Situated in the heart of Stockholm, (also home to the endlessly wanderable Gamla Stad, or Old Town), the Royal Palace is the official residence of the monarchs of Sweden and the chief venue for official state events. With 608 rooms, it is among the largest surviving palaces in Europe. The present glorious baroque edifice is the work of Nicodemus Tessin the Younger, from a 1692 design, however, parts of the older medieval Castle of Three Crowns still survive. Attractions include the Banqueting Apartments, the Apartments of the Orders of Chivalry, the Hall of State, the Royal Treasury, Gustav III's Museum of Antiquities and the Royal Chapel. The changing of the guard at the palace is as much of a spectacle in Stockholm as it is in London.
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Things to see in Stockholm
Tourist information:
Stockholm Visitors Board
Vasagatan 14
Tel: (08) 5082 8508.
Website: www.visitstockholm.com
Opening times: Mon-Fri 0900-1900 (1800 Oct-Mar), Sat 1000-1700 and Sun 1000-1600.
There’s also a service desk at Illums Bolighus on Hamngatan 27, as well as cycling tourist information officers.
Passes:
The Stockholm Card (Stockholmskortet) (www.visitstockholm.com) offers free public transport within Stockholm, free sightseeing by boat, free admission to 80 museums and attractions, free city guided tours, free bike tours, and other special offers and benefits. You can buy the pass at tourist centres, at the City Hall and at hotels, youth hostels and kiosks throughout the city. The Stockholm Card is available for 1, 2, 3 or 5 days.
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL) (tel: (08) 600 1000; www.sl.se) offers one, three and seven-day travelcards for Greater Stockholm. These cards are available from SL Centres at several metro stations, in the lower hall at the Central Station and in the ticket halls of T-centralen station at Sergels Torg.
Kungliga Slottet (Royal Palace)
Opening Times: Tues-Sun 1200-1500 (2-6 Jan, 1 Feb-14 May and 15 Sept-30 Dec); Daily 1000-1600 (15-31 May and 1-14 Sept); Daily 1000-1700 (1 Jun-31 Aug).
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: No
Address: Slottsbacken, Stockholm, Sweden
Telephone: (08) 402 6000.
Website:
http://www.royalcourt.se
Nationalmuseum
The largest art gallery in the country, the Nationalmuseum is somewhere to come and lose yourself in the country’s superb collection of works from the medieval period to the 20th century. There are tens of thousands of different decorative pieces on show, but as is often the case with these kinds of galleries, the biggest draw tends to be the household-name artists, who in this case – thanks to the likes of Rembrandt, Goya and Rubens – are here in abundance.
Opening Times: 1100-2000 Tues &Thurs, 1100-1700 Weds & Fri-Sun (Sep-May); 1100-2000 Tues, 1100-1700 Weds-Sun (Jun-Aug).
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: No
Address: Södra Blasieholmshamnen, Stockholm, Sweden
Telephone: (08) 5195 4300.
Website:
http://www.nationalmuseum.se
Stadshuset (City Hall)
Voted by the Swedes as the country's finest building, Stockholm's City Hall was begun in 1911, according to an art nouveau design by Ragnar Östberg. It may outwardly look more like a church, but its interior has grand civic apartments, including the Golden Hall with its glass and gold mosaics, while its tower – topped with Sweden’s three-crown emblem – gives a sweeping panorama of Stockholm. The building's Blue Hall (which is actually red) is the venue for the annual Nobel Prize banquet. Visitors need to join one of the scheduled tours to see the interior, although access to the tower is unrestricted during opening hours.
Opening Times: Daily 1000-1200 for guided tours of the interior, with extra tours in July and Aug; daily 0900-1700 (Jun-Aug), 1000-1600 (Sept) for access to the tower.
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: No
Unesco: No
Address: Hantverkargatan 1, Stockholm, Sweden
Telephone: (08) 5082 9058.
Website:
http://www.stockholm.se/cityhall
Globen (Stockholm Globe)
A vast sporting and events arena, the Stockholm Globe has the dubious but nonetheless impressive honour of being the world's largest spherical building, at 85m (279ft) high and 110m (361ft) wide. As well as hosting major sporting contests, it also houses restaurants, bars and a shopping complex. Event schedule aside, the attraction of most interest to visitors is SkyView, a glass gondola which carries passengers up the outside of the building’s shell.
Opening Times: Mon-Sat 1000-1600 (summer).
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: No
Address: Globentorget 2, Stockholm, Sweden
Telephone: (08) 5083 5300 or 077 131 0000 (tickets).
