Striking a pose on Kastellholmen.
One of my absolute favorite ways to see Stockholm is by bicycle. And it’s also one of my favorite ways to show people around. On a bike, you can easily see the 14 islands that make up the center of Stockholm. We rented bikes for Kara and Jim at Rent a Bike on Strandvägen and then rode onto Djurgården – a green island of forests and gardens – and along the canal. Our first stop was at Djurgårdsbrunn for a drink. The day was sunny and Tjemilen – a women’s 10k race – was going on. So we were able to sit outside on the lounge chairs, watch the runners go by and listen to the band who was playing there. It was good fun.
Old school boat building on Skeppsholmen.
Back on the bike, we cycled to Gröna Lund and then by the Vasa – Kara and Jim went inside the museum to see that gorgeous boat on their own the next day. Then it was back to Strandvägen so we could cut across Blasieholmen and on over to the islands of Skeppsholmen and Kastellholmen. I’ve always found Skeppsholmen to be a special place to visit as it makes me feel part of the maritime history of Stockholm – you can stroll by the old classic boats docked along its perimeter. You can still take boat building classes on the island, in fact.
Skeppsholmen is also where the Modern Museum is – one of my favorite museums in town – and as the cafe has a terrific view of Stockholm, we stopped for a drink on the terrace there. Another good stop to stop is at the af Chapman boat, a hostel that has a cafe on top.
The outdoor sculpture garden at the Moderna.
Sampling the cakes at the Moderna.
It’s a given that you have to try Swedish food on any trip to Stockholm. For a cheap and quick meal, get a hot dog from a street vendor – these stands are everywhere. If your guests are feeling adventurous, have them try tunnbrodsrulle – an odd combination of hot dogs, mashed potatoes, relish and sometimes shrimp salad, all wrapped in a flat bread. Or sample lakrits – the licorice candies so popular in Scandinavia. For Swedish home cooking or husmanskost, try Pelikan. Located on Södermalm, this 90-year-old restaurant serves up the classics. Kara and I split the meatballs, which were served up traditionally with lingonberries, pickles, mashed potatoes and gravy. Jim had the knuckle and Robert had the bacon. All were very good and the service was excellent and friendly.
Meatballs at Pelikan. This is only half the meal portion!
Last but not least, I always recommend seeing the archipelago in whatever way you can. To save time and have an adventure, we took a RIB boat tour. But I’m also a fan of the Stromma boats, old steam ships that take leisurely archipelago tours as well as the Waxholmbolaget boats which go to specific islands.
While I have many other favorite places I like to share, the ones here definitely will provide you with a highlights tour of Stockholm.
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