms of ticketing, passes and coupons. Passes and coupons are bought at SL Center (in different stations, including central station and t-central), at all Pressbyrån stores, most supermarkets and some smaller kiosks. Tickets can not be bought on buses.

Passes are available for 24 hours, 72 hours and 30 days, and allow unrestricted rides on all buses, trams, T-bana, and commuter trains, as well as the Djurgården ferry. The 72-hour pass also confers free admission to Gröna Lund (Djurgården). A coupon ticket allows unlimited travel for 75 minutes including changes.

There is an SL app which can be used to buy single tickets and passes, which must be validated before use in the app (once validated the ticket appears as a large QR code). Alternatively coupons can be downloaded to the SL Access card, reskassa. , as well as paper tickets from vending machines, ticket booths and rail conductors.

It is possible also to use a contactless payment card (Mastercard, Maestro, Visa and Visa Electron) to buy a single ticket (75 min). As you board a public transport vehicle, you will be required to validate your trip every time by swiping the payment card at the rectangular validators in the front of the vehicle. If you hear a beep and see a green light, your trip has been validated.

Children under 12 travelling with adults travel free from mid-day Friday to midnight Sunday. Children under 7 ride for free with a paying adult.

SL tickets are not valid on airport coaches, Arlanda Express and regional trains.

Stockholm Metro
Stockholm has a rapid transit system called the Tunnelbana [ˌtɵnəlˈbɑːna] (sometimes abbreviated T-Bana or just T on signs). With 100 stations, it serves most of the inner city, as well as many inner suburbs. Trains run from 05:00 to 01:00 on weekdays, and around the clock on weekends. Night buses replace the trains on weeknights. It is in most cases the fastest mode of transportation.

Stockholm's metro system is known for its art installations, with nearly all stations offering some form of artwork on display. The art on the blue line in particular is of note.

Directions in Stockholm are often accompanied by the name of the closest metro stop, using T as an abbreviation for "Tunnelbana", e.g. "T Gamla Stan". This practice is followed below when appropriate.

Commuter rail
Stockholm has a commuter rail network, pendeltåg, reaching 53 stations, including Uppsala, Knivsta and Bålsta in Uppsala County, plus Gnesta in Södermanland County. Stations are marked by a J sign. All city centre-bound trains now pass through the Stockholm City station which is across the street from the main Central Station.

SL tickets are valid on commuter trains, with the exception of Knivsta and Uppsala on line 38, which employ Uppsala's local transport fares, and Arlanda Airport (see above).

Light rail/tram
Stockholm has several light rail lines:
 * Tvärbanan connecting Västerort to Söderort.
 * Lidingöbanan connects Ropsten in Östermalm to Lidingö. Several archipelago ferries call at Gåshaga brygga at the east terminus.
 * Nockebybanan in Västerort connects the district of Nockeby to Alvik on the green line of the Tunnelbana.
 * Spårväg City is a city tram connecting the Central Station to Waldemarsudde (Djurgården).

Buses
Buses serve most populated areas where metro, rail or tram does not reach. Four inner city main lines numbered from 1 to 4 are operated by large blue buses (weekdays every 3–10 minutes), the other, generally less frequent lines (weekdays 7–20 minutes), by red buses.

The blue bus lines are:
 * line 1 - from Frihamnen in Östermalm via Hötorget in Norrmalm and through Kungsholmen to the island of Stora Essingen in the latter district.
 * line 2 - from Vasastan through western Norrmalm and the Gamla Stan to Sofia in eastern Södermalm
 * line 3 - from Karolinska Institutet through eastern Vasastan, Kungsholmen, eastern Norrmalm and the Gamla Stan to western Södermalm
 * line 4 - from Vasastan through Kungsholmen directly to Södermalm

Apart from those four, several lines running through outer districts and suburbs of Stockholm are designated as blue buses - apart from the colour, they are distinguished by the middle 7 in their three-digit line number.

Passenger ferries
There are also ferries to Djurgården and Skeppsholmen. Travel with the Djurgården ferry is included with any 24- or 72-hour pass, 7-day pass as well as the monthly pass.

SL passes are good on these passenger ferries:
 * Sjövägen (80) : Nybroplan–Allmänna gränd (Djurgården)–Saltsjöqvarn–Finnboda hamn–Kvarnholmen–Nacka Strand–Blockhushudden (Djurgården)–Dalénum–Frihamnen – hourly rides from Nybrokajen (Norrmalm), calling at several docks in Nacka, and Lidingö, ending in Ropsten (Östermalm). Some tours carry on to the small suburban islands Tranholmen and Storholmen. Standard SL fare. The ferry has a cafeteria with tea, coffee, snacks, beer and wine, and gives a great view of the inlet of Stockholm.
 * Djurgårdsfärjan (82): Slussen (dock at southeast Gamla Stan)–Skeppsholmen–Allmäna gränd (Djurgården) – short ride between the old town and the garden island.
 * Pendelbåt (83 and 83X): Strömkajen–Slussen–Nacka strand–Vaxholm–Grenadjärbryggan: long route (1.5 to 2 hours, 83X is faster) to Stockholm archipelago. Wi-Fi and café, possible to carry cycles if there is enough space.
 * Pendelbåt (89): Klara Mälarstrand–Lilla Essingen–Ekensberg–Kungshättan–Tappström (Ekerö): long ride, return by bus 176 or 177 and metro 17, 18 or 19, stopping over at Drottningholm Palace.

By bicycle
Cycling is an attractive option during warm seasons, and there are many bike lanes. A bike ride across the inner city takes no longer than 30 minutes, and can be faster than travelling by metro or car. There are cycle paths along most major streets and drivers are generally considerate towards cyclists. In winter, when paths can be covered by ice, extra care should be taken. Bike paths have a bicycle painted on the ground and/or round blue signs with a white bike. Make sure you bike on the right hand side of the street, just as the cars.

By electric kick scooter
It is possible to rent Swedish Voi, German Tier, American Lime and American Bird electric kick scooters for use in the centre. Install the smartphone app, check where the nearest scooter is, check price, unlock with the app, drive, park it in some sensible location in the allowed area (mind the vision impaired) and release it with the app. The scooters have a top speed of, which is plenty; acquaint yourself with the scooter and its controls somewhere safe. Rules are the same as for bikes, but minimum age (imposed by the companies) is 18. In some areas the scooters enforce a lower speed (5–6 km/h). The companies aim to keep the scooters available also in winter, conditions permitting, but the vehicles are not ideal in snowy or slippery conditions.

In 2023 Italian RideMovi offers rental of electric kick scooters and e-bikes.

By taxi
Taxis are rather expensive. Even worse is the fact that some small dodgy operators charge high prices. The antidote is to always check the black and yellow price sticker on the rear window. The price shown in large digits is the maximum (for instance during night hours) fare for a 10 km, 15-minute journey and reputable companies charge around 300 kr for this. The price can legally be up to 499 kr; if the sticker shows a much higher price, stay away or be ripped off. The taxi market is deregulated, making it considerably easier to find a taxi, but the downside is that the rip-offs aren't even illegal, just "supply and demand"!

As long as you check the sticker you'll be fine, but if you're still nervous choose the major companies TopCab, +46 8 33 33 33; Taxijakt, +46 8 35 00 00; Taxi Kurir, +46 8 30 00 00; Taxi 020, 020 20 20 20 (free calls from Swedish phones); and Taxi Stockholm, +46 8 15 00 00. Many minor companies use "Stockholm" in their names to mimic their competitor, so look for the phone number 15 00 00 which appears below the logo on all Taxi Stockholm cars.

Most taxi firms operate a fixed price regime between central Stockholm and Arlanda airport, mirroring the rates for the journey into town of around 450-500 kr. It is a good idea to check with the driver that you will get the fixed price before you set off - the meter price for the same ride may cost twice as much. The taxis often have big stickers advertising their airport price: do not confuse them with the black and yellow price sticker pictured in this article.

Authorized taxis have yellow license plates. Late at night in the city center, you may be offered a ride with an illegal taxi, svarttaxi (literally "black taxi"), usually by discreet whispering of "taxi". Illegal cabs are associated with other crime, and don't save you a lot of money, and legal cabs are usually available.