Website:
www.globearenas.se
Stockholm Metro
Billed by some as the world's longest art exhibition, Stockholm's metro has long been renowned for the quality of its subway artworks. From the mid 1950s, it was official policy to decorate the network with originally commissioned art. Kungsträdgården and Stockholm Central metro stations are particularly ornate. It’s not a gallery in the traditional sense, of course, but it undoubtedly adds a certain verve to a routine journey. Expect sculptures, mosaics, inscriptions, paintings and reliefs, all underpinned by a very Swedish (and sometimes light-hearted) creativity.
Opening Times: Daily 24 hours (Kungsträdgården); Daily 0500-2400 (Stockholm Central).
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: No
Address:
Telephone: (08) 600 1000.
Website:
http://www.sl.se
Vasamuseet (Vasa Museum)
One of Sweden's most popular museums, the Vasa Museum enshrines the ill-fated warship Vasa, which sunk to the bottom of Stockholm harbour just minutes after beginning her maiden voyage in 1628. The ship was built to the order of the great Vasa king, Gustavus Adolphus, and was (potentially at least) the most powerful war galleon of her age. She was raised whole from the harbour bed in 1961, over 330 years after sinking. The ship now rests, almost intact, in the museum's main hall. Displays recreate life on board the ship and a film shows how the salvage operation was carried out.
Opening Times: Daily 0830-1800 (Jun-Aug); Thurs-Tues 1000-1700, Wed 1000-2000 (Sept-May).
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: No
Address: Galärvarvsvägen 14, Stockholm, Sweden
Telephone: (08) 5195 4800 or 4870 (booking office).
Website:
http://www.vasamuseet.se
Historiska Museet (Museum of National Antiquities)
Sweden's national historical museum, which traces the nation's history from prehistoric times to the present day, has several highlights, the most unmissable of which is the spectacular Gold Room, housing the gold of the Viking chiefs. These hoards, recovered from tombs or hiding places, show Scandinavian Viking culture at its most prosperous and magnificent. There is also one of the finest European collections of medieval painted wooden religious sculpture and church art on exhibition. Highly recommended.
Opening Times: Daily 1000-1700 (May-Sept, except June 24 and 25).
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: No
Address: Narvavägen 13-17, Stockholm, Sweden
Telephone: (08) 5195 5600.
Website:
http://www.historiska.se
Millesgården
Carl Milles (1875-1955) was the best known Swedish sculptor of the 20th century. In 1906, he bought a house on the island of Lidingö and set about developing a garden where he could showcase his work. Today’s Millesgården is a fitting dedication to the man, covering 18,000 sq m (194,000 sq ft) in a series of level terraces reminiscent of an Italian villa, with superb views over the water. The artist's major works are represented here, and his own personal collection of art from Ancient Greece and Rome (unique in Sweden) is also on display. Admission to the museum also includes entry to the Carl Milles studio.
Opening Times: Daily 1100-1700 (May-Sept); Tues-Sun 1200-1700 (Oct- May).
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: No
Address: Herserudsvägen 32 , Stockholm, Sweden
Telephone: (08) 446 7590.
Website:
http://www.millesgarden.se
Skansen (Open-air Museum and Zoological Park)
This open-air museum and zoo on Djurgården was founded in 1891 (making it the first of its kind in the world), with the aim of preserving Sweden's rural culture. It is Stockholm's most visited museum and contains some 160 historic wooden farms and houses from across Sweden. The farms have their own animals and the zoo and aquarium hold animals native to the region (moose, wolf and bear among others) as well as more exotic species. The children's circus, zoo and playgrounds help make it a family favourite.
Opening Times: Mon-Fri 1000-1500, Sat-Sun 1000-1600 (Jan-Feb and Nov-Dec); Daily 1000-1600 (Mar-Apr and Oct); Daily 1000-2000 (1 May-mid Jun and Sept); Daily 1000-2200 (mid June-Aug).
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: No
Address: Djurgården, Stockholm, Sweden
Telephone: (08) 442 8000.
Website:
http://www.skansen.se
Strindbergsmuseet (Strindberg Museum)
This is a tribute to arguably Stockholm's most famous cultural figure. The Blå Tornet (Blue Tower) was novelist and playwright August Strindberg's last home from 1908 until his death in 1912. His apartment and library have been preserved in their original state. An exhibition showcases his last works, which were written on the premises. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions and plays, and is furnished in a strikingly sparse Nordic art nouveau style.
Opening Times: Tues-Sun 1200-1600 (Sep-Jun); Tues-Sun 1000-1600 (Jul-Aug)
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: No
Unesco: No
Address: Drottninggatan 85, Stockholm, Sweden
Telephone: (08) 411 5354.
Website:
http://www.strindbergsmuseet.se
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