48 hours in Stockholm – Weekend Edition
Stockholm In Less Than 48 Words
Stockholm with it’s stunning landscape is spread across an archipelago of 14 islands and laced with waterways covering more than 30 per cent of its area. Its parks and greenery more than complement a well-preserved Old Town.
Walk around the colorful streets of Gamla stan (Photo by Baldur)
First 24 Hours
You can reach the splendid city of Stockholm via the Stockholm-Arlanda Airport, which is located 37 kilometers north of the city center. From there, you can ride the Arlanda airport express train which will take you directly to the Stockholm Central Station. The journey takes just over 20 minutes, and will cost you SEK200. The trains arrive at the terminal once every 15 minutes. You can also take a bus that plies the same route for roughly the same price, or hire a taxi for a fixed, higher price.
Despite being spread over 14 islands, Stockholm is surprisingly easy to navigate. You can even visit many of the attractions in the city center on foot. Still, it is better to visit the main tourist office (Hamngatan 27, 00 46 8 508 28 508, website). The staff there can offer valuable tips about the city and transportation, and you can avail of a street map too. You can also buy a Stockholm Card that will give you free access to the city’s museums and public transport. It will only cost you SEK420 for a full 48 hours.
CHECK IN: Get your bearings back at Stockholm’s hotels
Once in the heart of the city, you can rest your tired mind and body at Stockholm’s excellent hotels. Here are some of the best options:
- Hotel Rival (Mariatorget 3, Box 17525, Stockholm 11891, +46 (0) 8-545 789 00, website) – an excellent hotel with excellent service and a convenient location in the city
- Hotel Skeppsholmen (Grona gangen 1|Box 1616, +46 8 407 23 00, website) – located just a 15-minute walk away from the city center, with chic rooms and fantastic breakfast
- Hotel J Nacka Strand (Ellensviksvagen 1|Nacka Strand, 08-601 30 00, website) – one of the best hotels in the city, which has excellent facilities, great views, and a convenient location
- Hotel Stureplan (Birger Jarlsgatan 24, Stockholm 11434, 08-440 66 00, website) – offers stylish and comfortable rooms, with excellent staff and a convenient location
- Lydmar Hotel (Södra Blasieholmshamnen 2103 24 Stockholm, 08-22 31 60, website) – offers nicely decorated and spacious rooms, plus a helpful staff and fantastic breakfast
KATARINA ELEVATOR: Let’s take a view
Katarina Elevator (Photo from Google images)
You can find the Katarina Elevator at Slussen, which is near the Stockholm city center. It is a unique passenger elevator which whisks people up to the heights of Södermalm. From there, you can have a sweeping view of the cityscape. You can also find the Gondola Café at the top, where you can sit back and enjoy a cup of coffee. It is open daily between 7:30 am and 10 pm, and the fare up will only cost a mere SEK10.
GAMLA STAN: Go for a historical hike
Gamla stan is Stockholm’s Old City. It is located on the Stadsholmen Island. You can reach it by a train ride to the Gamla stan metro station. Go for a historical hike along its medieval alleyways and cobbled streets, where you’ll see archaic buildings, monuments, and other cultural sites. You can see there the Stortorget Square, which was the site of the 1520 Stockholm Bloodbath.
Near it is the Stockholm Cathedral, one of the oldest churches in the city. It has a distinctive Swedish Brick Gothic style, and inside you can see various artifacts and artworks. A particular must-see there is the sculpture called “St. George and the Dragon.” The church is open daily between 9 am and 6 pm, and admission costs around SEK25.
Near the old Stock Exchange building at Stortorget Square is the Nobel Museum, where you can learn more about the life of Alfred Nobel and the winners of the Nobel Prize. It is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm, and entrance will cost only SEK60. Visit the Den Gyldene Freden, a restaurant which has been in business since 1722. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the site is the oldest restaurant in existence with an unaltered interior. You can also see the Sweden Bookshop near it, where you can buy a wide variety of books. It is open from Mondays to Fridays between 10 am and 6 pm.
VASA MUSEUM: See the only intact 17th century ship in the world
Another popular attraction in Stockholm is the world-renowned Vasa Museum (Galärvarvsvägen 14, +46-8-519 548 00, website). It is a maritime museum particularly noted for displaying the Vasa warship, which is the only intact 17th century ship in the world. The museum is considered to be the most visited in the entire Scandinavian region. You’ll also find inside various displays about ships in 17th century Sweden, as well as exhibits about the history of the Vasa warship. It is open daily between 10 am and 5 pm, and admission will cost SEK110.
