Stockholm, Sweden

Chapter 01: Intro

We flew into Stockholm at the end of August, just in time to get the last bit of summer in. This is our first stop out of three for this trip.

Flying into the city you will get a glimpse of the Stockholm Archipelago - a collection of 30,000 small islands. Stockholm itself is built on 14 different islands.

Getting from the airport to the city center was super convenient. There’s an express train that takes about 20 minutes and runs roughly every 10 minutes. A one way ticket is 35 USD.

As mentioned, Stockholm is a collection of islands, each with it’s own character and unique vibe. The city has an excellent subway so getting around is quick. Although we recommend you walk - Stockholm is an incredibly charming city.

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Chapter 02: Coffee

The best thing about Sweden is Fika, which basically means coffee time with pastries. To get your caffeine fix, we recommend these spots:

Drop Coffee Roasters

Great spot for a pot of coffee or espresso. All coffee here is roasted a few miles away. Very hipster vibe - simple decor with a lot of natural light. Not very busy on weekdays - so a great place to get a few hours of work in.

Johan & Nyström

Just a few blocks from Drop Coffe is Johan & Nyström. Absolutely excellent coffee, available both as filtered (pour over) or espresso. Huge selection of pastries and sandwiches. Staff was welcoming and very knowledgable. Courses on brewing and barista basics are also offered.

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Chapter 03: Shopping

Stockholm is filled with many boutique stores. The focus on simplicity and minimalism that characterizes Scandinavian design shows through.

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Chapter 04: Neighborhood Character

Located south of the main business area and the old town is Södermalm. We like to call this Stockholm’s hipster island. Filled with small cafes, restaurants, funky shops and fashion stores this is an island worth spending some time on. The cafes mentioned above are both located on Södermalm.

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Chapter 05: Stockholm at Night

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Chapter 06: Where to Get the Views

Some of the best views of the city can be found along Monteliusvägen. It’s a short walking path along a hill that has stunning views city hall, the old town and the water. We took a picture of the sign so we wouldn’t forget what the street was called.

Here it is on a map

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Chapter 07: Booze History

The Spirit Museum we felt was something we had to go see. Its a relatively small museum - we got there a little less than an hour before closing. Which worked out really well because we had the entire place to ourselves.

The most interesting part of the museum was learning about the fascinating history of alcohol in Sweden - and the governments attempts to curb alcoholism. Turns out that from the early 1900’s up as recently as 1955, Swedes were given a ration. Each citizen would receive a book and upon purchasing alcohol would get a stamp. If the stamp book filled up, well, you would have to wait until next month.

There is also an option to purchase a tasting of traditional Swedish liquors, or snaps. The price for the tasting (4 ounces of hooch) is cheaper at the museum than buying the equivalent at a bar. Just be ready for some weird, strong flavors.

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Chapter 08: The Boat

The Vasa was the biggest war ship in history when it sailed from Stockholm’s port in 1628. She held that record for roughly half an hour - the ship sank after sailing just 1,300 meters (4200 feet). However, thanks to the Baltic’s low salt content and cold waters the boat is almost perfectly preserved and on display.

Sadly, you cannot walk onto the boat, but an impressive sight none the less.

Here is a scale replica - it is what researchers believe the Vasa looked like when she left port.