By car

As central Stockholm has good public transit, a car is only needed for freight, or for visiting outer suburbs, or the countryside.

Cars driving into or out of central Stockholm between 06:30 and 18:29 are charged a congestion tax of 11 to 35 kr. Some car rental companies charge their customers separately for the cost of toll passages, while others do not. Taxis pass the tax onto the passengers. Foreign-registered vehicles are not exempt from tax (you'll receive an invoice). Taxes are not charged in most of July, on holidays (such as Sundays) or on the day before a holiday (such as Saturdays).

Parking is restricted and expensive in the inner city, and free parking is scarce even in the suburbs, except at external shopping centres.

The congestion tax, parking fees and fuel prices make driving costly around Stockholm.

While traffic congestion is not as bad as in other cities of similar size, the north-south divide is a chokepoint at rush hour; especially the Slussen area between Gamla Stan and Södermalm. In general, commuting south to north is slowest in the morning, while north to south is slowest in the afternoon.

As of 2019, many streets (especially in Norrmalm) are under reconstruction, with rerouting and limited capacity.

Remember to yield for pedestrians, who often cross smaller streets in front of cars even when they have red light.

By boat
The Stockholm archipelago is served by two major shipping companies.

Waxholmsbolaget runs inexpensive public transit ferries, slowed down by stops at several different docks. Waxholmsbolaget also runs two steamboats, that offer even slower, but genuine, round-trips with classical Swedish cuisine.

Strömma is a private company, aimed at international tourists, with fast boats and audioguides.

For the city area, there are two hop-on/hop-off boat tours that run loops between various sites in Stockholm. Each costs approximately 100 kr for a day long pass and has approximately 8 stops, including the cruise terminal, Gamla Stan, the Vasa Museum, Skansen, and Skeppsholmen.

By foot
Stockholm is a walking-friendly city if snow is not present and getting from one place to another by foot is safe and otherwise hassle-free, at least in the inner city. Stockholm's suburbs, on the other hand, are rather spread out.

 * Drottninggatan, Västerlånggatan and Götgatan is a shopping and dining walk through the city.
 * Stockholm history tour tells the history of Stockholm from Vikings to tech startups.
 * Södermalm hill tour provides the greatest panorama photo views, as well as the arts and crafts scene.

Buildings and structures
Untouched by wars for a long time, Stockholm has some great old architecture to see. The exception would be Norrmalm, where much was demolished in the 1950s and 1960s to give place to what was then more modern buildings. Looking at it the other way around, if interested in this kind of architecture this is the place to go.

Stockholm's Old Town (Gamla Stan), is the beautifully preserved historical center, best covered on foot, dominated by the Stockholm Palace (Stockholms slott). Other highlights include Storkyrkan, the cathedral of Stockholm, which has been used for many royal coronations, weddings and funerals, and Riddarholmskyrkan, a beautifully preserved medieval church, which hosts the tombs of many Swedish kings and royals, surrounded by former mansions.

As a matter of fact, there's not only one royal palace in and around Stockholm but several others, Drottningholm (on Ekerö) and Haga (in Solna) being the most famous. Here visitors can get in close contact with traditions of the Swedish monarchy. The Drottningholm palace, a, is where the royal family lives; still much of it is open to the public. The surroundings are well worth a walk as well. In summer, there is a regular boat service from Stadshuskajen (the City Hall Quay) to Drottningholm.

Stockholm has several interesting churches, from medieval times to the 20th century. Most of them are in active use by the Church of Sweden. There is also a synagogue in Östermalm and a mosque on Södermalm. The Woodland cemetery, Skogskyrkogården, in Söderort is one of few UNESCO World Heritage sites from the 20th century. Also in southern Stockholm is Avicii Arena, also known as Globen ("Globe", in Söderort), a white spherical building used for hockey games and as a concert venue. Occasionally, at least at game nights, it is lit by coloured light. The Globe is the heart of the Sweden Solar System, the world's largest scale model of any kind. With the Globe as the Sun, models of the planets are displayed at Slussen (Mercury), the Royal Institute of Technology (Venus), the Natural History Museum (Earth & Moon), Mörby Centrum (Mars), Arlanda Airport (Jupiter) and Uppsala (Saturn).

Viewpoints
The heights of northern Södermalm give a great view of central Stockholm, especially from the street Fjällgatan, the Fåfängan mountain just east of to Stadsgårdshamnen, and bars and restaurants such as Gondolen, Herman's, Himlen, and the penthouse lounge of Sjöfartshotellet. Further south in Söderort there's Hammarbybacken, a semi-artificial ski slope, walkable around the year, great during summer and Skyview on the top of the Ericsson Globe (130 kr).

On Skansen there's the 19th century tower of Bredablick offering views. The Stockholm City Hall (Stockholms stadshus) on Kungsholmen is famous for its observatory tower, and for the Nobel Prize dining hall.

Drones are prohibited above Gamla stan, Norrmalm, and parts of Östermalm and Kungsholmen. Södermalm and Djurgården are recommended for drone flight.

Museums
Stockholm has more than 70 museums, ranging from those large in size and scope to the very specialized, including the Butterfly Museum, the Spirits Museum, and the Dance Museum, to name but a few. As of 2016, many of them have free entrance. A brief selection:

 * Östermalm: The Natural History Museum at T-Universitetet has extensive exhibits for all ages, and an Omnimax cinema. The Army Museum displays Sweden's military history, with frequent wars from the Middle Ages until 1814, then followed by two centuries of peace. The Swedish History Museum features an exhibition on Vikings.
 * The Museum of Modern Art (Skeppsholmen).

 * Djurgården: The Vasa Museum displays the Vasa, a 17th-century warship that sunk in Stockholm harbour on its maiden voyage, and authentic objects from the height of the Swedish Empire. Skansen is an open-air museum in Djurgården, containing a zoo featuring Swedish fauna, as well as displays of Sweden's cultural heritage in reconstructed buildings. Nordiska Museet displays Swedish history and cultural heritage. The Swedish Music Hall of Fame features ABBA The Museum.
 * Millesgården, Lidingö an open-air sculpture museum.
 * Fotografiska Södermalm a photo gallery opened in 2010.
 * Birka (Ekerö)— For the real Viking buff, there's Birka, the site of a former Viking city on Björkö. A replica of the old city has been built up. Boats to Björkö are operated by Strömma Kanalbolaget. Birka can also be reached by public transport to Rastaholm, and boarding a boat.

Art
Beyond the art museums mentioned above, Stockholm has a vivid art scene with many art galleries, exhibition halls and public art installation. Some of the galleries are Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Fredsgatan 12 (Norrmalm), Lars Bohman Gallery, Karlavägen 9 (Östermalm), Galerie Nordenhake, Hudiksvallsgatan 8 (Vasastan) and Magasin 3, Frihamnen (Östermalm).

The Royal Institute of Art (Skeppsholmen) and the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design (Söderort) hold regular exhibitions.

The Stockholm Metro has plenty of artistic decoration in its stations, and promotes itself as "the world’s longest art exhibition". Some stations worth to mention are the moody dark blue cave of Kungsträdgården (Norrmalm), the giant black and white "drawings" by Siri Derkert at Östermalmstorg (Östermalm) and the celebration of science and technology at Tekniska Högskolan (Östermalm). Rissne (Solna) has a fascinating timeline of human history on its walls. A written description in English to the art in the Stockholm Metro can be downloaded for free from the SL website. See public transportation in Stockholm County for more information.

Fiction
Stockholm has been the setting of many books and films, including some of Astrid Lindgren's works and Nordic Noir works such as Millennium and Beck.

Tours
There is a wide selection of guided tours available, by boat, by bus and on foot.

By bus
City Tours and Open Top Tours (also divisions of the Strömma group) offers bus tours:

 * The Hop-on Hop-off Bus is a tour with open top double decker buses that allows you to get on and off the bus as often as you want at bus stops along the route. The tour passes some major sights, but only in the central and eastern part of the city. 24-hour travel pass from 270 kr.
 * The Hop-on Hop-off Bus is a tour with open top double decker buses that allows you to get on and off the bus as often as you want at bus stops along the route. The tour passes some major sights, but only in the central and eastern part of the city. 24-hour travel pass from 270 kr.

