Guide of Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and the most populous city. Located on the east coast of Sweden, where Lake Mälaren, Sweden's third-largest lake, flows out into the Baltic Sea, Stockholm has a population of about 950,000.

A brief history of Stockholm

Even in around 8,000 BC, there were already many people living in the area that is now known as Stockholm. This period was an ice age, and so as the temperatures dropped, the population migrated southwards. After the ice age, the temperatures increased, the land became fertile, and the community returned, the Old Town of Stockholm was built around 1000 CE by the Vikings, who also created trade routes for the town. The earliest written mention of Stockholm dates back to 1252, as the city was an essential site for the iron trade as there were mines nearby. The city rose to prominence thanks to Baltic trade and Stockholm developed strong economic and cultural linkages with Lübeck, Hamburg, Gdańsk, Visby, Reval, and Riga during this time. In 1520 a massacre called the Stockholm Bloodbath took place which set off further uprisings that eventually led to the breakup of the Kalmar Union, which was an agreement set up between Denmark, Norway and Sweden. With the establishment of royal power in 1523, Stockholm grew dramatically, reaching a population of 10,000 by 1600.

During the 1700s the city developed and became a significant European power, between 1610 and 1680 the population multiplied six-fold, however in 1710, the plague killed about 20,000 people, or 36 per cent of the population! After the end of the Great Northern War, the city stagnated, and economic growth slowed because the town was in shock after having lost its place as the capital of a Great power. However, the city maintained its role as the political centre of Sweden and continued to develop culturally under Gustav III. By the second half of the 19th century, Stockholm had regained its leading economic role, and new industries were emerging. Stockholm became a modern, technologically advanced, and ethnically diverse city in the latter half of the 20th century and many historical buildings were torn down during the modernist era. Today Stockholm's metropolitan area is one of the fastest-growing regions in Europe, and its population is expected to reach 2.5 million by 2024. Because of this massive population increase, a proposal has been announced to build densely packed high-rise buildings in the city centre connected by elevated walkways.

Things to do in Stockholm

The city centre is a clean and beautiful place to stroll around, the little island of Gamla Stan is connected to the city's old town by bridges and has lovely cobbled streets and colourful buildings from the 17th- and 18th-century. This area is also home to Storkyrkan Cathedral, a magnificent medieval building, as well as the Royal Palace, which is the king's official residence. There are plenty of stylish bistros and café serving up modern Nordic cuisine and in the evening, why not go for a drink in the cosy pubs and trendy cocktail bars? Riddarholmen Island also joins to this area and is home to Riddarholmen Church, which hosts summer concerts. The Vasa Museum is a must-see, it is a maritime museum located on Djurgården island and displays the Vasa, a 64-gun warship that sank on her maiden voyage in 1628, it is the only almost fully intact 17th-century ship ever salvaged! 

Skansen is another exciting place for adults and children; it was the first open-air museum and zoo in Sweden and located on Djurgården island. Opened in 1891 by Artur Hazelius, it displays the way of life in different parts of Sweden before the industrial era. After extensive travelling around the country, Hazelius bought back around 150 houses from all over Sweden and had them shipped piece by piece to the museum and rebuilt. Only three of the buildings in the museum are not original; instead, he painstakingly copied them from examples he had found. All of the buildings are open to visitors and show the full range of Swedish life from the Skogaholm Manor house built in 1680, to the 16th century Älvros farmhouses.

Beaches around Stockholm  

Smeduddsbadet is a beach quite close to the city centre, it takes around 40 minutes to walk to it and is located next to the Västerbron bridge and the Rålambshovsparken park, so has plenty of shade for picnics and snoozing. You can jump into the water from the bathing jetty, or grab a spot on the sandy area; the beach is also adapted for the disabled, has a public toilet and BBQs are permitted. Tanto Strandbad is also around a 40-minute walk from the city centre, located at the end of Drakenbergsparken Park. It also has bathing jetties and diving towers to jump from as well as a climbing wall to try out! Or relax on the beach, which is also adapted for the disabled and has both toilet and shower. A little further on a bus to the south takes you to Lake Flatensjön, Stockholm's largest open-air bathing area. It is one of the cleanest in Stockholm and comes equipped with a diving tower and clean beach. Flatenbadet is very family-friendly and surrounded by untouched nature; the bathing area is adapted for the disabled and has toilets along with a climbing frame, miniature golf course, boules area, and places to BBQ.