Top 30 Stockholm Attractions, Sweden

Stockholm is called "the jewel on the map of Northern Europe" and the capital of Scandinavia. The city stands on 14 islands that separate the waters of the Baltic Sea and Lake Mälaren. This is the birthplace of fairy tale characters Astrid Lindgren and great European scientists. The locals joke that their city is half water and half green. Indeed, Stockholm is a very clean and green city, with a convenient transport system and comfortable living conditions.

The architectural styles of Northern Europe are revealed in the Swedish capital in all its glory. The cobbled streets of Gamla Stan are built up with picturesque old houses, monuments to famous kings flaunt in the city squares, and outstanding collections of works of art are collected in numerous museums.

What to see and where to go in Stockholm?

The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.

Old City - Gamla Stan

The historical center of Stockholm on the island of Stadsholmen. Here, in the 13th century, the first fortress was built, which gave rise to the Swedish capital. Most of the buildings and sights of Gamla Stan date back to the 16th-17th centuries, in some places buildings of the 15th century have been preserved. The relatively small area of ​​the Old Town is home to several thousand inhabitants.

Museum ship Vasa

Warship of the 17th century, built by order of the ruler Gustavus Adolf II. The ship was built by 400 people over 2 years, resulting in one of the largest ships in Europe. But he was not destined to set sail - when leaving the harbor, the ship fell on its side and sank. Until 1961, Vasa lay at the bottom. After the ship was raised from the water and restored, it was decided to open a museum of the history of the ship. The exposition opened in 1990.

boy looking at the moon

Statue of an iron boy in Old Stockholm. The size of the monument does not exceed 15 cm, so it can be quite difficult to find it in winter. The author of the composition is Liss Eriksson. In the figure of a boy, he reflected memories from his childhood: long sleepless nights, during which he looked at the moon. Locals call the statue "Olle", they constantly sew small hats, scarves and capes for the boy.

Royal Palace

The current residence of the Swedish royal family. The building was erected in the middle of the 18th century on the site of the burnt-out Three Crowns Castle. The palace was built in the Baroque architectural style according to the project of N. Tessin, behind the baroque facades there are preserved medieval buildings. Inside are relics of famous Swedish monarchs and works of art. The building has seven floors and more than 1000 rooms.

Stockholm City Hall

The building of the city administration of the beginning of the 20th century, located on the island of Kungsholm. The town hall was designed by Ragnar Östberg and took several million red bricks to build. You can get inside only as part of a guided tour. Stockholm City Hall is known for hosting the annual Nobel Prize reception in its main hall.

Drottningholm

Baroque palace and park complex on the banks of the picturesque lake Mälaren. Despite the fact that the palace is the current summer residence of the royal family, it is open to the public. On the territory of the palace park there is a Chinese garden and the Royal Theater. Drottningholm was built at the end of the 17th century on the site of the castle of Queen Katherine Jagiellonka.

Riksdag building

The building of the Swedish Parliament on the island of Helgeandsholmen in the central part of Stockholm. The palace was built at the beginning of the 20th century in the neoclassical style with neo-baroque elements. The architect A. Johansson worked on the project. Parliament sits in a special room open to the public. In one part of the Riksdag there is a gallery where about 4 thousand paintings, sculptures and other works of art are exhibited.

Stortorget Square

The oldest square in the historic district of Gamla Stan is located at the highest point of Stadsholmen Island. In the Middle Ages, Stortorget was called "Stortorget", that is, "great square". Trade fairs and important social gatherings were held here. Around the square there are houses and old streets with "professional" names: Merchant Street, Monastic Street, Sapozhnikov Street and others.

Drottninggatan street

The main pedestrian street of Stockholm, the place of the greatest concentration of shops, restaurants, souvenir shops and places focused exclusively on tourists. Drottninggatan stretches for 1 km. between the districts of Vasastaden and Gamla Stan. A visit to this place is listed as a mandatory item in all tourist programs. On the street Drottninggatan you can meet a considerable number of Stockholm freaks.

Royal Opera

The main Swedish opera and ballet theater. The modern building was built at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century according to the design of A. Anderberg. King Gustav III was killed in the old theater building, so the opera was closed a few years after his death. As a result, it was decided to demolish it in 1892 and build a new building in the neoclassical style. The main opera hall is designed for 1200 seats, the interior is decorated with a marble staircase and a foyer with gilded paintings.

National Museum of Sweden

Art gallery in the center of Stockholm on the island Blasiholmen. The exposition was founded at the end of the 18th century under the monarch Gustav III, who was a great patron of art. The current museum building appeared in 1866. The museum funds contain about half a million exhibits: paintings, sculptures, art objects of contemporary art. There is also an art library on site.

Stockholm City Museum

The exposition of the museum acquaints visitors with the history of the Swedish capital. There are quite diverse collections here, covering a period of several centuries: medieval art, the history of religion, numismatic collections, paintings, applied arts, urban household items, photographs of the early 20th century, and much more. In special thematic rooms, the life of the townspeople of the 15th-16th centuries was reconstructed.

Nobel Museum

Museum dedicated to the outstanding Swedish scientist Alfred Bernhard Nobel. In honor of him, the famous Nobel Prize was established, which is awarded for outstanding achievements in various fields of science. In 2001, in honor of the centenary of the formation of the Prize Foundation, the Nobel Museum was opened. The exposition is located in the building of the Stock Exchange in the Old City. The museum constantly hosts scientific debates and educational exhibitions.

Modern Art Museum

Each European capital considers it its duty to have its own museum of contemporary art. The authorities of Stockholm did not stand out and organized in the middle of the 20th century one of the most complete and extensive collections of objects of contemporary art. The museum exhibits about 100 thousand exhibits. Among them are the "classical representatives" Pablo Picasso, Kazimir Malevich, Henri Matisse, Giorgio de Chirico.