Stockholm Excursions also has a few specialized bus tours.

By taxi
Taxi Stockholm, +46 8 15 00 00, offers a multimedia guided tours, allowing up to 3 people for a flat fare of 950 kr to explore sites and experiences in Stockholm linked to some poignant historic moments of its past, usually the dark ones, like the assassination of Olof Palme.

By bicycle
Talk of the town offers self-guided bike tours in six languages.

Swimming
There are several beaches in inner Stockholm, as well as the suburbs. The water in central Stockholm is mostly clean, even though it looks dark. The quality of the water is monitored by local authorities, and the reports for all the beaches in the city is available online. If there is a problem with the water, signs will be posted at the beach. During summer, the inner town beaches are rather crowded.

The Stockholm archipelago has enough beaches and rocks for everyone, and the right to access allows bathing nearly everywhere, if no notice of the opposite. As in the rest of Sweden, public adult skinny-dipping is not explicitly illegal, but frowned upon. The only sanctioned nudist beach is in Ågesta (Söderort)

If the open water is too cold for your tastes, Stockholm has several outdoor and indoor swimming pools and spas. Besides the public baths, the more luxurious ones are Centralbadet (Norrmalm), Sturebadet (Östermalm), Eriksdalsbadet (Södermalm) and Yasuragi spa (Nacka).

Spectator sports
The most popular spectator sports are football (soccer) and ice hockey. Also, bandy has a cult following. Tickets for all games can be bought online from Ticnet. Speedway is another big spectator sport in Sweden, performed on a race track in Gubbängen (Söderort).

The Swedish National Men's football (soccer) team plays international games on Strawberry Arena (formerly Friends Arena) in Solna. The Swedish top football league, Allsvenskan, is weaker than most of its Western European sister leagues, but the fans are very faithful. The season runs from April until October. AIK plays on Strawberry Arena. Tele2 Arena (Söderort) hosts Djurgårdens IF and Hammarby. These three clubs are in constant rivalry, and the decision to share one stadium was not easy.

The Swedish top ice hockey league is the Svenska Hockeyligan (SHL; "Swedish Hockey League"), and the season goes from September to April. Stockholm has had no team in the SHL since the 2021–22 season; the city's two main clubs, AIK and Djurgårdens, play in the second level, HockeyAllsvenskan, as of 2023. Both clubs play home games at Hovet (Söderort).

Bandy is played from November to February. Dress warm, as the game is played outdoors in two 45-minute halves. Stockholm has only one team in the top men's bandy league: Hammarby. The final of the Swedish League takes place on Strawberry Arena (Solna) or Tele2 Arena (Södermalm).

These stadiums also host frequent concerts and stage shows; see Stockholm Live for calendar and tickets.

Doing sport

There are many opportunities to do sport in Stockholm.

Stockholm has many short slopes for downhill snowsports: Hammarbybacken (Söderort), Ekebyhovsbacken (Ekerö), Ekholmsnäsbacken (Lidingö), Flottsbrobacken (Södertörn), etc. with lifts and equipment rental when weather allows. The height is modest, but most hills have a great view, well worth a hike any season. Tracks for cross-country skiing are available throughout Stockholm; the ground is usually, but not always, covered by snow in January–February.

There are many open fields in Stockholm. Gärdet (T Karlaplan or T Gärdet) is good for outdoor sport. There are also horse riding venues and many golf courses open for visitors in the inner region.

If you would rather compete in an event, one of the most visible sporting events is the Stockholm Marathon, held annually on a Saturday in late May or early June, when some 18,000 participants run two laps around the inner city. Another one is the Lidingöloppet, a 30 km cross-country race branded as the world's most attended, and a part of the Swedish Classic Circuit, on Lidingö in early September. For hardcore swimmers, Ötillö (literally island to island) is an all-day swim-run race where teams of two swim between and run across many islands in the Stockholm archipelago.

Arts
Stockholm's national stages, the Royal Dramatic Theatre and the Royal Opera stage classic and modern plays, operas and ballets. There are many other playhouses, such as the Stockholm City Theatre. The theatre season generally runs from late August until the beginning of June. In the summer the Parkteatern stages free-entrance plays and monologues in the parks of Stockholm. During September–May, a range of international and local musicals, as well as other shows, are provided at the many theatres.

Cinema films are not dubbed, but subtitled. Except the multiplexes (most of them THX certified), a few classic cinema theaters remain: Rigoletto, Grand Sveavägen, Saga, and Skandia (Norrmalm) Park (Östermalm) and Victoria (Södermalm). While SF has a de facto monopoly for mainstream film, there are some independent cinemas.

A couple of large cultural events are arranged every year. Culture Night Stockholm takes place annually in springtime, with free admission to several museums, special performances around the city, from 18:00 until midnight. In August the Stockholm Culture Festival takes place, in tandem with the Ung 08 youth festival in Kungsträdgården. During this time of the year, the Stockholm International Film Festival also hosts an open-air cinema in the Tantolunden park during one week in August. The major Stockholm International Film Festival takes place in November, and draws large international crowds.

Stockholm has a growing scene for standup comedy in Swedish and English. The Big Ben Bar (Södermalm), Folkungagatan 97, has a free-entrance comedy club in English each Thursday at 20:00. Skrattstock is an annual comedy festival organized every summer.

The live music stage in Stockholm is something else. There are never any signs of anyone playing but a few posters in specific areas. Although a lot of the cities bars have live music, the most common place to find it is around Södermalm. There you will find places like Debaser, Hornhuset and Trädgården. Besides Södermalm both Norrmalm and Vasastan have a few interesting venues.

On Sunday evenings from September to May at Skeppsholmen there is live Swedish folk music at Folkmusikhuset. Go to listen or to dance Swedish folk dances. Free entrance.

Stockholm hosts many expos and conventions. The two largest facilities are Stockholm International Fairs (Söderort) and Kistamässan (Västerort).

Amusement park and children's activities

Stockholm's main amusement park, Gröna Lund is on Djurgården (accessible by Spårväg City, by the ferry to Djurgården or by bus 44). There are all sorts of rides including rollercoasters and during the summer the park hosts a large number of concerts by famous artists and groups, as well as popular dancing evenings. Opening times for the amusement park vary across the year. Check the website before visiting. The park generally is very crowded during weekends and concert days.

On Djurgården you can also find Junibacken, a theme park centered on children's books, especially Astrid Lindgren's stories. Skansen, Stockholm's zoo, is also on the island.

Gambling
Casino Cosmopol on Kungsgatan 65 (Norrmalm) has 37 gaming tables and almost 400 slot machines. In addition, several major nightclubs have blackjack tables and slot machines.

There are regular horse races at Solvalla (Västerort) and Täby Galopp (Norrort).

LGBT events
Attitudes towards homosexuality and transgender expressions are generally tolerant. In the summer (generally late July/early August), there is an annual LGBT pride festival, Stockholm Pride, which is the largest in Scandinavia. The national LGBT organization, RFSL, can provide information on other events and venues.

Outdoor life
There are many forests and lakes within commuting distance of Stockholm, with good chances to see wild animals such as moose, deer and boars. Much of outer Östermalm consists of forest and farmland within a walk from the metro.

In Södertörn, one can find Nackareservatet, Tyresta National Park and Bornsjön.

Learn
With about 80,000 university students at more than 20 universities and university colleges, Stockholm is the largest Nordic university city. The largest institutions of higher education are Stockholm University (Stockholms universitet), the Royal Institute of Technology (Kungliga tekniska högskolan), and Södertörn University College (Södertörns högskola). Karolinska institutet is a world-class medical university. There are also several fine arts university colleges. Study in Stockholm has information about university studies in Stockholm.

Buy
As in the rest of Sweden, VISA and MasterCard are accepted by nearly all stores, and ATMs are readily available. There are ATMs inside some nightclubs, where the bar might accept cash only. Very few venues accept foreign currencies, such as euros or US dollars.

