Stockholm: Sweden’s Capital – the Top 10 Places of Interest
For many people, Sweden is a popular destination. Stockholm, the capital, extends over 14 islands while being surrounded by water, which is why people also call it “Venice of the North”.
The beauty of Sweden’s landscape, as well as the historical significance of the capital, are great reasons to travel to the Scandinavian metropolis.
In this article, we’ll tell you the most important facts about Stockholm and show you a list of our top 10 places of interest. Your trip will be anything but boring!
Stockholm in a Nutshell
Stockholm, in addition to being Sweden’s capital, is the country’s and Scandinavia’s most populous urban area. The city has about 1.6 million inhabitants, and 2.4 million live in the metropolitan area. It stretches across 14 islands where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea. Outside the city to the east and along the coast lies the Stockholm Archipelago. The area has been occupied since the Stone Age in the 6th millennium BC, and was founded as a city in 1252 by the Swedish statesman, Birger Jarl. As Sweden’s capital, it’s also the cultural, political, and economic center of the country.
Stockholm’s climate, like that of the rest of Scandinavia, is continental, humid, and especially chilly in the winter, with heavy snowfall. However, because it’s located in the gulf of the Baltic Sea, temperatures aren’t as low as you might think. In winter, temperatures usually drop below 2 °C, while in the spring months, temperatures begin to climb and reach highs of around 20 °C during summer. The rainy season lasts from September through January, but the number of rainy days varies from year to year. Due to the city’s northern location, the days are particularly long in the summer! In the winter, on the other hand, the nights last about 18 hours and the day starts five hours later, so there’s significantly less light.
When you think of Swedish food, Ikea’s köttbullar immediately comes to mind. But Sweden’s cuisine offers much more. These meatballs are very popular either way.
Cinnamon buns deserve special attention as Kanelbullens Dag, or Cinnamon Bun Day, is celebrated every year on October 4. Falukorv is a round sausage named after the town of Falun and is used in many Swedish dishes. Then there’s the famous ostkaka, which is a delicious, traditional Swedish cheesecake that dates back to the Middle Ages, frequently served with cream and berries.
Stockholm’s metro system is quite extensive and easy to navigate. In addition, buses and ferries are also available. There’s an additional app for Storstockholms Lokaltrafik, Stockholm’s public transportation, that allows you to easily organize your trip around the city.
Subways arrive every five minutes on average and take you to your destination quickly and safely. A single ticket also covers all the city’s zones. This can save you a lot of unnecessary stress. If you want to do some sightseeing while going from one place to another, you can use the commuter ferries.
A little tip – the subway stations aren’t marked with an M, as they are in many other countries, but rather with a T. This stands for the word “tunnelbana.”
As a capital city, Stockholm hosts a number of annual events. The yearly Stockholm Marathon, for example, attracts large crowds every summer. Due to its great popularity, only 21,000 people may participate. So, if you really want to participate, make sure to register as early as possible.