Stockholm, Sweden.
Minimalist style. Acne. Fika. Sweden.
I visited Stockholm during the Summer Solstice with G. I thought this would mean big celebrations but as it turns out, everyone goes to their Summer home with their family and/or friends to eat and drink a lot. A second Christmas by the sounds of it.
Even with the closures, there was plenty to see and do in the two and a bit days we were there. I even managed to catch up with a really good friend I had not seen since high-school who was randomly in town at the same time. We would have had an invite to a Summer house had we realised this sooner. Sigh.
Stay Here.
Martina's place on Air BnB.
Martina's photo from her listing.
Martina's cosy apartment is located in Södermalm and is an absolute dream. It was perfect for the two of us, in a great location so we could not have asked for a better place to stay. There are plenty of other options on Air BnB but we would recommend staying in Södermalm.
In Stockholm, it is easy enough to walk around as G and I did (just make sure to pack a water-proof!). If your feet need a rest however, the public transport is super straight forward and doesn't bust the bank.
Eat Here.
Bakverket; Bondegatan 59
Martina recommended this Swedish bakery as it is a short walk around the corner from her apartment. It serves a traditional Swedish breakfast of meats, cheeses and bread with the most delicious lemonade I have ever had.
No Name Bar and Grill; Folkungagatan 69
We stumbled upon this gem after a few drinks at Akkurat (which has a lovely beer garden, great for when the sun is out..). The burgers were huge, tasty and cheap! It doesn't look like much from the outside but give it a go.
Fika!
Coffee + cinnamon scroll = heaven. We had delicious coffee at Drop Coffee (Wollmar Yxkullsgatan 1) and the managed to order a cardamon scroll instead of cinnamon. Not a fan.
Urban Deli.
We checked it out but I think it is all a bit of hype as it seemed quite over-priced for what you get and it didn't really feel like we were in Stockholm. You might as well have been in a London Whole Foods.
Visit Here.
Skinnarviksberget.
For a perfect Stockholm sunset and views over the city, you should definitely come to this look-out. It is the highest natural point in Stockholm so BYO booze, picnic and/or party music.
Djurgården.
We hopped on a ferry to visit Skansen as there were celebrations for the Solstice however we weren't really interested once we actually got there. The ABBA Museum, Vasa Museum, The Biological Museum and Gröna Lund are all on this island too however.
Go on a hike.
Due to the Summer Solstice, most things were closed on the Saturday so we decided to go on a hike. We found Sörmlandsleden which is about 1hr 30min from Slussen Metro station. Pack yourself a picnic and walk through the Swedish wilderness as it is beautiful. It definitely earnt us a beer (or two).
Shops.
Stockholm is known for its design. Södermalm had quite a number of retro shops but the ones I would recommend going to are:
Stockholms Stadsmission Second Hand (Skånegatan 75)
If you walk around Nytorget and the surrounding area there are loads of other cool shops (including Acne).
Graham picked up a couple of fab ceramic vintage planters for around £20 from a random looking vintage shop along Folkungagatan (where No Name Bar is).
Gamla Stan.
We walked here from Sodermalm along the water, past the Fotografiska leading us to Stortorget. Even if it is full of tourists, walk around the cobbled paths and see the Royal Palace. It's gotta be done.
Sweden, you had me at fika.
We flew with Ryan Air and British Airways. You can find flights to Stockholm for ridiculously cheap on Ryan Air if you book early enough. Compare flights using Skyscanner or Kayak.
There is a range of accommodation available on Air BnB and Booking.com. I highly recommend Martina's apartment if there are the two of you or, if there are more of you, look to stay around the Sodermalm area (and it is still on the site!).
It was not as expensive as I had anticipated however we did choose wisely where we ate and we bought groceries for some meals. Drinking can be quite expensive.
Unfortunately, Acne isn't any cheaper here than London.