In contrast to many other European cities, most shops in Stockholm (except the small independent ones) are open all week, including Sundays; only closed down for a few major holidays a year. Closing time tends to be rigid, though.

Fashion
Popular Swedish clothing brands that you can find in several major stores include Acne Jeans, WESC, Cheap Monday, J Lindeberg, Whyred, Tiger and Filippa K. There has been an explosion of young designers starting their own small labels. Many of these can be found in the small shops in the SoFo area on Södermalm (see below). Examples are Nakkna, Jenny Hellström, Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair and The Stray Boys.

Glassware

 * The large department stores Åhléns and NK in Norrmalm all have a wide selection of glassware.
 * Duka, several locations: Västerlånggatan 78 (Gamla stan), Sveavägen 24-26 and Kungsgatan 41, (Norrmalm). Duka is a Swedish chain selling both cheaper household items and a limited selection of glassware in several stores in central Stockholm.
 * Nordiska Kristall, several locations: Kungsgatan 9 (Norrmalm), Österlånggatan 1 (Gamla stan), also in Strand Hotel, Grand Hotel and City Hotel. Nordiska Kristall is a high-end shop for crystal design glass. The Kungsgatan store has an art-glass gallery.

Furniture and design
Sweden is internationally known for its design, and Stockholm has many stores where you can find Swedish-designed clothes, textiles and interior decoration items. Hand-made and hand-painted glassware is also a famous Swedish speciality.

 * DesignTorget at Sergels Torg (Stockholm/Norrmalm) and Götgatan 31 (Stockholm/Södermalm), a design store specializing in smaller items, ranging from the beautiful to the useful to the downright eccentric.
 * Asplund furniture store, is an upscale store with world-class design. T Östermalmstorg.
 * Room is another great furniture and design store locaded in the Pub mall, T Hötorget.
 * Illums Bolighus is a high-end furniture, home decoration and glassware store specializing in Danish design. (T Centralen, Hamngatan 27)
 * Many antiquities shops are close to T Odenplan. Good place to stroll around.
 * If second-hand is an option many Stadsmissionen and Myrorna (The Salvation Army) have fun vintage products, and contribute to a good cause. Especially Stadsmissionen Stortorget (T Gamla stan) has hand-picked design and classical furniture.

Norrmalm
Drottninggatan is dominated by major brands down at the Sergels Torg end before giving way to smaller and more specialised shops further north. Tourist shops occupy the southern end.

Also connected to Drottninggatan is the square of Hötorget (T-Hötorget). Here is a daily fresh food market outside as well as Hötorgshallen, an indoor food market.

Mood Stockholm on Norrlandsgatan opened in 2012. This mall contains a lot of interesting boutiques not represented elsewhere in the city. Hamngatan, Biblioteksgatan and Birger Jarlsgatan have a collection of high end shops including Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton among others. NK, is a classical department store on Hamngatan (Norrmalm).

Östermalm
Östermalmstorg has a well-reputed grocery hall, Östermalmshallen. Sturegallerian is an upmarket shopping mall at Stureplan, with some eateries. Fältöversten is a shopping mall at Karlaplan.

Suburban malls
There are a number of shopping centers and malls in the major suburban centers – see the district articles for details. While different in size, they all have a similar profile, with cheap restaurants, supermarkets and major fashion, electronics and interior design chain stores, as well as some smaller shops. Kista Galleria in Västerort has generous opening hours; from 10:00 to 21:00 all week. It is reached by the blue metro line with destination Akalla, get off the train at Kista.

Eat
Stockholm features a large variety of restaurants. However, dining in Stockholm can be expensive, if you aim for something else than the fast food bars, the run-of-the-mill British-style pubs or the ethnic restaurants that dominate the budget bracket. Be prepared to pay around 175-250 kr or more for most main courses at quality restaurants. If you are on a tight budget, self-catering is a good option.

Most hotels and hostels have a good breakfast buffet, in many cases included with the room.

Most restaurants have "dagens rätt" - a lunch offer, normally including a lower- or non-alcoholic drink, bread, butter, salad and coffee Monday - Friday, usually 11:00-14:00. Expect to pay between 65-100 kr. Generally more expensive downtown and cheaper in the suburbs. Many Asian, Indian, Mexican and fast food restaurants offer rather cheap "all you can eat" lunch buffets. Office workers usually go for lunch at noon, so try to show up well before, or past 13:00.

Most restaurants' kitchens close at 22:00 even on weekends, so don't get out too late. A glass of house wine costs in the range between 60 and 120 kr, or 400 to 700 kr for a bottle. Sweden has enforced non-smoking in all bars, pubs, restaurants and enclosed areas.

Many Stockholm restaurants are closed for vacation for a few weeks in July and/or early August. In December, many restaurants offer a "julbord" ("Christmas buffet"), a variation of the classic Swedish smörgåsbord with traditional Christmas dishes including Christmas ham, pickled herring and "lutfisk" (stockfish from cod or ling, prepared with lye), which might require advance booking, costing around 300-600 kr, beverages not included.

In this cosmopolitan city, traditional Swedish cuisine, known as husmanskost ("every mans food"), can be hard to get by. Many fine diners have a not-too-expensive husmanskost course: some other places to eat Swedish are the Nystekt strömming wagon at Slussen (Södermalm), Ät gott (S:t Göransgatan 74, (Kungsholmen)) and Tennstopet (Dalagatan 50, (Vasastan)).

Guide Michelin recognizes ten Stockholm restaurants: Three-star Frantzén, two-star Oaxen Krog and one-star Mathias Dahlgren Matbaren, Ekstedt, Gastrologik, Operakällaren, Sushi Sho, Restaurang Volt , Aloë and Agrikultur.

Since 2016 Stockholm has a fish auction for seafood, and local catch can be found at many supermarkets and restaurants.

While the traditional Nordic cuisine is heavy on meat and fish, Stockholm has a strong vegetarian community. Most restaurants have at least one lacto-vegetarian option. For vegan food, look for the café chain Blueberry or Asian spots such as Ki-Mama and EatNam. The convenience chains Pressbyrån and 7-Eleven dotted around the city centre stock vegan sandwiches.

Stockholm has a fleet of food trucks, with high-end meals around 70 to 90 kr. See Hittatrucken for schedules.

Cafés
Taking a break for coffee and a biscuit is a Swedish tradition, commonly called fika in Swedish, and there are many coffee-bars around the city. You also have a great number of the more traditional pasttiseries.

Traditional Swedish filter coffee is relatively strong when compared to American, but a far cry from the Italian espresso. Espresso, caffe latte, cappuccino and other varieties of Italian coffee are generally available. If you prefer tea, many cafés only offer a few flavours, but generally some black, red and green teas.

Don't miss the traditional Swedish "cinnamon bun" with your coffea. If you visit in January-March you also will have the possibility to try a "Semla", a popular local pastry with wheat bread, almond paste and cream. In November-December you can try one of the saffron buns, known as "lussebulle".

Starbucks competes with Swedish coffee shops: Wayne's Coffee, Robert's Coffee and Espresso House are the most common names here - that are strikingly similar in design. The small local cafés offer a more personal experience, and often better coffee. Expect to pay 25 kr and upwards for a cup of regular black coffee.

Don't hesitate to ask for a refill (påtår in Swedish) at self-service cafeterias, as it is often free.

Retail drinks

 * Further information: Sweden

Drinking retail alcohol is allowed in most public areas. Among the exceptions are schools, playgrounds, indoor malls, some city squares, and public transport areas. In some parks, drinking is prohibited from 22:00 or midnight. Map of dry areas

Bars and nightclubs
The cost for drinking out in Stockholm varies a lot. Expect to pay around 30 kr in the cheapest pub (55-75 kr in a trendier club or pub) for a beer or cider, and at least 95-150 kr for a long-drink or cocktail in a club. Bars usually have no cover charge, but may have an arbitrarily set (and arbitrarily enforced) minimum age limit (usually 21 or 23, sometimes as low as 18, other times as high as 27), while clubs usually charge 50-200 kr at the door (or more at special performances). Long, and very slow moving lines tend to form outside most popular clubs - expect having to wait as much as 1 hour or more if going to a trendy place after midnight, even if raining or snowing. Don't forget to bring an ID, as bouncers will (almost) always ask for identification at the door in both pubs and clubs.

