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For the inhabitants there's a tribal status to each of the city's islands. But for the visitor, Stockholm's archipelago location primarily helps to dissect the city, both in terms of history and in terms of Stockholm's different characteristics, conveniently packaging the capital into easily handled, ultimately digestible areas.
The central island of Gamla Stan wows visitors with its medieval beauty, small café-lined squares, and winding, narrow lanes. To the south, Södermalm challenges with contemporary boutiques, hip hangouts, and left-of-center sensibilities. North of Gamla Stan is Norrmalm, the financial and business heart of the city. Travel west and you'll find Kungsholmen, site of Stadshuset (City Hall). Turn east from Norrmalm and Östermalm awaits, an old residential neighborhood with the most money, the most glamour, and the most expensive street on the Swedish Monopoly board. Finally, beyond Östermalm lies the island of Djurgården, once a royal game preserve, now the site of lovely parks and museums.
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.
In the vaults under the massive stone bridge of Norrbro is Medeltidsmuseet, a museum built around the surviving city wall that once protected the growing city of Stockholm. The museum explores Stockholm's medieval past, with exhibits on life in the city's narrow, winding streets, religion, crime, and trade, in the centuries after Stockholm took the mantle from Sigtuna as the base of power in Sweden.
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 aged 5--8 years should visit the delightful "village life" play area (lekstugan) on the ground floor.
