It was time for my annual December vacation. Once again, I procrastinated and BOOM! It was less than one month until I was scheduled off. Sweden wasn’t even on the radar. How I go about booking my trips is through Google flights. I love how you can use so many filters (departure time, arrival time, price, dates, etc.) I usually have a price point in my head that I’m not willing to go over, and search for “everywhere” from nearby airports. Then I usually try to pick somewhere I haven’t been, somewhere safe, and somewhere that seems interesting. I happened to catch this awesome flight to Sweden for around $450 (total round trip including connecting Allegiant flights). Since I didn’t have a companion, safety was priority. I knew Sweden was deemed as a safe country, and with some research, found out that the vast majority of people living in Sweden speak English. Sweden is known to be an expensive place to travel, but also after looking at hotel prices, it seemed on the cheap to average price range, unless one is really looking to stay somewhere really luxurious. Restaurants are pricey, but I was able to manage this, as I usually only ate one big/ expensive meal per day. Since it is not a practice to tip, this is still comparable to a night out in the United States for the restaurants I visited ($10-$25).
After researching, I found so many things to do that interested me. I was pumped for the Christmas markets, going to see my first opera, fika (coffee and pastry breaks), a plethora of awesome museums, touring palaces, and celebrating St. Lucia’s Day. Sweden ended up being the perfect place for my first complete solo trip out of the country. I felt totally safe, could talk to most people with ease, and had many activities to occupy my time and learn from. Swedish people in general keep to themselves. I rarely was approached for anything (and that’s awesome when you’re trying to be ultra safe by yourself and just wanting alone time, too). They’re super nice, but not particularly friendly.. a country of introverts is how it seemed to this extroverted, Southern lady. haha I was also impressed with how clean the city was. Trash never littered the streets, and homeless people were never seen. I was impressed.
General Guide to Traveling in Stockholm:
Transportation
I would definitely not recommend a car in this city. It is so busy, and there aren’t many places to park. They have Uber, but I only used it to and from the airport, as it can be pretty expensive there (~$15-20 even for a short ride). Metro tickets include 3 methods of transportation: the subway, buses, and ferries. I purchased a 7 day ticket (you can from any teller in the metro), and paid around 35 USD. This was definitely the best option and very easy to use, minus the buses. Even with Google Maps giving me directions, bus names and numbers wouldn’t always match up. The subway system was one of the easiest I’ve used, and the ferries are pretty straightforward. With so many different islands in one area (Stockholm has 14 islands!), you’re going to want to go from place to place with ease. While you can walk many areas, its still much easier by metro.
Money
Stockholm is so cool in that it is basically a cashless city. In fact, many restaurants will NOT accept cash. As long as you have a chip credit card, you’re all set. Even food trucks accept them. I didn’t exchange any money at the airport. Also, 1 USD= approximately 10 SEK. Easy conversion to do in your head while out in the city.
Accommodations
There are basically 3 neighborhoods that are recommended for tourists to stay:
Sodermalm (the cool, hip area), Ostermalm (the ritzy, upscale area), and Gamla Stan (the historic, cozy area). I debated between these, and ended up choosing Gamla Stan. I’m so glad I did, as I later realized it was the clear winner. It is busy, but quiet at the same time. The other neighborhoods feel very much like being in the city. Gamla Stan only has around 3,000 residents. It’s also soaked in history, and has many of the city’s attractions within walking distance. The longest it took to walk from one side of the island to the other only was only around 12 minutes. The metro station is on the island too. Just one center up is Stockholm’s central station, which makes it easy to go anywhere. If you decide Gamla Stan is not the fit for you, I would personally go with Ostermalm as second choice.
I stayed at Hotel Gamla Stan. It’s historic and on the waterfront. It was a perfectly comfortable stay, and even had one of those windows you can completely open and look out onto the cobblestone street, which I found lovely.
Language
Over 90% of Swedes speak English. I was so glad language was not a barrier here. I communicated with most people with ease. I think the whole trip I only encountered two people who did not speak English. I also found it cute that their way of saying hello is by saying, “Hej!” which conveniently sounds like “Hey!” in English.
Weather/ Daylight
For the week I was there (December 7-14), the temperature for the most part stayed in the 30’s for both day and night. So while cold, it wasn’t unbearable. With a cozy base layer, a warm coat, and a beanie, it’s not a problem. Sunrise was around 8:30, and sunset around 2:45, giving around 6 hours of sunlight to enjoy the day with.