Stureplan is a district dominated by dancefloor nightclubs, at the crossing of Birger Jarlsgatan, Kungsgatan and Sturegatan, (T Östermalmstorg). The mushroom-shaped rain shelter is a common meeting point. High entrance fees (200 kr or more) and long lines.

Södermalm is a district with many smaller bars and nightclubs focusing on art and electronic music. Look in nightlife magazines for places around Hornstull (such as Strand), Mariatorget (such as Sidetrack, Marie Laveau), Slussen (such as Debaser, Kolingsborg), Skanstull (such as Trädgården, Under Bron).

Major bar streets are Götgatan (where most places are rather cheap pubs) and Bondegatan (with a younger and more trendy crowd), both on Södermalm, Rörstrandsgatan in western Vasastan (also rather trendy, but drawing a slightly older crowd) and the area around the Rådhuset and Fridhemsplan metro stations on Kungsholmen (with many small and relaxed places). Beer is usually really cheap in suburban pubs.

Most restaurants and bars close at 01:00, larger clubs usually at 03:00, and a handful at 05:00. More trendy clubs might have a long queue from midnight till closing time. Get out early (at least before midnight). Most late-night clubs (especially at Stureplan) have an informal or outspoken dress code, vårdad klädsel. Loudness and drunkenness are other common reasons to reject waiting guests. Drinking in the queue is a no-no, bribes are even worse.

If you can read Swedish, you can get more information about Stockholm's nightlife in the free monthly magazine Nöjesguiden, the newspaper Dagens Nyheter on Thursdays, the free QX gay magazine for LGBT events and the free Metro on Fridays.

Sleep
Stockholm is primarily a business city, so beside the Grand Hôtel (Norrmalm) and a few other luxury venues, Stockholm has several business (typically 4-star) hotels, which charge 900-1200 kr for a single room. They usually have vacancies during weekends and summers, and might give special offers for tourists.

Many hotels have basement rooms without windows, often smaller and more austere than the regular rooms, and significantly cheaper, especially the singles. The hotels make no secret of the fact that this room category has no window, but do make sure to read the description of your room carefully before you book to avoid unpleasant surprises.

The cheap bunks are in short supply. Look for hostels at Svenska Turistföreningen and SVIF. Advance booking is usually needed, especially in summer, and for those in the inner city. Stockholm has some spectacular hostels, such as af Chapman (Skeppsholmen), Långholmen (Södermalm) and Jumbostay at Arlanda.

The lowest cost per bed can be found on the Baltic Sea ferries.

Hospitality exchange and home exchange options can be useful for Stockholm. The apartment rental market is strictly regulated, with waiting times over a decade.

When it comes to long-time accommodation, Stockholm has a harsh housing situation, with several years' waiting time for a rental apartment. Newcomers are dependent on the unreliable second-hand rental market. For consultants and other business visitors, a long-time hotel stay might be the most practical option.

Connect
As of Sept 2021, central Stockholm has 5G from all Swedish carriers, but this hasn't rolled out across the city, which mostly gets 4G. Wifi is widely available in public places.

Stay safe
For its size, Stockholm is a safe city by international standards. Still, travellers should use common sense to avoid crime.

While police officers can be spread thin, Stockholm has patrolling security guards (ordningsvakt) in central neighbourhoods. These are usually helpful to visitors. Security staff at nightclubs might be more harsh, especially at intoxicated patrons. Drunkenness is less accepted in bars and clubs than in smaller towns, and could lead to the security staff forcibly ejecting the trouble-maker. Bouncers in Stockholm are stricter than in other European cities, and you may be kicked out for no reason.

Most crimes against travellers are crimes of opportunity, such as pickpockets, bicycle theft, auto theft, and auto vandalism. As always, do not leave valuable items in your car, and watch your bag in crowded places. Most shops and all major taxi companies accept credit and debit cards, so there is no need to carry a lot of cash.

Stockholm's road traffic is not too dangerous. Use common sense, and beware of slippery roads when temperature is around zero (which can happen from November to March). Animal collisions are a risk factor even in the inner suburbs; watch out for deer in particular.

Taxis are required to post pricing information in the rear side window. The comparison price is for a 15 km ride and not the maximum price, which could be a lot more when venturing outside the inner city. While some independent driver charge the maximum allowed (499 kr), major cab companies (Taxi Stockholm, Taxi Kurir, Taxi 020/Sverigetaxi and Topcab) are around 300 kr. With these cabs, you also have a better chance of having belongings lost in the car returned to you.

During summer, groups of street gamblers try to scam their audience in other touristed areas, by planting a few of their own in the crowd. Don't play, you will lose.

Though Sweden has an extensive welfare system, and Stockholm has far fewer homeless and impoverished people than other cities of similar size, homeless people can be seen begging around the city; several of them from other parts of the European Union. A responsible way to address their situation is to buy the street paper, Situation Sthlm, for 50 kr. Buying food or water for someone begging is also a good way of helping. While organized crime does exist, lawful visitors are unlikely to be affected.

Stockholm is friendly to sexual minorities. Homophobic and transphobic attitudes will be met with outright hostility from many Swedes. Same-sex couples will have no trouble living openly in Stockholm, which includes holding hands or kissing in public around the city.

Respect
When using escalators, stand on the right and reserve the left side for walking. Standing still on the left side might annoy people. On train and metro platforms, passengers should be allow to leave the car before passengers who want to board. When waiting in lines, be patient and polite. Swedes never jump queues - but make sure you actually stand in the line. If unsure, ask.

Avoid walking in the cycle lane. Dedicated cycle paths are clearly marked, but sometimes run directly next to the sidewalk. Stockholm cyclists are subject to a comparatively hilly landscape and are unwilling to slow down and lose momentum. Usually, however, they are careful, signal clearly and use their bells, meaning that straying tourists most often are just sworn at.

As most other Nordic people, Swedes value privacy, and are usually not open to strangers in public, especially in public transport. They may feel uncomfortable and embarrassed if you try to start a conversation. If you are lucky enough to be invited to someone's home, you will discover that Swedes behave very differently and will be very social.

Pack

 * See also Sweden.

Stockholm is best experienced on foot, so bring comfortable shoes. An umbrella or a raincoat for wet weather is also a good idea. Expect the temperature to be well under freezing during the winter months (add to that windchill and humidity), so if you plan to visit then, warm clothes in good materials are certainly recommendable. Long johns/stockings under your pants/skirt will keep you warm without looking like you wear your ski-outfit).

Eating out is generally rather expensive. If on a budget, supermarket food is a good alternative to restaurants.

Getting cash
Credit and debit cards are widely accepted even for small amounts, so you may not need much cash – many places don't take cash at all. Most places accept identification and a signature, but PIN-transactions are preferred.

There are many ATMs in the city, but some foreign card-holders, such as a Canadian, have reported trouble in using them, even when they purport to be connected to international networks their banks are part of, so consider doing some research before you arrive.

The main currency exchange is Forex, but they charge a whopping 50 kr commission on top of their buy-sell spread.

Toilets
Finding a good toilet in Stockholm can be tricky. Many department stores and fast-food restaurants have clean toilets, often for the charge of 5 kr. That is also the cost of public toilet booths found in most city squares (though these might be messy) so be sure to carry some 5 kr coins. Restaurants' toilets are often reserved for customers, and might be messy depending on the establishment. Some good, clean toilets are found in Max at Norrmalmstorg, and in the bar Sturehof (at Stureplan - the establishment is too big for crew to keep track of people borrowing the toilet). Urinating in town is illegal, but urinals are often free even if you have to pay for a WC. The libraries, museums, and government buildings often have free, clean toilets.

Most major hotels have clean lobby toilets. Some of them might be reserved for house guests and require an access code, but travellers can often get access to them on request.

