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If you were to ask me, “hey Christina, what did you do when you were in Stockholm?” my answer would distill to two key points: I ate my weight in meatballs and took a lot of photos.
This answer succinctly summarizes my recent trip to Stockholm, where I, of course, ate plenty, sightsaw endlessly, and naturally, fell in love with the capital of Sweden.
A perfect blend of metropolitan and medieval, Stockholm is many things I love: it’s beautifully modern (with excellent public transportation), classically pretty (with a stunning Old Town), and it borders the sea, which makes for the waterside views I obsess over. Armed with a 48hr Stockholm Pass, I spent an action-packed two days exploring the city, which stole my heart with its beautiful architecture, cool sights and glorious food. I could write about Stockholm forever, but I figured it’d be better to simply show you what I mean through photos:
Stockholm is comprised of 14 islands connected by 57 bridges. Of these many islands to explore, a must-see is of course is the Old Town, Gamla Stan, the original city centre. Today, it’s home to a buzzing cluster of museums, cafes, shops and adorable winding streets (ideal for frolicking and postcard worthy sights to see):
With this kind of beauty all around the city, I pretty much stopped every five seconds to catch a photo…
That said, the city is far more than just aesthetically pleasing. It’s a fashion lover’s paradise dotted with an endless parade of cool shops, and a hub of diverse museums and activities sure to occupy your time. While in Stockholm, I braved the Swedish wind on board a sightseeing cruise, lived out my royal dream in the Royal Palace of Sweden, admired photography exhibits, saw 17th century ship ruins and immersed myself in the history of the Nobel Prize. There’s one thing for sure: it’s tough to be bored in Stockholm.
Last but not least, the cherry on top of this wonderful city was its unexpectedly good food scene. After spending six months in traditional Bavaria, my life has been devoid of decent International food options. My prayers were all answered in Stockholm, where hip eateries of every cuisine dominate the city’s foodscape. I could easily move here just to eat forever. From mouthwatering tacos and ice cream to countless all-you-can-eat buffets, this city will make sure you’re well-fed.
So, after that brief glimpse into the beautiful Swedish capital, some of you might be wondering…
Is a Stockholm Pass worth it?
My honest opinion is: if you plan your trip properly, then yes! Because it was my first time in the city, I wanted to visit as many of the main sights as possible, so I planned my itinerary quite carefully and ended up getting a lot of value out of the pass. If, however, you are more of a slow-paced traveller, then this might not be the best option for you. Do note that unlike many other city tourist cards, the Stockholm Pass doesn’t include public transportation (though it does include Hop On Hop Off bus tours), so factor that into your calculations. Regardless though, take the time to explore the city’s museums and attractions, because they really are great!
Now, over to you! Have you ever been to Stockholm or Sweden? Are there any cool spots that I missed?
During this trip, I was provided with two complimentary Stockholm 48hr Passes courtesy of Visit Stockholm, but opinions (and ramblings!) are still entirely my own.
Beautiful! The buildings are gorgeous, I feel like I could walk around all day just appreciating the architecture. Passing this on to my friend who is visiting Stockholm soon, this is a great guide.
walking around all day staring at buildings is basically what I did haha 🙂 Thanks for passing the post on, Mar!
Looks like you had a lovely time 🙂 Did you find Stockholm very expensive compared to Bavaria?
I definitely did, thanks Lia! I went into Stockholm expecting things to be very, very expensive but I was pleasantly surprised. The prices for eating out are quite comparable to Munich, and things from the grocery store seemed on par or even cheaper than what I’m used to seeing back home. The one big difference though is alcohol! Drinking is not at all cheap in Stockholm, whereas in Bavaria, beer is often cheaper than water haha
Stockholm looks so beautiful! I’m loving the architecture 🙂
Yes it’s a great city 🙂 Way prettier than I was expecting!
I so want to go to Sweden! It seems to have an incredibly classy, cool, and sophisticated vibe that you’ve captured gorgeously in your pics!
Do it when you get the chance, Claire! You’ve kinda nailed Stockholm perfectly with the description of ‘classy, cool and sophisticated’ haha. It’s really beautiful 🙂
Wow. beautiful photos! Love how you captured the beautiful buildings. It looks like a lovely place to stroll and sightsee!
thank you, Janna! Stockholm is a super photogenic city so my job was made pretty easy 😉
I like the Ship ruins most though each of your photo speaks flawlessly. Hope to visit Stockholm soon and see by myself what you have compiled here.
Yes! That museum is apparently one of the most popular in all of Scandinavia, and it was so cool to see in person because the ship is huuuge! I hope you get a chance to check it out (and Stockholm) soon, Jessica 🙂
It looks lovely and sounds delicious. I love the picture with the record player in it! Really cool.
Yes, definitely a great place for foodies and photographers 🙂 as someone who’s a bit of both, Stockholm was paradise haha
I love Stockholm, been there in March last year.
lovely city, isn’t it?! I’d love to see it in the summer 🙂 must be beautiful!
Definitely. Happy travels. 🙂
Nice photos, Stockholm is really nice to just walk around in and take a lot of photos 🙂
Absolutely. A photographer’s dream!
Gorgeous photos Christina! I missed the sightseeing cruise (which I really wanted to do but had little time). I will consider getting the pass for my next weekend visit since I also missed all of the museums – how many days did you spend in Stockholm?
Thanks Danielle! The pass is definitely good value if you’re doing a lot of attraction hopping. I was only there for 2 days, so not enough time. Definitely want to head back!
Hi Christina –
Just wanted to drop you a note. I’ve been reading your travel blog for the past few days. Nice job! I’ve read quite a few similar blogs lately, but eventually got turned off to a few of them because of the writers’ attitude – some of them seem so “I am superior” and competitive. Bleck! Major turn-off for the readers, I must say. Your self-deprecating humor, by contrast, is refreshing! Good job, girl! Stay humble and cool.
You are too sweet, Lynne. Thank you so much!! <3 Glad you like my corny sense of humour hehe.