My Day-By-Day Guide to Stockholm:
Day 1
After arriving, I Ubered to my hotel. Then I wandered around for breakfast. I walked into Brod & Salt, which is a chain store there, similar to a Swedish Starbucks. They offered a ton of different and beautiful pastries and delicious looking bread. I grabbed a cardamon bun (amazing) and some hot chocolate and wandered through the streets for a bit, stopping into a variety of shops.
Doing some research before the trip, I found out they have free walking tours of Sweden and Gamla Stan. Although a few companies offer this, I booked mine through Nordic Freedom Tours online (though you can just show up for the tour without reservations as well). Since Gamla Stan was the island where I was staying, and it is already rich in its own history, I decided on this. The tours are almost 2 hours long, but offer so much information and cool stories. I’m so happy I did this, especially on my first day, because I gained insight on what everything was and its history, and what I wanted to know more about/ see more of.
Here are some pics from Gamla Stan, as well as some others from around Stockholm that I found as blog-worthy.
In an unexpected twist, right after the tour I went to a St. Lucia concert at Storkyrkan Cathedral. The church was built in the 1300’s, and has the famous statue of George and the dragon outside of it.
Afterwards, I just wanted something hot. En route to the hotel, I stopped at House of Burgers. It was a solid burger and good fries. Nothing incredible, but good.
Day 2
In Gamla Stan, they hold an annual Stockholm Santa Run. Everyone who registers who run this 3k is provided a Santa costume. Over 1,000 participants usually attend. What brings Christmas cheer better than seeing a bunch of Santas running around town?? Their route went by right in front of my hotel, so I had to make sure to see and cheer them on!
Then I grabbed some glogg (a traditional Swedish drink- warm wine, spiced with cinnamon, and usually contains almonds or raisins) from the Christmas market in Stortorget Square (colorful, lively square in the middle of Gamla Stan), and a cinnamon bun.
Then I went on my way to Drottningholm Palace. This is the residence of the King and Queen of Sweden. It’s pretty on the outside, but I’ve never seen a palace like this on the inside before. It was so completely gorgeous! This is one place you don’t want to miss. It is well worth the admission price. It is a little bit further away than most other attractions from the center of Stockholm. Give yourself at least 45 minutes to 1 hour if you plan on getting there by public transit. They also had a Christmas market here, which was nice to check out.
It was a bit of a cold and rainy day, so I was ready for some hot Swedish meatballs! I can’t imagine better meatballs than the ones at Meatballs for the People. I had the deluxe plate (ox meatballs served with garlic potato purée, red wine sauce with mushrooms and bacon). The atmosphere was lively, yet cozy as well. SO GOOD!
Then, I figured since I was already on the other island, that I would go to Fotografiska, a photography exhibit housed in a beautiful brick building with huge glass windows, and a nice restaurant with some pretty views of Stockholm. I found the museum to be a little overrated (many blogs will list this as a must-see), but I still enjoyed some exhibits. My favorite was the one by Erik Johannson. All of his work was magical, thought provoking, childlike, and imaginative. I was wowed by them.
Day 3
Woke up this morning not feeling well. I guess part of the point of vacation is to hit the reset button, and to actually rest, which I need to do more often. Well.. that’s what my body forced me to do the whole morning and afternoon. I finally ventured out later, and grabbed a waffle and some coffee at Sara’s Art & Coffee. The waffle was so warm, yet had a crunch, and went perfectly with the coldness oft the vanilla ice cream it was plated with, mixed with the flavor and the texture of strawberries, and the smoothness of the whipped cream.
Then I made my way to the Royal Swedish Opera to see “La Traviata”. This was my first opera. For those of you who may not be familiar with it, it is the opera that Julia Roberts watches with Richard Gere in “Pretty Woman”. It’s the story of a prostitute who falls in love, but is also deathly ill. The music was gorgeous. They had a live orchestra below the stage to accompany the singers. The building itself was like something you’d see out of a movie–stunning, with columns, gold, and red velvet everywhere. As it started spitting the snow post-opera, I walked back to my hotel while watching everything be coated in white. A lovely end to the night.