Laundry
Since Swedish apartments either have a washing machine or access to a communal laundry room, there are virtually no self-service laundries to be found in Stockholm, with one exception:

Most youth hostels have washing machines. Some dry cleaners offer to wash shirts and bed linen as well, but this tends to be quite expensive.

Health
Swedish healthcare is generally of high quality, although there may be long waits in emergency rooms. How quickly one sees a doctor will depend on medical priority; money, name or title won't bypass the queue.

EU/EEA citizens with a European Health Insurance card pay the same (rather low) fee for emergency and necessary care as a local citizen. Others must pay the whole health care cost (which can be between 1,700 and 2,200 kr for a doctor’s visit at an emergency care unit at a hospital). More information on hospital fees can be found at 1177 Vårdguiden.

In an emergency, always call 112 for SOS Alarm, for ambulance, police, fire service, air and sea rescue, mountain patrol, or priest on call. English-speaking operators are available.

There are two hospitals with 24-hour emergency care units in the inner city:

For less serious illnesses and ailments, getting in touch with a local clinic, vårdcentral, is a much better option than the hospital emergency rooms. The Stockholm County healthcare hotline (+46 8 320 100) can give medical advice and help you find a doctor. While information is officially given in Swedish only, the doctors can often speak some English.

Pharmacies
Certified pharmacies (apotek) have a green cross sign. You can buy over-the-counter medicine in most supermarkets and convenience stores. Strong painkillers are only sold at pharmacies, though.

Embassies

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Stockholm County
Outside the metropolitan area, Stockholm County contains cultural heritage as well as great nature, all within reach of the SL public transport network; most in less than an hour.
 * Stockholm archipelago consists of thousands of islands scattered into the Baltic Sea. While many of them can be reached by road, others need a ferry. Many of those ferries call at central Stockholm.
 * Ekerö is a less-known freshwater archipelago in Lake Mälaren, with two World Heritage Sites: Drottningholm Palace (the residence of the Royal Family) and Viking Age settlement Birka. Drottningholm is 10 km from central Stockholm, and can be reached by public transportation within 30 minutes, or a 1-hour ferry trip.
 * Sigtuna is Sweden's first capital, a quaint town near Arlanda Airport, 40 km north of Stockholm.
 * Norrtälje contains the northern part of the archipelago, and vast forests.
 * Stockholm's northern suburbs have many opportunities for outdoor life, including three slopes for downhill skiing, and Viking Age heritage.
 * Södertörn contains forests and lakes, especially the Tyresta National Park, and the Nynäshamn port city.
 * Södertälje is a quaint port city.

Uppsala County
Uppsala, the seat of Uppsala County, was the political, cultural and religious centre of Viking era Sweden. Uppsala also hosts Sweden's first university and Uppsala Cathedral is the largest in the Nordic countries, and the seat of the Church of Sweden. 80 km north of Stockholm, it is a gratifying day trip destination, where many historic sites dating even farther back than some in Stockholm are within walking distance from the central station.

To get there, there are two rail options:
 * SJ offers fast hourly service from Stockholm C to Uppsala, with a sporadic service to Gävle also calling at Uppsala. This option takes 30-38 minutes and costs 82 kr for adults (26 or older).
 * SL offers a stopping half-hourly service from Stockholm C to Uppsala, taking 55 minutes and costing 110 kr (65 kr for people under 20), possession of an SL travel card (even 24- or 72 hour) will reduce the fare to 60 kr (35 kr for people under 20 or over 65).

Farther away

 * Gävle is a town and a county seat with several museums, and the famous straw goat during December.
 * Södermanland County has some destinations for day excursions, such as Strängnäs and Mariefred and Trosa.
 * Gotland is an exotic island in the middle of the Baltic Sea, reachable by plane from Bromma Airport, or by ferry from Nynäshamn.
 * Åland is an autonomous Swedish-speaking island between Sweden and Finland, served by most Baltic Sea ferries.
 * Turku is Finland's oldest city, reached by day or overnight ferry.
 * Helsinki is Finland's capital, reached by overnight ferry or airplane.

title: Stockholm


text:
Stockholm (disambiguation)

There is more than one place called Stockholm:

Sweden

 * Stockholm - The capital of Sweden.
 * Stockholm County - A county containing Stockholm and its suburbs.

United States of America

 * Stockholm (Maine) - A town in the state of Maine.
 * Stockholm (New Jersey) - A town in the state of New Jersey.
 * Stockholm (New York) - A town in the state of New York.
 * Stockholm (South Dakota) - A town in the state of South Dakota.
 * Stockholm (Wisconsin) - A town in the state of Wisconsin.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Stockholm (disambiguation)


text:
Stockholm/Östermalm

Östermalm [østərˈmalm] is a borough in north-eastern Stockholm, bordering Norrmalm and Vasastan at Birger Jarlsgatan, one of Stockholm's longest streets. The core of Östermalm consists of 19th century city-blocks, combined with vibrant tree-lined boulevards and upmarket shopping. The outer part of Östermalm contains several universities and colleges, as well as the harbour area with two cruise ship terminals, and Djurgården (with a separate article), a park island with many popular museums.

Understand

 * I live on Sturegatan, so there is some importance in the things I say! – A telephone complaint to Swedish Television. Made in 1966, it later turned to a catchphrase to illustrate the self-image of Östermalm. Ironically, the TV studio is a short walk from Sturegatan.

Östermalm is rich with history. Since Medieval times, the lands were known as Ladugårdslandet ("the barn land"), and consisted of royal farms. With the rise of the Swedish Empire during the 17th century, the area was militarised, with army quarters, and a drill field, Gärdet [ˈjæˈɖet], clear and open until today. In the late 19th century, the bourgeois had palatial residence blocks built along the waterfront, and the name Östermalm came into use. During the 1930s, a part of the drill field gave way to a row of plain, square modernist apartment houses, which came to inspire similar projects around the world.

The Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm University, and several smaller seats of learning (Royal College of Music, University of Dance and Circus, Defense Academy etc), are in Norra Djurgården.

The harbour area, consisting of Värtahamnen, Frihamnen and Loudden was built up from the late 19th century. Today the freighters are fewer, and the harbour mostly receives Baltic Sea ferries as well as international cruiseferries. The centre of the Swedish television and motion picture industry, much of it in decommissioned warehouses in the harbour, contributes to the timeless glamour of Östermalm.

Get in
Östermalm is easily accessed by different forms of transport, as described in Stockholm and on the public transport authority SL's website.

Many cruise ships dock at Värtahamnen [ˈvæʈaˈhamnən] and Frihamnen (if not at Södermalm). The docks are barely within walking distance from the subway station Gärdet. Taxicabs usually line up at the terminal, and as usual in Stockholm, beware of rip-off fares, and check the yellow price tag!

 * The red line of the subway has several stations in Östermalm. In the centre of Östermalm is the station Östermalmstorg [østərmalmstˈɔrj] serving the Stureplan [ˈstʉrəˈplɑːn] and Östermalmstorg area of the district.

 * The tram Spårväg City [ˈsporˈvɛːg ˈsɪtʏ] runs from the Central Station (Norrmalm) along Strandvägen to Djurgården making it a very scenic way to travel with ease.

See
Östermalm contains several museums, and other institutions of culture. At Sturegatan and Karlavägen you can find many art galleries. See Stockholm waterfront palace tour for a walking tour along the palatial buildings of Strandvägen.

Gärdet and Stockholm Harbour

Norra Djurgården and Frescati

 * The museum contains Cosmonova, Sweden's only IMAX Dome cinema.
 * The museum contains Cosmonova, Sweden's only IMAX Dome cinema.

Do

Buy
Stureplan and the surrounding streets have many shopping opportunities for the well-to-do. Of course, most museums have souvenir shops.

Eat
Dining in Östermalm can be costly, and fast-food and ethnic restaurants that dominate the budget bracket in Stockholm are fewer than in other districts. Östermalm has however many good spots for a picnic, if the weather allows.

