10 must-sees in Stockholm: what to see and do in 2 or 3 days

It had been many years since I had visited Stockholm, One cities of Europe What was most attractive to me when I started traveling.

And also that he did not travel to Sweden, a country that , and especially for professional reasons, I have had the opportunity to visit several times.

For many reasons, Sweden it has always been a country for me aspirational, which is easy to understand for those of us who were born before the arrival of the democracia to Spain.

A couple of summers ago I had the opportunity to return to Stockholm and meet again, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

Furthermore, on this occasion I was able to enjoy the most complete tourism visit that I had never done.

As a result of this experience, below you have a tour guide with the indispensable and necessary tips and recommendations for visiting Stockholm, which will surely be useful to plan your own trip.

How to get from the airport to Stockholm

To fly to Stockholm, the main companies that do it from Spain, such as SAS e Iberia, they use the Arlanda airport, which is located 41 kilometers north of the capital.

From Arlanda airport can get to Stockholm at the Arlanda Express train, very fast (18 minutes) but very expensive (28 euros), or by bus company Flybussarna (45 minutes, 9,70 euros).

But it is possible that for travel to Stockholm use the advantage of having a direct line of Ryanair From Madrid.

In this case you must take into account that the company low cost fly to Skavsta airport, which is located 106 kilometers away!! to the southwest.

As a result of the long distance, the transfer by bus from the same company Flybussarna It will take you an hour and a half.

The positive side is that this way you will have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful countryside of Sweden.

This is the experience of visiting Stockholm, the best things to see

Stockholm is a very easy city to visit, that's how it was the experience of our visit, from which we are going to give you our advice on places you should know and some activities you can do.

Gamla Stan, Stockholm Old Town

When we travel to a city, in addition to seeing monuments or visiting outstanding museums, above all we seek to walk through the most beautiful and charming corners of it.

And, in general, we always find these corners in the historic center, and in the case of Stockholm, Gamla Stan, known as the Old City, which will be the main attraction of your visit to the Swedish capital.

During the same you will surely walk through this neighborhood several times, you will stroll through its narrow streets, and it is even possible that you will sit on the terrace of the old cafes of the Stortorget square.

Gamla Stan It is, above all, the place where in the 13th century the Stockholm city.

In that area of ​​origin of said city, a large population of German descent was concentrated, which influenced its architecture.

On your walk through its streets, in addition to seeing medieval houses with colorful facades, you will also find some of the most important monuments of the Swedish capital, such as the Royal Palace and Storkyrkan Cathedral.

The building of said palace dates back to the 18th century, since at that time the original building had to be rebuilt after a fire.

Other notable buildings that you can see in Gamla Stan are Stockholm Stock Exchange, the Nobel Museum or the headquarters of the Swedish Academy.

The narrow streets of Gamla Stan You will always find them very busy with tourists, and there are craft shops in them, remembrances and restaurants.

On that walk you will also have the opportunity to discover the narrowest alley in Stockholm, known as Mårten Trotzigs gränd, which is less than a meter wide.

In short, Gamla Stan It will be the main focus of your visit to the Swedish capital, and in that neighborhood you will find its greatest charm.

How to visit a Saluhall, a typical Swedish market in Stockholm

Not far away is the glamorous Östermalm neighborhood where the wealthiest people in the city are concentrated and where you find streets with luxury brand stores.

In this neighborhood you must visit a Saluhall, typical swedish market which has inspired markets that are so popular now in Spain such as that of Saint Michael in Madrid and Boqueria in Barcelona.

Saying Saluhall It is located in a building from 1888, and you will surely appreciate the charm of its different food stalls, and you will also take the opportunity to eat in one of its bars.

How to ride the Katarina elevator in Stockholm

You should also walk through the cultural Södermaln neighborhood where you should not stop go up to the Katarina elevator observation deck.

This elevator is a metal structure from 1881 from where you have the best panoramic views of Stockholm city and its surroundings.

Visit the Vasa museum in Stockholm

You may want to use the tram, or even cross by boat, to go to the Djurgarden Island, which brings together various attractions.

The specific objectives of the Vasa museum where an impressive 17th century ship, which was the largest built until then in the world, which sank at the entrance to the port of Stockholm.

Centuries later, in 1961, it was refloated and is now displayed in a custom-built museum, where you will see 90 percent of the original ship.