Museum of Tom Titus Experiments

Science Museum, housing several hundred experimental models. Here you can disassemble and assemble models of cars, engineering structures, various devices, or set up your own experiments. Children in the Tom Titus Museum are allowed to do almost everything - climb in all places, break models, launch their inventions, that is, engage in active knowledge of the world around them.

Skansen

An open-air exhibition showing Sweden in miniature. On the territory there are several dozen houses, estates and mansions of different eras, brought from all over the country. There is also a city quarter, showing the inhabitants of the city of the XVIII-XX centuries and a peasant farm. Numerous craft workshops will tell visitors about the secrets of glass production, book printing and tableware making.

Unibakken

Museum on the island of Djurgården dedicated to the work of the writer Astrid Lindgren (the creator of the beloved character "Carlson") and other Swedish children's writers. Numerous heroes of fairy tales live on the territory of the museum: mummy trolls, knights, dragons, fabulous animals. Here, children go on an exciting journey through fairyland by train, play funny games with Pippi Longstocking and walk around the paradise land of Nangiyale.

ABBA Museum

ABBA is a popular Swedish disco band from the 70s and 80s. Many singles of the famous "quartet" became platinum and do not lose their relevance until now. The museum dedicated to the work of the group was created in 2013 with the active participation of the soloists themselves. It features several interactive exhibits, a collection of the band's concert costumes, musical equipment, awards, and archival documents.

Church of St. Nicholas

The temple was founded by the founder of Stockholm, Jarl Birger Magnusson, in the 13th century. Construction continued until the beginning of the 18th century. Until 1873, coronations of Swedish monarchs took place in the church of St. Nicholas, and the wedding ceremony of crowned persons is still held. In the 16th century, after the victory of the Reformation in Sweden, the temple was transferred to the Lutheran Church. Church of St. Nicholas is the cathedral church of Stockholm.

Church of Saint Clare

Lutheran church in the central district of Norrmalm. The first building appeared in the XIII century at the convent of the Order of St. Clara. Since then, it has been rebuilt several times. The monastery was demolished in the 16th century by order of King Gustav Vasa. The building of the church, erected in the 16th century and thoroughly reconstructed in the 19th century, has survived to this day. Famous Swedish poets are buried in the church cemetery.

german church

The former building of the German trade guild. In the 16th century it was rebuilt and adapted as a temple. A team of architects worked on the project, which included Hubert de Bechet and Willem Boy. The need to have a German church in Stockholm arose due to the fact that a large number of German craftsmen and merchants lived in the city. The new church was able to meet the spiritual needs of the foreign flock.

Church of Riddarholmen

The royal church on the island of Riddarholmen, located near the royal residence. In addition to members of the ruling family, ordinary parishioners could freely visit the temple. Until the middle of the 20th century, Swedish rulers were buried in church crypts. The tombs of kings are valuable historical monuments. Today, only funeral and memorial masses are held in the temple.

Skugschurkogården Forest Cemetery

The burial is located in the south of Stockholm among a pine forest. A whole team of architects and designers worked on the decoration of the cemetery, so it has become quite a popular attraction among tourists. Famous citizens of Sweden, who played an important role in the cultural life of the country, are buried here. Skugschurkogården is a quiet and romantic place, completely devoid of a gloomy atmosphere.

Elevator Katarina

Passenger lift, Södermalm area. An elevator takes you to the observation deck, which offers a breathtaking view of Stockholm. The first lift was created at the end of the 19th century, in 1915 and 1935. major reconstructions were made, as a result of which the steam engine was replaced and the strength and reliability of the entire structure was improved.

Kaknes TV Tower

One of the highest TV towers in Northern Europe. The structure reaches a height of 155 meters (170 meters if you count the antenna). The panoramic observation deck is located at an altitude of 128 meters. There is also a tourist information centre, gift shop and restaurant on site. The tower was built in 1967 and has since become the largest radio and television broadcasting center in Stockholm.

Globen Arena

Sports stadium in Stockholm, designed in a modern original manner. The diameter of the spherical structure is 110 meters, the height is 85 meters. The arena can accommodate about 16 thousand spectators (about 14 thousand during hockey matches). Since 2009, the site has been owned by the Swedish telecommunications concern Ericsson. The structure was built by 1988, the work lasted only 2.5 years.

Kulturhuset

A modern exhibition hall, an example of the architecture of Stockholm in the 60s. in modern style. Here is the Stockholm City Theatre, reading rooms for children and teenagers. On the territory of Kulturhuset, exhibitions, master classes are regularly held, as well as discussion clubs and creative evenings. Almost every evening there is an interesting event.

Stockholm Metro

The Stockholm metro consists of 100 stations, which are located on three branches. Some central stations are quite original in design, so they are of interest to guests of the city. For example, the vaults of Art. "T-Centralen" are intricately painted with ornaments of leaves and branches, art. "University" was carved in a stone cave, in the design of art. "Tekniska högskulan" is dominated by scientific themes and illustrations of the laws of nature.

Amusement Park Gröna Lund

The first rides in the future metropolitan amusement park were installed more than 130 years ago at the expense of entrepreneur Jacob Schulthuis. In addition to a variety of carousels and roller coasters on the territory of Gröna Lund, there are attractions like a haunted house, a Viking ship, and a wobbly fun house. The park often hosts rock concerts, festivals and performances.

Kungstradgorden park

City park of Stockholm, based on the site of a medieval royal garden. It is believed that vegetables used to be grown here for the table of the royal family. Gradually, the area grew, trees were planted in the garden and gradually it turned into a place for walking and relaxing. The park has statues of Swedish kings and fountains decorated with characters from Scandinavian mythology.