Holiday apartment in Stockholm: Archipelago, nature and culture

Stockholm combines an archipelago extending far into the Baltic Sea with protected natural areas and exceptional cultural sites. The Stockholm archipelago stretches 80 kilometres eastwards from the city into the Baltic Sea. There are opportunities for swimming, fishing, kayaking and cycling; you can also enjoy traditional Swedish cuisine in the fresh sea air. The Stockholm Archipelago Trail runs through this landscape as a 270-kilometre hiking trail across more than 20 islands in the Stockholm archipelago.

Nature

Stockholm County is home to almost 370 nature reserves. Activities available there include hiking, berry picking, paddling, skiing and swimming. Ängsö National Park is particularly varied: herb-rich groves and untouched forests provide habitats for many birds, while easy-to-follow paths lead through meadows and woodland around the island. Ängsö National Park is accessible exclusively by boat; scheduled services operate from Stockholm or Furusund in spring and summer.

Tyresta National Park encompasses primeval forest, beautiful forest lakes and mighty trees up to 400 years old. Rare lichens, wood fungi, mosses and beetles can be found in this area. There are 55 kilometres of hiking trails with fire pits and wind shelters for short walks and longer hikes. At the national park's main entrance in Tyresta by, there is a visitor centre, accessible toilets and parking.

Close to Stockholm city centre, the Royal National City Park combines a unique historic landscape with parks, buildings, forests, open land and beaches. The park has walking and cycling paths; large parts can be reached by bus, metro or boat.

Getting around

Every section of the Stockholm Archipelago Trail can be reached by public ferry services. Large parts of the Royal National City Park can be reached by bus, metro or boat. The Vasa Museum on Djurgården in Stockholm can be reached by tram, bus, car and ferry.

Culture and history

The royal domain of Drottningholm comprises the palace, the palace theatre, the Chinese Pavilion and the gardens. Drottningholm Palace Park is open year-round. A walk through it leads through a formal garden from the late 17th century, an English-style park begun about a century later, and the more intimate bosquets from the 1760s at the Chinese Pavilion.

At Drottningholm Palace Theatre, wooden stage machinery is still operated by hand; around 30 stage sets have been preserved. Every summer, the theatre hosts operas, plays and dance performances, as well as concerts, guided tours and events related to the 18th century.

Skogskyrkogården is an outstanding early 20th-century cemetery whose design combines vegetation and architectural elements. The Woodland Chapel is closely integrated into its surroundings. Skansen offers another way to experience Swedish cultural history: it is Sweden's and the world's oldest open-air museum. It brings cultural history, nature and animals together in one place.

The Vasa Museum offers guided tours focusing on one of the world's best-preserved 17th-century ships. The history of Birka and Hovgården goes back even further: on Björkö and Adelsö in Lake Mälaren are complete and exceptionally well-preserved archaeological sites from the Viking Age. Their visible remains include a trading town, a royal domain, a harbour, defensive structures and prehistoric cemeteries.

The region's diversity continues in the directly connected destinations: Norrtälje, Haninge, Värmdö, Österåker, Nynäshamn, Boo, Djurhamn, Drottningholm, Upplands-Bro, Enhörna, Stockholm, Sigtuna, Yxlan, Vallentuna, Solna, Danderyd, Järfälla, Södertälje, Botkyrka, Huddinge, Lidingö, Nykvarn, Nacka, Sollentuna, Sundbyberg, Täby, Tyresö, Upplands Väsby, Vaxholm, Ekerö and Björkö.

To the main travel overview: Sweden.