Mid-range

Drink

 * The student unions at KTH (T Tekniska Högskolan) and Stockholm University (T Universitetet) hold pubs on weeknights at various campus locations, except during summer months. If you can read Swedish, you'll find a list at Fester.nu.
 * Other pubs are at Konsulatet (Brinellvägen 26A) and T-Centralen (not to be confused with the subway station of the same name).
 * At T-Universitetet is Allhuset and Gröna Villan.
 * At T-Universitetet is Allhuset and Gröna Villan.

Stureplan and Östermalmstorg
Stureplan is a nightlife hub at the border between Östermalm and Norrmalm. Expect long lines and high cover charges at weekend nights; get out before midnight.

Stay safe
While Östermalm is generally safe, most risks come with nightlife. Drunk violence, pickpocketing and reckless driving can be a nuisance at weekend nights, in particular around Stureplan. Offers for a taxi ride can be for an illegal or overpriced cab; check the price tag in the right window, and the yellow license plate.

title: Stockholm/Östermalm


text:
Stockholm/Gamla stan

Gamla stan pronounced gamlaˈstɑːn, the Old Town, also known as Staden mellan broarna ("the town between the bridges") is the Old Town in Stockholm, containing genuine cultural heritage, as well as tourist traps. The district is made up by the main island Stadsholmen, with the smaller islands Helgeandsholmen with the Swedish Parliament and Riddarholmen with several nobility palaces, today occupied by various government functions.

Understand
Since the Ice Age, the land has been rising through post-glacial rebound, at about half a metre per century. What is today Lake Mälaren, was part of the brackish Baltic Sea until AD 1000; in these times, Birka, Sigtuna and Uppsala were the most important settlements in Svealand; all being located at the Mälaren shore.

As Sigtuna was sacked in 1187, a fortress was built on the island to protect Mälaren from pirates. While most of the first houses were built of wood, and destroyed by fire through the years, some masonry basements remain from the Middle Ages. The first Royal Palace, Tre Kronor, burnt down in 1697.

In the mid-19th century, most buildings in central island had fallen into decay, and total redevelopment was considered. However, most buildings were restored instead, transforming the island from a slum to a high-class neighbourhood. Today, Gamla stan has 7,000 inhabitants and is full of restaurants of different Swedish styles, art galleries, craft and antiquity shops and souvenir shops.

Get in
Gamla stan is connected to Norrmalm by four walkable bridges, all of which provide picturesque views and nice photo opportunities. From east to west those are Strömbron, Norrbro, Riksbron and Vasabron.

Södermalm is only connected to the Gamla stan via the Slussen, a transit node built over the water lock between the Baltic Sea and the Lake Mälaren. It is under renovation until 2025, with detours and blocked views. While pedestrians, bicycles, cars and buses can pass through, it gets congested around rush hours.

By tunnelbana
The Tunnelbana station Gamla stan is the only one within the district, and is located at the southeast edge of it. All trains of the red (13, 14) and green (17, 18, 19) lines stop at Gamla stan.

Alternatively, you can alight at the Central Station or at Slussen on the Södermalm side and take a bus or simply walk to the Gamla stan over one of the bridges.

By bus
These are the following bus stops in Gamla stan:
 * On Munkbroleden at the western waterfront (buses 3 and 53 stop there):
 * Riddarhustorget at the bridge to Riddarholmen
 * Mälartorget at the Gamla stan T-bana station
 * Kornhamnstorg at the namesake square in the south of Gamla stan
 * On Skeppsbron along the eastern waterfront (all other buses going to Gamla stan stop there):
 * Slottsbacken by the Royal Palace
 * Räntmästartrappan at the Slussen quays

''Nota bene: It appears on the network plans provided by the SL that bus 59 goes through Gamla stan along with 3 and 53. In reality, the 59 passes by Gamla stan using Centralbron (a highway bridge) and does not stop in Gamla stan at all.''

Get around
Cars are banned in inner Gamla stan. As in most historical districts, people with motion disabilities might have difficulties getting around, though many basement establishments have wheelchair lifts. Bicycles are good for the waterfront roads, but they could be difficult to bring inside the alleyways. Good walking shoes are essential, as the cobblestone streets are unevenly paved, and there are little to no soft surfaces.

Walking tours in Gamla stan:
 * Stockholm Main Street: includes Stora Nygatan
 * Stockholm history tour: a historical showcase from the Vikings to the Nobel Prize
 * Stockholm quay palace tour: A showcase of the city's finest architecture
 * Haunted Stockholm tour: the old town's ghost stories

There are many guided walking tours advertised for purchase on the internet. Most such walking tours do not include entry into the places of interest that they cover (whether entry is free or not).

See

 * The Royal Guards, Högvakten, used to consist of conscripts. Today, all Swedish soldiers are professional. A ceremonial changing of the guard occurs at the Royal Palace every day from 23rd April to 31st August at 12.15PM on weekdays and Saturdays, and 1.15PM on Sundays and public holidays, with the Mounted Guards arriving from Östermalm.
 * The Royal Guards, Högvakten, used to consist of conscripts. Today, all Swedish soldiers are professional. A ceremonial changing of the guard occurs at the Royal Palace every day from 23rd April to 31st August at 12.15PM on weekdays and Saturdays, and 1.15PM on Sundays and public holidays, with the Mounted Guards arriving from Östermalm.

Buy
Gamla stan has plenty of small stores selling souvenirs, art, handicraft and other items mainly geared towards tourists. Although there are a number of tourist traps with tacky, grossly overpriced merchandise, especially on Västerlånggatan, you can also find nice and interesting stuff. If you want a calmer experience, try Österlånggatan or any of the other streets.

Eat
Many of Gamla stan's restaurants are high-end, and those around Stortorget can be a bit overpriced. The least costly eating options are the fast food places.

Drink
Drinks in Gamla stan are quite expensive - expect to pay around 60 kr for a 500 ml lager in a cheap pub, rising to 95 kr for a microbrew beer in a nice pub. If you like to drink a lot, it's worth heading further afield, and avoiding the tourist bars.

Budget
The Old Town contains several low-cost hostels. As the beds are in high demand, especially during summer, advance booking is strongly recommended.

Mid-range
The Collector's Hotels (+46 8 506 400 50) are a chain of three hotels themed for Lord Nelson. (That's forgiving of them, since he blockaded the Baltic and bombarded Copenhagen.) They're close together in Gamla stan and all booked through the central website.

Stay safe
Beware of pickpocketing and illegal street gambling, especially around Västerlånggatan.

title: Stockholm/Gamla stan


text:
Stockholm/Kungsholmen

Kungsholmen is an urban island which makes up the western part of Stockholm's inner city, with the Stockholm City Hall, Stockholms stadshus, as a dominant landmark. While tourist attractions are few, the island has great waterfront parks and beaches, and plenty of cosy cafés and shops.

Understand
The eastern part of Kungsholmen is densely urban, and contains much of Stockholm's legal system: the national police board with the country's largest jail, and the Stockholm district court (Stockholms tingsrätt), as well as many government functions, such as the City Hall, and the County Council building.

The north-western part of the island is under development, with new hotels, shops and restaurants, as well as residential areas. The islands Stora Essingen and Lilla Essingen also belong to the borough. The E4/E20 expressway Essingeleden runs across these islands, as well as Kungsholmen.

Get in
Most of Kungsholmen is reached by subway, from Norrmalm, Vasastan, Västerort and Solna. The scenic Västerbron ("Western Bridge") connects to Södermalm. See Stockholm.

See
While most visitors to Stockholm see the City Hall, few of them take the opportunities to see the rest of Kungsholmen. Still, the waterfront is walkable around most of the islands, and there is a variety of restaurants, cafés and stores.

Do

Eat
Eastern Kungsholmen is packed with restaurants of different price levels.

Drink
Bars in Kungsholmen are concentrated around Fridhemsplan, and along Fleminggatan and Hantverkargatan. Prices are usually lower than the rest of the inner city.

Sleep
The accommodation options in Kungsholmen are limited, so you can consider staying in neighbouring Norrmalm or Vasastan where there are more thereof.

Stay safe
Kungsholmen contains the national police headquarters, with heavy law enforcement presence, and is generally safe.

