25 Best Sights in Stockholm, Sweden

Opened in 2010, this contemporary photography museum housed in a 1906 red brick art nouveau building along the Södermalm waterfront spotlights edgy fine art photography. Past exhibitions have included celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz and director Anton Corbijn.

Smaller than Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens or Göteborg's Liseberg, this amusement park has managed to retain much of its historical charm, while making room for modern, hair-raising rides among the pleasure gardens, amusement arcades, and restaurants. If you're feeling especially daring, try the Giant Drop (Fritt Fall). At more than 250 feet, it's one of the best ways to see Stockholm, albeit for about three seconds, before you plummet at 10 feet per second. There isn't an adult who grew up in Stockholm who can't remember the annual excitement of Gröna Lund's April opening. Go and you will see why. Major Swedish and international artists perform on the open-air stage in the heart of the park during the height of the summer.

Designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger, the Royal Palace was completed in the 1770s to replace the Tre Kronor palace, which burned down in 1697. Each of the four facades has a distinct style, signifying different characteristics: the west is the king's (or the male) side; the east is the queen's (or female) side; the south belongs to the nation; and the north represents royalty and power in general. Watch the changing of the guard in the curved terrace entrance and view the palace's fine furnishings and Gobelin tapestries on a tour of Representationsvåningarna (the State Apartments). Remnants of the earlier palace, as well as artifacts recovered after the fire, can be seen at the Tre Kronor Museum on the ground floor of the north side. To survey the crown jewels, which are no longer used in this self-consciously egalitarian country, head to Skattkammaren (the Treasury). Livrustkammaren (the Royal Armory)—Sweden's oldest museum, dating back nearly 400 years—has an outstanding collection of weaponry, coaches, and royal regalia. Your admission ticket includes the State Apartments, the Treasury, Gustav III's Museum of Antiquities, and the Tre Kronor Museum within seven days. Entrance to Livrustkammaren is separate.  Entrances to the Treasury and Armory are on the Slottsbacken side of the palace.

This gorgeous slice of greenery is a perfect place to spend a few hours on a late summer afternoon. When the weather's nice, people flock to the garden café, which is in one of the greenhouses, to enjoy tasty pastries and salads made from the locally grown vegetables. Pick your own flowers from the vast flower beds (paying by weight), stroll through the creative garden displays, or take away produce from the farm shop.

This glass-covered gondola travels along the along the outer rim of Stockholm's Globe Arena, some 140 yards above the sea. It makes for spectacular views of the city.

The architect Ragnar Östberg, one of the founders of the National Romantic movement, completed Stockholm's City Hall in 1923. The headquarters of the city council, the building is functional but ornate: its immense Blå Hallen (Blue Hall) is the venue for the annual Nobel Prize dinner, Stockholm's most prestigious event. Also notable is the Golden Hall, known for its mosaics depicting people and scenes from Swedish history. Admission is by guided tour only. You can also take a trip to the top of the 348-foot tower in the summer months to enjoy a breathtaking panorama of the city and Riddarfjärden. Admission to the tower is separate from the guided tour, and much but not all of the ascent can be accomplished by elevator. Tickets for the tower are timed and often go fast, so stop by early to guarantee a spot.

The warship Vasa sank just minutes into its maiden voyage in 1628, consigned to a watery grave until it was raised from the seabed in 1961. Its hull was preserved by the Baltic mud, free of the shipworms (really clams) that can eat through timbers. Now largely restored to her former glory (however short-lived it may have been), the man-of-war resides in a handsome museum. The sheer size of this cannon-laden hulk inspires awe and fear in equal measure. The political history of the world might have been different had she made it out of harbor.

Stockholm celebrates the country's most famous musical export with this attraction exploring the phenomenon of ABBA. The crowds of visitors are a testament to the group's enduring global popularity more than three decades after its split. Exhibits trace ABBA's history from its early days and international breakthrough at the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest to the group's breakup and legacy. Outlandish stage costumes and other original memorabilia make for entertaining displays, but even more fun are the various interactive stations where you can try your hand at recording vocals, dancing like your favorite ABBA avatar, or performing onstage with holograms of the band members. Timed tickets should be bought online in advance (admission can be higher for busier periods).