Day 4
Nobel Day! The Nobel Prizes are awarded by the King at the concert hall in Stockholm (Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo). The first Nobel Prize was awarded in 1901 to those who made great advancements in the the fields of physics, medicine, literature, chemistry, and peace. Alfred Nobel, who was born in Sweden, was a famous chemist and was the inventor of dynamite. In his will, he wrote that he wanted his fortune to be used for a set of prizes for those who confer “the greatest benefit on mankind.” The ceremony is always on the day of his death, December 10th, in remembrance. At the banquet after the ceremony, they first toast the King, then Alfred Nobel. All winners have to come to the Nobel Museum before the ceremony, sign the bottom of a chair, and donate a personal item to the museum. To celebrate the day, I visited the museum myself. I found myself loving reading especially about the prizes for medicine.. Prizes awarded for penicillin, insulin, sulfa antibiotics, vaccines.. These people have made it possible for me to do what I do. They’ve helped so many people all over the world. I spent my day learning about these incredible people, and spending the day doing science and pharmacy related things.
So in continuation of celebrating Nobel Day, and my particular area of science, I visited Apoteket Storken (Storken Pharmacy). The beautiful cabinets date back to 1899. The ceiling mural was hand painted and shows a representation of illness and good health, life and death— a sick man in the arms of a woman, with the Grim Reaper in the background. Thankfully the Swedes care about preservation. They consider this pharmacy as one with the most cultural and historical significance in the country. It’s a working pharmacy (and a kind of busy one at that).
Of course, what’s a celebration without a little alcohol? Pharmarium is a pharmacy-themed bar with a cocktail for any ailment one may have. Once an old pharmacy, it’s now converted the one of Stockholm’s best cocktail bars. I adored the menu.
Pretty random, but Stockholm is known for having the world’s longest art gallery, the Stockholm Subway. 90 out of 100 stations have works of art. I love art, and loved the unique idea, so I went to a few of them. Pictured in order are Stadion, Tekniska hogskolan, T-Centralen, Kungsträdgården, and Östermalmstorg. Love how unique and cool each is.
I also took a brief stop this day to check out a popular local food truck, Nystekt Stromming, which is famous for their fried herring. I got there as they were about to close, so the fish was not the freshest. It was still pretty good though, and you get a good amount of food for relatively cheap.
Day 5
I started out the day by grabbing breakfast at Pom and Flora. It was both healthy and yummy.
Out of all of the museums, the Vasa Museum is the one that interested me most, and I knew I had to get there for my trip to be complete. The Vasa is a 98% original 17th century Swedish warship that sank just a little way out on her maiden voyage. Though the cause was never completely known, the Swedish had never built a ship for two different stories of cannons, and the King upped the weight of them while they were building. Although well built, it probably was just not well proportioned. It sank after a gust of wind. It was so bad-ass to see in person.
When I left the Vasa Museum, it was already dark out. I figured it would be an ideal time to get some pretty shots of Stockholm while it was all lit up at night. One of the prettiest places to do this is by crossing over to Skeppsholmen by foot on the Gilded Crown Bridge.
After admiring the view, I made my way to ArkDes (Swedish center for architecture and design) on the island of Skeppsholmen. for their notorious annual gingerbread house competition. This year’s theme was: HOT! Contestants got creative and constructed volcanoes, tropical locations, depictions of global warming, and assembled famous buildings on fire (Notre-Dame on fire was probably my favorite of all). Competitors are grouped into three categories: architects, designers, and professional bakers; up to 12 year olds; and everyone else who bakes. There were over 200 entries this year. It was fun to see the creativity of all involved.
I did a bit of walking that day, and had worked up an appetite so it was time for my favorite restaurant in Stockholm, Vapiano. Y’all.. I ended up going here THREE times. It was that good.. I usually try to shy away from chain restaurants, but this was a pleasant surprise. I loved how it worked too. You’d go in, they would give you a card, you’d grab a menu, and go up to whichever station you wanted to order from (pasta, pizza, salad), order, wait, eat, then pay in a line as you left. You’d never have to play the waiting game for your check and you could come and go as you pleased. The food here is amazing. The first night I had the pesto with spinach pizza, and ended up getting it again the night before I left Sweden. The second time I had the pesto with spinach pasta, minus the cream sauce, and added shrimp. I liked this place so much, because it was moderately priced, for good portions of really good food ($10-$14).
Day 6
I’d read that the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace was something not to miss! It started on the left wing of the palace, near the statue, where it continued to the Palace entrance. Sometimes they will have a full marching band, though this is not common in the winter. When the marching band is present, it starts around 11:30 am, and a military band will make its way through the city. Otherwise, it starts at 12:15 pm, and lasts around 40 minutes. It was lovely to see.
