Stockholm, Sweden

Gamla Stan, Old Town Stockholm

Location info:

Dating from the 1200s and crammed with must-see sights, attractions, cafés, authentic restaurants, and boutique shops, the area of Gamla Stan (Old Town) is a living, breathing museum in its own right. For many, this is the first stop on their journey of exploration, and rightly so.

If visiting in winter, be sure to take in the marvelous Christmas Market, Julmarknad, an experience akin to finding yourself in a real life fairy tale. Stockholm Cathedral (Storkyrkan, or Stockholms domkyrka), the Nobel Prize Museum (Nobelmuseet), and the Royal Palace are all located here and should be high up on any sightseeing itinerary.

If you're planning on visiting the Royal Palace, also known as Stockholm Palace, be sure to catch the changing of the guard.

Drottningholm Palace Stockholm

The palace was constructed according to a Fench prototype by the Architect Nicodemus Tessin the Elder, by the commission of Queen Hedvig Eleonora. Many royal personages have left their mark on the palace since then. The palace features magnificient salons from the seventeenth, eighteent and nineteenth centuries, a beautiful park, a unique palace theater, and a Chinese Pavillion. The imposing Baroque garden was laid out at the beginning of 1681 according to drawings by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger. The palace and the park are mostly open to visitors year-round. The palace has been the permanent residence of the present royal family since 1981. The rooms in the southern part of the palace are reserved for members of the royal family. In 1991 Drottningholm was the first Swedish attraction put on UNESCO's list of the World Heritage Sites. The easiest way to get to Drottningholm is by taking a bus from Brommaplan.

Monteliusvägen Mariaberget in Södermalm, Stockholm

Monteliusvägen is a footpath on the north shore of Stockholm's Södermalm island in Sweden and is known for its sweeping views of the city.

The 416 meter long path runs north along the Mariaberget development and is 20 to 30 meters above the water level of Riddarfjärden and the Söder Mälarstrand road that runs along the shore. It begins in the west at Kattgränd and stretches east to Skolgränd. At the west end there is also a connection to Söder Mälarstrand via stairs. From the path there is an unobstructed view of Riddarfjarden and in particular the city areas of Kungsholmen, Riddarholmen and Gamla Stan.

Plans for the construction of the path existed since 1977, but the construction did not take place until 1998 and cost 14 million Swedish kroner, twice as much as initially estimated. The immediate residents opposed the construction of the path. A well-known critic was the journalist Ingemar Unge.

The path was named after the Swedish prehistorian Oscar Montelius, who was born in the nearby Montelius house at S:t Paulsgatan 11.

Stockholm City Hall (Stadshuset)

Nestled at the waters edge and topped by three golden crowns, the City Hall (Stockholm Stadshus, or Stadshuset) is one of Stockhom's most iconic buildings and stars in countless images and postcards of the city. Dating from 1923, the hall opened on that most Swedish of dates: Midsummer's Eve.

Housed within are assembly rooms, offices, works of art, and the machinery of civil democracy. The prestigious annual Nobel Banguets are held here. Recipients dine first in Bla hallen (The Blue Hall) and then move on to the formla ball in Gylenne salen (The Golden Hall), which has no less than 18 million mosaics adorning its walls. 

A particular treat is the chance to view the city from the the famous tower.

Address: Hantverkargatan 1, 111 52 Stockholm, Sweden