Viking treasures and the Gold Room are the main draws at this historical museum, which features well-presented exhibitions covering various periods of Swedish history, including prehistoric bronze and tin artifacts, medieval artworks, and a baroque hall that also plays host to events.

Once the city's hay market, this is now a popular gathering place where you're more likely to find apples, pears, and, in summer, to-die-for Swedish strawberries. Crowds come here to meet, gossip, hang out, or pick up goodies from the excellent outdoor fruit-and-vegetable market. Also lining the square are Konserthuset (the Concert Hall), fronted by a magnificent statue by Swedish-American sculptor Carl Milles, the PUB department store, and a multiscreen movie theater, Filmstaden Sergel.

In this storybook house you travel in small carriages through the world of children's book writer Astrid Lindgren, creator of the irrepressible character Pippi Longstocking, among others. Lindgren's tales come alive as various scenes are revealed. Parents can enjoy a welcome moment of rest after the mini-train ride as the children lose themselves in the near-life-size model of Pippi Longstocking's house. It's perfect for children ages five and up.

Since it opened in 1974, architect Peter Celsing's cultural center, a glass-and-stone monolith on the south side of Sergels Torg, has become a symbol of modernism in Sweden. Stockholmers are divided on the aesthetics of this building—most either love it or hate it. Here there are exhibitions for children and adults, a library, a theater, a youth center, and a handful of eating spots. Head to Café Panorama, on the top floor, for a lunch or coffee break with a great view of Sergels Torg down below. Though still commonly referred to simply as Kulturhuset, the institution officially changed its name in 2013 to reflect its merger with the on-site Stockholm City Theater.

Once the royal kitchen garden, this is now Stockholm's smallest but most central park. It is often used to host festivals and events but is best seen in its everyday guise: as a pleasant sanctuary from the pulse of downtown. Several neat little glass-cube cafés sell light lunches, coffee, and snacks.

The museum's excellent collection includes works by Picasso, Kandinsky, Dalí, Brancusi, and other international artists. You can also view examples of significant Swedish painters and sculptors and an extensive section on photography. The building itself is striking. Designed by the well-regarded Spanish architect Rafael Moneo, it has seemingly endless hallways of blond wood and walls of glass, offering tantalizing glimpses of the island of Djurgården across the water. The building also houses the Swedish Centre for Architecture and Design (ArkDes), showcasing dozens of detailed architectural models of notable Swedish and international buildings.

Reopened in 2018 after a five-year renovation, Sweden's leading art museum has an impressive collection of paintings, sculptures, prints, and other works of art and design. The emphasis is on Swedish and Nordic art, but other areas are well represented, particularly 17th-century Dutch and 18th-century French paintings. The collections are presented in chronological order, forming a timeline through the museum. On the ground floor, a glassed-in courtyard houses a collection of sculptures portraying Norse gods, important people from Swedish history and culture, and other figures. An admission fee is charged for some of the temporary exhibitions.

The Swedish Academy meets at Börshuset (the Stock Exchange) every year to decide the winner of the Nobel Prize for literature. The building is also the home of the Nobel Museum. Along with exhibits on creativity's many forms, the museum displays scientific models, shows films, and has a full explanation of the process of choosing prizewinners. The museum does a good job covering the controversial selections made over the years. It's a must for Nobel Prize hopefuls and others.

Inside an imposing late-Victorian structure, the Nordic Museum holds exhibits on many aspects of Swedish life, including trends, traditions, clothing, costumes, folk arts, and the culture of the Sami (pronounced sah-mee)—the formerly seminomadic reindeer herders who inhabit the far north. Families with children should visit the delightful "village life" play area on the ground floor.

