Cruise from Stockholm - a port city with a difference

Top 5 Unforgettable Stockholm Experiences

Stockholm is amazingly simple to enjoy. Part of the reason is that the city’s best attractions are all within easy reach. Even the distant palace of the Swedish Royal Family, Drottningholm, is less than a 45-minutes chug away on a beautiful old steamer — well worth the visit for the ride alone.

But let’s say that you want five unforgettable experiences all within walking distance your ship — or better yet, your hotel. Be sure to book at least a couple nights in Stockholm before or after your cruise. Stockholm is such an immensely beautiful city, with so many sights to take in, that you’ll want to breathe in as much as you possibly can. Trust us: Your will thank us for the advice!

These are our five recommendations for unforgettable Stockholm experiences…

Explore The Old Town Charm

Stockholm

Nicho Södling/Stockholm Visitors Board

Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s heart-shaped Old Town, is a destination all to itself. If you did nothing more than stroll the ancient streets of this area, you would still leave immensely satisfied with your stay in Stockholm. Some of the city’s best shops, coziest cafés and tastiest restaurants are located along the cobblestone streets of the uber-charming, and easily walkable Old Town.

Enjoy The Long Summer Days

Kayaking in the center of Stockholm

Karin Alfredsson/NORR

If your are staying in Stockholm before or after a cruises, no matter when you walk out of the hotel rooms it will be daylight. Even at 2 a.m., there are streaks of color on the horizon during the longest days of summer. Stockholm is at a latitude way north of Anchorage, Alaska, so the summer days are endless. Enjoy a sunset — at close to midnight! Or wake up for sunrise — at 3 a.m.!

Culture & History Everywhere

The outdoor museum Skansen in Stockholm

Anna Yu/Skansen

When cruising to or from Stockholm you will step ashore into a city founded 750 years ago. You’ll walk in the wake of the Vikings — and marvel at the fanfare and regalia of a modern-day Royal Family. Be sure not to miss the immensely popular Changing of the Guard and to take in a few of the city’s more than 70 museums. Your can also enjoy outdoor summer concerts at Skansen or jazz along the waterfront. Or why not release your inner Abba at nightclubs where anyone can be a “Dancing Queen” or absorb an opera in one of Europe’s most renowned theaters, the Royal Swedish Opera, inaugurated in 1773!

Island Hopping

Boat ride in Stockholm

Henrik Trygg

In the past, the city has been referred to as “Floating on Water” or “Beauty on Water.” No matter how you define it, Stockholm will wow you with its islands. Hop over to Södermalm, where much of the action took place in the forthcoming movie based on Stieg Larson’s fictional Millennium trilogy. And be sure not to miss a visit Djurgården, where you’ll find the fabulous Vasa Museum, Skansen (an open-air must-see museum) and if you travel with kids, the amusement park Gröna Lund. And you still have a dozen more islands to explore!

Swedish "Fika"

Typical Swedish strawberry cake

Henrik Trygg/VisitSweden

You could call Fika a coffee break, but you’d be wrong. It’s much more than that. Fika is a social institution where Swedes sit down to catch up over coffee and Swedish cakes, such as kanelbulle (the original cinnamon bun). It’s where caffeine and carbohydrates mix with conversation and, well, just taking a break from life. Fika embodies another important Swedish concept, "mysigt", which basically translates into cozy. You'll find many mysigt places to Fika in Stockholm.

© Ola Ericson/imagebank.sweden.se