Stockholm: Museums, Architecture and City History
Accommodation in Stockholm
Discover Stockholm through its very different stories. Skansen, the world’s oldest open-air museum, comprises 190 museum buildings; the oldest dates back to the early 14th century. It also features a zoo with animals from Scandinavia, a petting zoo for children and two indoor aquariums. Historic buildings and animal areas come together here—two different focuses to consider when planning your trip.
Museums That Tell History in Different Ways
The Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm’s Gamla Stan is about the Nobel Prize, the discoveries recognized by the award and the people behind them. You can explore the exhibitions on a guided tour, with an audio guide or through films. There are also activities specifically for children: a children’s audio guide, a quiz trail, free workshops every weekend and a playroom.
The Nordic Museum on Djurgården focuses on life in the Nordic countries. Its exhibitions combine original objects with stories and settings. In the “Nordbor” exhibition, visitors take an active role in interactive areas: they assume roles in historical settings while also considering contemporary dilemmas. Historical ways of life and questions of the present are thus presented side by side.
The Hallwyl Museum in central Stockholm transports visitors to a palace setting from around 100 years ago. Admission includes two of the five floors; the remaining floors can be visited as part of a booked guided tour. As admission arrangements may change, check which areas are accessible before your visit. The guided tours cover life around 1900, the history and collections of the house, and the von Hallwyl family and their household staff. There are also theatrical tours, audio guides and programs for children.
The Stockholm City Museum offers guided tours inside the museum and around the city, as well as free audio-guided walks exploring Stockholm’s history. An audio-guided exhibition covers 500 years of the city’s history. At Fotografiska, exhibitions and photography take center stage: the venue offers guided group visits and photography courses.
Palaces, Architecture and Remembrance
The Royal Palace is open to visitors year-round. However, some areas may be closed when the palace is being used for official functions. The complex includes, among other things, the Treasury and the Tre Kronor Museum. Stockholm City Hall offers a different architectural highlight: it is considered an outstanding example of National Romantic architecture and was built using eight million bricks. Visitors can enter only as part of a guided tour; access arrangements may change during events.
Skogskyrkogården also demonstrates how architecture and landscape can work together. Its vegetation and buildings form a landscape designed to suit its function as a cemetery. This design has influenced cemeteries in many countries around the world. The Vasa Museum offers a different kind of historical encounter: it displays a 17th-century ship, more than 98 percent of whose material is original. The warship sank in Stockholm harbor on its maiden voyage in 1628 and was salvaged in 1961. The computer-based group activity “Sail a Ship” requires teamwork; check its availability before your trip.
Green Spaces, Views and Urban Art
Järvafältet is a large, wooded recreational area in northern Stockholm. Hiking trails, meadows, ponds and several nature reserves define the landscape. Stockholm’s nature reserves and many green spaces also have marked routes and trails for hikers of different experience levels. Skinnarviksberget offers an urban counterpoint: as the highest natural point in central Stockholm, it provides views across Kungsholmen, Gamla Stan and City Hall.
For urban art, take a look at the subway: Stockholm’s system offers an art experience along its 110-kilometer length. Each of 100 stations features unique art on platforms, walls or in waiting areas. Kulturhuset adds to the city’s wide cultural offering with several exhibition halls, libraries, a cinema and a concert hall; it is also home to Stadsteatern’s main stage.
Food and Cultural Events
Since opening in 1888, Östermalmshallen has been housed in a brick building on Östermalmstorg. Its market stalls sell fresh fish, meat, sweets and traditional delicacies; the venue also includes restaurants and wine bars. Individual vendors may change. On Djurgården, Rosendals Garden Café serves salads, soups, sandwiches and pastries from the neighboring bakery. It uses organic and biodynamic ingredients, many of which come from its own garden. Seasonal details of the café’s offering may change.
Kulturnatt Stockholm is an annual cultural festival featuring dance, art, architecture, literature, music and theater. Dates and the program vary from year to year. If you’re looking for a hotel in Stockholm, you can start by deciding what you’d like to focus on during your stay: museums and city history, architecture, green spaces, food or cultural events can all offer different inspiration for planning your trip.
Discover more destinations: Stockholm, Svartsjö, Björkhult, Tuna, Bredäng, Uttran, Skarpnäck, Kista, Enskede, Spånga, Älvsjö, Arsta, Rönninge, Hägersten, Bromma, Sköndal, Skärholmen, Bandhagen.
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