Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [41]
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DANGERS & ANNOYANCES
Late at night, remain vigilant on Sergels Torg, Medborgarplatsen (in Södermalm) and Fridhemsplan (on Kungsholmen) when the bars empty around 1am. Steer clear of night buses at weekends and opt for a taxi instead.
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PENNY-PINCHING PACKAGES
Getting your money’s worth out of a visit to Stockholm is a lot easier with one or more of the discount packages on offer. The Stockholm Card is available from tourist offices, Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL) information centres, some museums and some hotels and hostels, or online at www.stockholmtown.com. It gives you entry to 75 museums and attractions, travel on public transport (including Katarinahissen, but excluding some local ferries, some city buses and airport buses), sightseeing by boat, and parking in selected areas. It is valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours and costs Skr330/460/580 (or Skr165/230/290 for accompanying children under 18, maximum two children per adult). To get maximum value, use two 24-hour cards over three days (with a rest day in between) and be sure to note opening hours; for example, Skansen remains open until late, whereas royal palaces are only open until 3pm or 4pm.
Students and seniors get discounted admission to most museums and sights without the card, so you’ll need to work out if it’s cheaper for you to just get a transport pass and pay admission charges separately.
Stockholm à la Carte (from Skr399) is a cut-price package that includes a hotel room. Available weekends year-round and throughout the summer (mid-June to mid-August), its cost depends on the standard of accommodation (prices for central hotels start at around Skr735 per person). Travel agents in other Scandinavian capitals or major Swedish cities can help with arrangements; otherwise contact Destination Stockholm (663 00 80; www.destination-stockholm.com). The website has lots of good information and lists details of the 33-odd hotels involved in the scheme.
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SIGHTS
Stockholm is mad for museums. Around 70 dot the city, with collections spanning everything from Viking boats and bling to swish Swedish design. Many are creatively curated, most brim with atmosphere and the majority offer free audioguides and brochures to enhance your exploration.
Castle and palace fans are equally spoilt: Stockholm boasts 10 royal pads in and around the city, including the largest palace in the world still in use, and the Unesco World Heritage–listed Drottningholm.
Although the Old Town, Gamla Stan, houses the Royal Palace, numerous regally themed museums and some marvellous churches, the city centre (Norrmalm) lays claim to the bulk of the museums. To the east, leafy Djurgården livens up the scene with its famous alfresco museum Skansen, epic Vasa ship museum and historic amusement park. Indeed, sterling sights are scattered across the city, though none are too far-flung and all are easily reached on public transport.
Gamla Stan
The Old Town is Stockholm’s historic and geographic heart. Here, cobbled streets wriggle past Renaissance churches, baroque palaces and medieval squares. Sorbet-coloured merchants’ houses sag like wizened old men, and svelte laneways harbour anything from dusty toy shops to candlelit cafes and restaurants. Västerlånggatan is the quarter’s nerve centre, a bustling thoroughfare lined with galleries, eateries and souvenir shops. Less crowded and more understated, Osterlånggatan delivers a tasteful mix of art galleries, idiosyncratic boutiques and chart-topping restaurants. For the ultimate thrill, however, dive into the tiny alleys… You never know what you might find.
KUNGLIGA SLOTTET
The not-to-be-missed ‘new’ Kungliga Slottet (Royal Palace; Map; 402 61 30; www.royalcourt.se; Slottsbacken; adult/child per attraction Skr90/35, combined ticket Skr130/65; most attractions 10am-4pm mid-May–late May & early Sep–mid-Sep; 10am-5pm Jun-Aug; noon-3pm Tue-Sun mid-Sep–mid-May) was built on the ruins of the ‘old’ royal castle, Tre Kronor, which burned to a crisp in 1697. The north