This market square and its neighboring streets represent old, established Stockholm. At the southwestern corner of the square, Östermalms Saluhall looks more like a collection of boutiques than the indoor food market it is; the fish displays can be especially intriguing. From 2016 to 2018, the historic market hall will be undergoing renovation. During this time vendors will operate out of a custom-built temporary hall in the square itself. At the eastern end of the square, Hedvig Eleonora Kyrka, a church with characteristically Swedish faux-marble painting throughout its wooden interior, is the site of frequent lunchtime concerts in spring and summer.

Dating from 1270, Riddarholmskyrkan, the Greyfriars monastery, is one of the oldest buildings in Stockholm. It's the burial place for two medieval kings, as well as every Swedish sovereign since 1632 except Queen Kristina, who abdicated and died in Rome, and Gustav VI Adolf, the current king's predecessor, who is buried at Haga Park. The redbrick church, distinguished by its delicate iron-fretwork spire, is rarely used for services and is more like a museum now. The most famous figures interred within are King Gustavus Adolphus, hero of the Thirty Years' War, and the warrior King Karl XII, renowned for his daring invasion of Russia, who died in Norway in 1718. The most recent of the 17 Swedish kings to be put to rest here was Gustav V, in 1950. The different rulers' sarcophagi, usually embellished with their monograms, are visible in the small chapels dedicated to the various dynasties.

When in session, the Swedish Parliament meets in this Neoclassical building, which was inaugurated in 1905. Above the entrance, the architect placed sculptures of a peasant, a burgher, a clergyman, and a nobleman. Take a tour of the building not only to learn about Swedish government but also to see the art within. In the former First Chamber are murals by Otte Sköld illustrating different periods in the history of Stockholm, and in the current First Chamber a massive tapestry by Elisabet Hasselberg Olsson, Memory of a Landscape, hangs above the podium. An English-language guided tour is the only way to gain admission; tours are first-come, first-served and limited to 28 persons, so arrive early.

The world's first open-air museum, Skansen was founded in 1891 by philologist and ethnographer Artur Hazelius, who is buried here. Drawing from all parts of the country, he preserved examples of traditional Swedish architecture, including farmhouses, windmills, barns, a working glassblower's hut, and churches. Not only is Skansen a delightful trip out of time in the center of a modern city, but it also provides insight into the life and culture of Sweden's various regions. In addition, the park has a zoo of Nordic animals, carnival area, aquarium (additional entrance fee), theater, and cafés.

Dedicated to alcohol and Sweden's relationship with it, this museum comes with tasting rooms, a bar, and a restaurant as well as permanent exhibits that include "Sweden: Spirits of a Nation," which passes through the seasons of the year via scenes, scents, and sounds—all while explaining how alcohol is produced.

The Stockholm City Library is among the most captivating buildings in town. Designed by the famous Swedish architect Gunnar Asplund and completed in 1928, the building's cylindrical, galleried main hall gives it the appearance of a large birthday cake. The collection contains some 500,000 books.

Here, in 1520, the Danish King Christian II ordered a massacre of Swedish noblemen, known as the Stockholm Bloodbath. The slaughter paved the way for a national revolt against foreign rule and the founding of Sweden as a sovereign state under King Gustav Vasa, who ruled from 1523 to 1560. One legend holds that if it rains heavily enough on the anniversary of the massacre, the old stones still run red. Nowadays, the square is lined with cafés where you can enjoy fantastic people-watching over lunch or a coffee break. During the month before Christmas, the square fills with a market selling handicrafts, glögg (hot mulled wine), and other seasonal foods and gifts.

Hidden away over a bookstore, this museum is dedicated to Sweden's most important author and dramatist, August Strindberg (1849–1912), who resided here from 1908 until his death four years later. The interior has been expertly reconstructed with authentic furnishings and other objects, including one of his pens. The museum also houses a library, printing press, and picture archives, and it is the setting for literary, musical, and theatrical events.