City Guide: Palaces, Pop Legends And island Escapes / By Amanda Woods

Scandinavia’s largest city is a blend of medieval streets and cutting-edge culture. From royal palaces and world-class museums to island-hopping escapes, discover the best of Stockholm’s icons, design, dining and natural beauty

Part of an archipelago of around 30,000 islands Scandinavia’s largest city is bursting with history, music and art. Explore museums sharing everything from the world’s only preserved 17^th century ship to the magic of ABBA, embrace the Swedish tradition of tea or coffee and cake known as fika, and uncover local designers and vintage finds in SoFo.

The Icons

Gamla Stan

With its mix of 17^th century buildings and modern boutiques and restaurants in Stockholm’s Old Town you can feel like you’ve stepped back in time one moment and have your finger on the pulse the next.

Be sure to visit Stortorget, the oldest and most picturesque square in the city and to get a snap in Stockholm’s narrowest street, Mårten Tortzig’s Alley, while you’re there.

The Royal Palace

The King’s official residence, the Royal Palace is also home to five museums including the Treasury, where light dances on diamonds in the Swedish Crown Jewels; the magnificent Royal Apartments; and the Tre Konor Museum, where remnants of the original castle that was destroyed in a 1697 fire are on display.

Vasa Museum

One of the most popular museums in Scandinavia, the Vasa Museum is where you can see a spectacular 17^th century warship covered in hundreds of carved sculptures.

After sinking on its maiden voyage in 1628, the Vasa was recovered from Stockholm harbour 333 years later and is meticulously being restored to its former glory.

The Royal Palace, Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm, Sweden

Must Do

ABBA The Museum

This interactive museum is a pop culture treasure trove of ABBA artefacts and memorabilia from their white and gold Australian tour costumes to the 1974 Eurovision medal for Waterloo.

Dance on stage with ABBA holograms, take photos in the Arrival album’s helicopter, create your own mix of ABBA tracks and so much more.

The Avicii Experience

This powerful and emotional museum honours the life of one of Sweden’s most prolific songwriters and producers, Tim ‘Avicii’ Bergling.

Exhibitions include a recreation of his childhood bedroom and room that shows some of the intensity of his life on the road as visitors are given a glimpse of the intense highs and lows before he died at just 28 years of age.

SoFo

Head to ‘SOuth of FOlkungagatan’ in the Södermalm district to stroll through one of Stockholm’s most interesting neighbourhoods. Here you can find vintage stores and local designers, record stores and wine bars, and if you’re around on the last Thursday of the month you can enjoy late night shopping SoFo nights style.

Fotografiska

Founded in 2010, this contemporary photography museum is the first of a global network of Fotografiska locations including Berlin and Shanghai. As well as great art you can enjoy panoramic city views from the café and might catch artist talks and DJs spinning vinyl.

Millesgården

In the grounds of the former home of sculptor Carl Milles and his artist wife Olga, this sculpture park and art gallery is a chance to see great art with sweeping river views, along with interesting temporary exhibitions.

Pelikan

In an art nouveau building near SoFo one of Sweden’s oldest restaurants serves classic Swedish dishes to faithful locals and visitors. At Pelikan the handmade meatballs provide a taste of traditional Sunday dinners and are so popular they make 150 kilos of them a few times a week.

Skeppsbro Bageri

In Sweden it’s always a good time for fika, also known as a cuppa with a snack, and one of the best spots is Skeppsbro Bageri. This 100% organic artisan bakery won the Best Cinnamon Bun in Stockholm competition last year and has waterfront tables for fika with a view.

Le Hibou

The winner of Sweden’s Best Cocktail Bar and Best Cocktail Menu at the 2025 Bartender’s Choice Awards, Le Hibou is a rooftop bar with Parisian suite style vibes inside, and Stockholm city views outside.

Try something new from their modern cocktail list including a Crisp Apple with apple champagne, Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru and St Germain elderflower liqueur.

Island hop

The Stockholm Archipelago has around 30,000 islands between the city and the Baltic Sea. Join a hop on hop off boat tour to explore some of the highlights, or if you’re short on time just kick back on a 90-minute sightseeing tour with live English commentary.

The Grand Hotel

Follow in the footsteps of royalty, presidents, movie stars and Nobel Prize winners at this landmark hotel that has looked over the water to the palace since 1874. 

The Grand Hotel has 273 rooms, 70 suites, five restaurants and one luxurious spa where you can indulge in Nordic bathing rituals and Arctic detox massages along with more familiar pampering options.

The Bank Hotel

Set in an art deco bank building that dates back to 1910, the Bank Hotel has 111 rooms from windowless vault rooms where you can enjoy total blackout sleeps to suites with open terraces.

Named the number one City Hotel of the Year by Small Luxury Hotels of the World in 2023, the Bank is a beautiful blend of heritage touches and modern luxury.