I wanted to see the inside of the palace, but knew there would be an influx of people after the changing of the guards, and I wanted to make most of the daylight. I had yet to go to the part of Gamla Stan where Riddarholmen Church and the Stenbock Palaces are. They are located just across a small footbridge, a few minutes walking distance from the palace. Riddarholmen is beautiful, and is where most of the past monarchy is buried. The old steeple burned down and was replaced with the beautiful and unique one that is seen today. Unfortunately the church was undergoing some restoration when I visited, and was not open, but I hear the pipe organ inside is really something to behold. The palaces are colorful and beautiful too. There is a quick walk down to the waterside overlooking city hall from here that offers some nice views as well. Overall, a square not to be missed while you are visiting. It’s easily one of the prettiest with great scenery.
I made my way back to the Royal Palace. It has 600 rooms. It was built in the 1700’s after the older castle burned in a fire. When I visited, it was open from 10-4, and was around 17 USD to view the royal apartments, the treasury, and the museum. I happened to be there for a guided English tour of the treasury for 3 extra USD. I loved looking at all the sparkly crowns and jeweled pieces, and appreciated the information gained from the tour. I spent most of my time in the royal apartments. They are really beautiful. The museum to me was just ok. I didn’t end up spending much time here.
For dinner that evening, I chose The Hairy Pig. Located in Gamla Stan, this farm to table restaurant is well known for their 3 different kinds of sausages, which are made directly for them, as well as for their tapas and boards. I really wanted to try a sausage, but I wasn’t feeling some of the things on the other boards with them. I ended up having the “going green” board, which is vegetarian. It had baked goat cheese with hazelnuts, thyme, and honey, provolone croquettes, creamed spinach, and sweet potato fries. It was good, and I really loved the historic, homey atmosphere of the restaurant. I just they allowed options to be substituted on the board, or that they would have a greater variety of boards with both meat and green combinations. Keep in mind too that the menu changes pretty regularly here, so what you may see on Yelp might no longer be offered.
Day 7
Glad Lucia! Happy St. Lucia Day!
I’m not Roman Catholic, but I took an interest in a particular saint when I was a young teen. St. Lucia was born in Sicily and was a Christian martyr. She pledged her life to God and vowed to remain a Virgin. She cut out her own eyes and gave them to the man she was arranged to marry (since he loved them so much, in hopes he would leave her alone). When she still persisted to keep her vows and resisted marriage, he turned her into authorities. She was sentenced to go to a brothel, then to death. Oxen could not move her, nor could fire burn her, so she was finally killed by a sword to the throat. St. Lucy is celebrated by a few countries in the world, Sweden being one of them. Her feast is held on December 13th. Lucy means “light”. They celebrate her during the darkest time of the year, because she brings light and hope at the start of the Christmas season. Traditionally, the eldest daughter dresses in a white robe with a red sash, wears a crown of lingonberries and their greenery, and serves swirled saffron bread to her family on the morning of St. Lucia Day. So this morning, I wore the colors, bought the bread, and attended a few different St. Lucy celebrations. Not only was it an awesome experience to be present for a local tradition, but to celebrate a woman I’ve long admired, whose faith could not be moved.
I’m so glad they had a St. Lucy celebration at Skansen. This is the oldest open-air museum in the world. It is located on Djurgarden, near many of the other museums. It has over 150 buildings. Although during the winter, many of them are closed. But here you will find true old buildings, and some replicas of old Sweden, with informative guides dressed in period clothing. Included in the admission price is a zoo that has moose and reindeer, among many other animals! Also, if you are looking to get a good skyline view of the city, this is an ideal spot. It is easy to kill a few hours here. I’d say give yourself at least 2-3 to get a full experience. Price was 17 USD, and well worth it.
Lucia on Ice was a nice experience as well. They put on a whole little Christmas performance in about 20 to 30 minutes. Around the ice rink are some really pretty Christmas lights as well.
I then headed back to my hotel to rest and leave the next morning. Even though I missed my family and was ready to see them again, I was a little sad to leave. Sweden was a nice little getaway from work, people, and the stresses of every day life. It was time well spent learning about culture, history, different places, but also enjoying my alone time and growing within myself. I’m so thankful for my time there. I definitely encourage anyone who is looking for a solo trip to consider Sweden. It’s pretty perfect.
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