Travel back in time at Vasa Museum (Photo from Google images)
DINNER TIME: Discover Stockholm’s restaurants
A perfect way to relax after sightseeing is to have a delicious dinner at the superb restaurants you can find all over the city. Here are some of the most popular venues, especially among tourists:
- Mathias Dahlgren (Sodra Blasieholmshamnen 6, +46(0)8 6793584, website) – serves an excellent Swedish cuisine at reasonable prices, plus an attentive staff and relaxed atmosphere
- Riche (Birger Jarlsgatan 4, +46(0)8-545-035-60, website) – a trendy and modern restaurant modeled after Paris’ Café Riche, which serves a diverse menu ranging from French, Scandinavian, Swedish and international choices
- Restaurant Lux (Primusgatan 116, Stockholm 112 67, 46-08-619 01 90, website) – offers excellent service, and high quality Swedish cuisine
- F12 (Fredsgatan 12, Stockholm 11152, 46-08-248-052, website) –a favorite of gourmet food lovers; it serves a vegetarian version of their meat dishes that live up to its Michelin star reputation
- Leijontornet (Lilla Nygatan 5|Old Town, Stockholm 11128, 46-8-50640080, website) – offers a very personal and attentive service, and serves excellent traditional Scandinavian dishes that are surely worth a try.
Next 24 Hours
NATIONALMUSEUM: Have a cultural day
You can utilize your next 24 hours in Stockholm by visiting the city’s other attractions. One of the most popular is the National Museum (Södra Blasieholmshamnen S-103 24 Stockholm, +46 8-5195 4410, website), also known as the National Museum of Fine Arts, where you can see an impressive collection of artworks dating from the Middle Ages to the 1900s. It has a display of sculptures, porcelain items, and modern art as well, including an art library. The site is open on Tuesdays from 11 am to 8 pm, and from Thursdays to Sundays between 11 am and 5 pm. Admission costs around SEK100.
National Museum (Photo from Google images)
SKEPPSHOLMEN: Visit one of Stockholm’s most beautiful islands
Skeppsholmen is a picturesque island lying by the Baltic Sea entrance to the city. You can reach it via bridges from Blasieholmen and Kastellholme. It is the site of the annual Stockholm Jazz Festival, which sees performances from some of the biggest names in jazz. You can see there the Moderna Museet (Slupskjulsvägen 7-9, website). It is a state museum having displays of Swedish and international contemporary art, particularly those of Picasso and Salvador Dali. It is open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 10 am to 6 pm, and admission usually costs around SEK80. You can also hang out by the museum’s café. It has an outdoor terrace where you can have scenic views while sipping hot coffee.
The annual Stockholm Jazz Festival at Skeppsholmen (Photo by Bengt Nyman)
SKANSEN: A walk in the park
Don’t forget to visit Skansen (115 93 Djurgården, Stockholm, 08-442 80 00, website), which was the first open air museum and zoo in Sweden. It covers a 75-acre area, and features a replica of a full 19th century Swedish town. Inside the “town”, you will see craftsmen dressed in period costumes, impersonating bakers, glass-blowers, silversmiths, and tanners. You will also see a small tobacco patch there, which is used for making cigarettes. Head to its zoo, where a wide variety of Scandinavian wildlife can be seen, particularly the grey seal, lynx, bison, red fox, wolverine, reindeer, brown bear, moose, otter, and wolf. You can reach the site by riding the Skansens Bergbana, a funicular railway found by the northwest side of the Skansen hill.
Skansen (Photo from Google images)
NIGHTLIFE: Indulge in Stockholm’s vibrant nightlife scene
You can also have a taste of the exciting nightlife afforded by Stockholm’s bars and clubs. Some of the best options are the following:
- Fasching (Kungsgatan 63, Stockholm 11122, +46(0)8-534-829-64, website) – is said to be the best jazz club in Scandinavia, and has a very relaxed air compared to Stockholm’s other bars
- Kvarnen (Tjärhovsgatan 4, Stockholm 11621, +46(0)8-643-03-80, website) – an unpretentious night club with 2 new lounge bars, with famous DJs spinning electronica to hip hop and an extremely friendly staff (minimum age of entry is 23)
- Patricia (Stadsgårdskajen 152, Stockholm 11645, +46(0)8-743-05-70, website) – a party boat that has been around since the ’80s, includes 5 indoor bars and 2 outer deck bars during the summer
- The White Room (Regeringsgatan 61, Stockholm 11156, 08-545 076 65, website) – a spacious, modern restaurant during early evenings but it becomes a serious party venue by 1 am, and is frequented by the wealthy and the young of Stockholm
- Berns Nightclub (Berzelii Park, Stockholm 10327, +46(0)8-566-322-22, website) – a grand mansion that has housed operas and concerts since 1863; it is now a nightclub catering to the young and hip crowd, and has a luxurious restaurant open on weekends until 3am
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