Skansen open-air museum, country houses in Stockholm

Or the Skansen open air museum, a type of exhibition so common in the Nordic countries where the Swedish country house life, and an ideal place to visit with children.

On this island you also find the historic Grona Lund amusement park, another very suitable visit for a family trip to the Swedish capital.

How to see Art in the Escoholm metro

On the other hand, for your visit I tell you that you must visit the Stockholm metro.

If you don't know, I'll tell you that the subway It has become one of the most curious tourist attractions in the city.

And not because the Swedish capital's metro is one of the most modern in Europe, but because its stations have become true centers of modern art.

To the point that on your route you should contemplate seeing several of its most artistic stations, the ideal being that you sign up for one of the guided tours of the Stockholm Metro.

La Stockholm Metro network It began to be built in 1950, and currently has 110 stations that are distributed across three main lines with four complementary branches.

The idea of ​​artistically decorating metro stations already began during the construction of the first stations.

These were designed by Peter Celsing, chief architect of Stockholm tram, from whose lines the metro network was developed.

But officially the Art on the Stockholm Metro It did not appear until 1957, when the main station of the network was built, T-Central, for whose decoration a competition was held.

Among the participants in said contest, the twelve proposals that were implemented at said station were selected.

At present, there are 90 stations with artistic decoration, in whose design more than 150 artists have participated.

Although currently in the Stockholm Metro No new stations are being built, but other stations on the current network are being decorated.

To see the decoration of the stations you have the option of traveling through the metro lines on your own and thus seeing the most notable ones.

But it may also be interesting to sign up for the guided tours offered by the Stockholm Metro, just as I did on my last trip to the Swedish capital.

Tour of the most beautiful Stockholm Metro stations

The guided tours of the Stockholm Metro They take place in summer, from June to September, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 15 p.m.

These visits are carried out in English and are free (you just have to bring your metro ticket).

You must sign up for them at the tourist office in the aforementioned station. T-Central.

The visit begins and ends at said station, next to the aforementioned office, and lasts one hour.

Of course the first thing you will see will be the decoration of the central station itself, with its walls covered with tiles from the 50s.

The decorations that you will find are very diverse, from artistic proposals developed on tiles, to others made through reliefs on concrete walls.

There is even a station (Royal garden, on the blue line) where you will find columns and other archaeological remains.

But I think what will catch your attention the most are the so-called grotto stations, which began to be built in the 70s.

Instead of covering the rocks excavated in the construction of the tunnels with concrete, they were decorated with layers of paint, creating a decorated grotto atmosphere.

This results in very striking environments, which you can see on your Stockholm Metro tour, specifically, on the blue line, whose station masmo was the first to incorporate this artistic proposal.

Where to have a Fika in Stockholm

I will also tell you that one of the rituals during your Stockholm visit will take one Fika.

In reality it is about taste a chocolate or coffee with milk, with buns, like the popular ones Muffins.

In the streets of Stockholm There are many cafes, and any time is a good excuse to enjoy the Fika (ritual similar to what tea time entails in Great Britain).

What to see and do around Stockholm

Stockholm It is a city surrounded by water as it extends between a conglomerate of Islas 14 distributed between the Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea,

Stockholm Islands Boat Cruise

Therefore, one of the essential excursions during your visit to the Swedish capital is take a cruise between said islands.

You have many options to choose from, from a simple one hour cruise to others that are more complete and last longer.

Birka Island Tour from Stockholm

But you can also sign up for a boat excursion that will take you to the historic Viking town of Birka, during which you can enjoy various landscapes of islands and lakes.

This excursion lasts 7 and a half hours, and after arriving at the Björkö Island You will be able to see a museum and the vestiges of the city that the Vikings founded in that place in the 8th century.

Of course, you will always also have the simplest option that I mentioned before, cross by boat between the islands where the city ​​center.

Is Stockholm an expensive city?

Finally I tell you that Stockholm is an expensive city, although less than I remember from my visits years ago, when the Prices were impossible.

But as an example, and at the time of eat in Stockholm, I will tell you that a coffee or a coke will cost you about 3 euros, the same as a muffin, and that a beer Falcon (the local one) for half a liter can cost you 6 euros.

Of course, you can taste a salad or a Lasagna for 15 euros, or a typical fish and potatoes dish for 22 euros.

Enjoy the visit!!