Fridhemsplan is a nightlife district, with some risk of drunk brawls in the evening. Hornsbergs strand gets crowded in summer, with antisocial behaviour as a consequence.

As Kungsholmen's beaches get crowded (by Swedish standards), use common sense for water sport.

title: Stockholm/Kungsholmen


text:
Stockholm/Norrmalm

Norrmalm [nɔrˈmalm], also known as City, is the central borough of Stockholm, bordering to Östermalm to the east at Birger Jarlsgatan, the Old Town to the south, Kungsholmen to the south-west, and Vasastan north-west of Tegnérgatan. The small Skeppsholmen island can be reached across a bridge.

Here you find Stockholm Central Station, Scandinavia's busiest station for railway, metro and buses. Norrmalm also contains the central business district and several government functions, and many famous museums, stage venues and restaurants.

Understand
For most of its history, Norrmalm was a suburb of Stockholm proper; Gamla Stan. Norrmalm used to be divided by a north-south ridge, Brunkebergsåsen, which remains in form of the elevated streets Malmskillnadsgatan [ˈmalmˌʃɪlnadzˈgɑːtan] and Regeringsgatan. The Central Station opened in 1871, and industries and working-class homes grew along the railway. Southern Norrmalm became a central business district, known as City, through two major redevelopments: first in the 1880s, and again in the 1960s. Since the 1990s, a new wave of renovation has been under way to add residential blocks and pedestrian areas, decrease crime, and reduce traffic noise. Sergels torg and its surroundings re-opened in 2018.

Skeppsholmen was a base for the Swedish Navy until the mid-20th century. Most buildings are still owned by the government, transformed into museums and other venues. Very few people live on the island today.

A political centre, Norrmalm has been the stage of many historical events. Three major assassinations (King Gustavus III in 1792, Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986, and Foreign Minister Anna Lindh in 2003) have happened here, as well as a hostage crisis at Norrmalmstorg in 1973, which coined the term Stockholm Syndrome. The name City is said to be derived from City of London, as Swedish people interpreted the English word city as central district.

Get in

 * See Stockholm County for advice on public transport.

Stockholm Central Station is adjacent to Cityterminalen [ˈsitʏˌtærmɪˈnɑːlən] (the bus terminal) and T-Centralen [ˈteːsentrˈɑːlən] (the subway terminal).

Stockholm Central Station
80 per cent of all passenger rail rides in Sweden pass Stockholm Central Station. The last redevelopment was finished during 2013, and most facilities are state-of-the-art.

Tracks (spår) #1-9 are terminal tracks for trains heading north. These can be reached at street level. Track #10, mostly used by trains to Gothenburg, runs just outside the main hall. Tracks #11-19 are connected to the Central Station through an underground passage, and an overhead passage to Klarabergsviadukten.

 * There are more than 60 stores and fast food places at the station, most of them around the main hall. The northern hall has a food court.
 * The station has a taxi stand at Vasagatan, with a surcharge of 21 kr. Only reliable taxi companies are allowed to dock, because of the great variation of cab fares. You can hire any cab at the stand, or hail one in the street; be sure to look up the yellow price tag in the window!
 * Free Wifi network, named All Station Guests.
 * Tourist Information in the main hall.
 * Baggage boxes can be paid with a credit card or cash. They cost 60-70 kr per 24-hour period. There are cheaper baggage boxes at nearby department store Åhléns, as well.
 * The toilets cost 10 kr. If you want to save money, try to ask for the toilets at one of the several hotels nearby.
 * Stockholm City is a station far beneath ground level (below the metro) for commuter trains, pendeltåg, opened in 2017, with modern art in the spirit of Stockholm Metro, simulated daylight and platform walls, it is one of the most pleasant rail stations in northern Europe.

Get around
The area is well served by public transport, and everything is within walking distance. Some streets (Malmskillnadsgatan and Regeringsgatan) are elevated, but there are staircases at most intersections. Car parking lots are available but costly, in most cases above 50 kr an hour during daytime.

As of 2018, many construction projects take place in Norrmalm, forcing cars, bicycles and pedestrians to take detours.

Spårväg City is a tram line which connects the Central Station to Östermalm and Djurgården.

See
Redeveloped several times, Norrmalm has very diverse architecture: The eastern waterfront is full of palatial buildings from around 1900. The 1960s buildings, around Sergels Torg have a flat, modernist appearance with naked concrete, while recent developments paint much of the district in plain white or black surfaces.

Skeppsholmen
If visiting the museums on Djurgården it's a short ferry ride across to Skeppsholmen where there are several more:

Do

Buy
Norrmalm is Stockholm's main shopping district. Norrmalmstorg, Biblioteksgatan and the southern end of Birger Jarlsgatan, together with crossing streets and the Sturegallerian shopping centre on Stureplan, form the most upscale shopping area in the city, with brands like Emporio Armani (Biblioteksgatan 3, +46 8 678 79 80), Gucci (Birger Jarlsgatan 1, +46 8 545 005 44), Hugo Boss (Birger Jarlsgatan 28, +46 8 611 42 40), Karen Millen (Biblioteksgatan 7, +46 8 611 57 06) and Louis Vuitton (Birger Jarlsgatan 17 A, +46 8 611 92 00).

Drottninggatan is a pedestrianised street starting at the Riksbron bridge to Gamla Stan and continuing north up to the Observatorielunden park. The section south of the Sergels torg square is a typical tourist trap, dominated by stores selling tourist souvenirs and cheap clothes, and bland and bleak restaurants. Between Sergels Torg and Kungsgatan you will find the Åhléns and PUB department stores, as well as flagship stores for some national and international clothing chains. North of Kungsgatan, there are more cafés, restaurants and smaller stores.

Department stores and shopping centres

Fashion
The area around Sergels Torg is dominated by mainstream fashion shopping, with seven different H&M stores. Alternative clothing stores can be found further north.

Glassware and furnishing

Other

Eat
Restaurants in Norrmalm are usually crowded by office workers during lunch break (from 12:00 to 13:00). Á la carte dining can be rather costly; expect to pay more than 120 kr for a hot lunch, and more than 250 kr for a dinner.

Mid-range

 * Operabaren and Bakfickan,, Kungsträdgården (T Kungsträdgården). Two restaurants in the Royal Opera house, sharing the same menu. Much more laidback, and considerably less expensive than the formal fine dining restaurant Operakällaren and the celebrity-obsessed nightclub Café Opera in the same building. Operabaren and Bakfickan specialise in traditional Swedish cuisine. The rustique "back pocket" Bakfickan is slightly cheaper, but does not allow reservations. Mains: Bakfickan 130-260 kr, Operabaren 150-300 kr.

Splurge

Drink
Most hotels in the area have a hotel bar. Most are costly even by Swedish standards; a beer is around 70 kr.

Eastern Norrmalm
The eastern district is dominated by high-cost establishments. The nightlife hub Stureplan is divided between Norrmalm and Östermalm. Dress code, vårdad klädsel, usually applies at late night. Getting inside the most fashionable clubs can be difficult: arrive early, don't drink too much, and behave well.

Sleep
As Norrmalm is Stockholm's central business district, most hotels are at 4- or 5-star level, and priced accordingly; 1000 kr or more for a single room. The bars of these establishments are lively during evenings.

Budget
The hostels in Norrmalm are few and popular. Advance booking is strongly recommended, especially during summer.

Mid-range

Stay safe
Though rather safe compared to other metropolitan centres, there are a few caveats for central Stockholm:
 * Begging in busy areas.
 * Illegal street gambling, especially along Drottninggatan.
 * The welfare institutions at Klara Church attract homeless people, and people with addiction problems or mental conditions. They rarely cause trouble to bypassers, though.
 * Pickpocketing, especially at the Central Station, and in the metro.
 * The T-Centralen subway entrance to Sergels Torg ("Plattan") is a well-known hangout for drug-dealers at night, however, this should not be an issue unless you are actively seeking trouble.
 * Drunk violence at evenings, especially around nightclub lines.
 * Soliciting of sexual services at night. Hiring a prostitute is illegal in Sweden.

title: Stockholm/Norrmalm