interactive travel guide by Sara Gameon

THINGS TO DO

WHERE TO EAT

WHERE TO STAY

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Nightlife

Stockholm

SHOPPING

STOCKHOLM

Sweden

Gameon & Daughter

Travel Guide Pro’s

THINGS TO DO

Looking for restaurants in Stockholm that serve Swedish cuisine? Here is a list of restaurants that I recommend... (Rustic = “husmanskost”) * Enter medieval Stockholm Gamla Stan is the living cradle of Stockholm’s birth more than three quarters of a millennium ago.

Read more about Stockholm’s areas

* Buy into Swedish design Swedish design flies off the shelves everywhere from Tallinn to Tokyo, and we’re not talking about Ikea.

See all shops in Stockholm

* Get in with the in-crowd Stockholm is famous for its trendy bars with membership cards, VIP rooms, and long queues… and they’re not to be missed.

See all bars & pubs in Stockholm

* Pick up some contemporary Swedish art In the past few years Stockholm’s contemporary art scene has exploded to its full potential.

See all art museums and galleries in Stockholm

* Join the ‘Street’ scene Street normally takes place on alternate weekends from March until Christmas. For details, check the website at www.streetinstockholm.se.

See all markets in Stockholm

* Revisit your childhood Junibacken, a mini indoor theme park devoted to Pipi Longstocking is as popular with parents taking a trip down memory lane as it is with their kids.

See all venues good for families & kids

* Get your VIP dancing shoes on Shake your booty with Stockholm’s fashionistas, musicians and hipsters at Spy Bar, if you can convince the bouncers that you know the right people that is.

See all clubs in Stockholm

* Take a one-stop cultural tour of Sweden Skansen has 150-plus traditional buildings – homes shops, churches, barns and workshops – organised as a miniature Sweden.

See all attractions in Stockholm

WHERE TO EAT

Looking for restaurants in Stockholm that serve Swedish cuisine? Here is a list of restaurants that I recommend... (Rustic = “husmanskost”)

* Operakällaren

Downtown. Haute cuisine, classic restaurant in the Opera House.

* Ulla Winbladh

* Prinsen

Downtown. Classic dishes using top notch produce in trendy atmosphere. Restaurant Prinsen Master Samuelsgatan 4th 111 44 Stockholm, Sweden Phone: 08-611 13:31

http://restaurangprinsen.eu/

* Pelikan

Djurgården. Classic Stockholm restaurant.

* Erik’s Gondolen

Södermalm. Modern, with fantastic views of the city. Stadsgården 6, 104 65 Stockholm Phone: +46-8-641 70 90, http://www.eriks.se/start.asp?lang=2

Södermalm. Rustic Swedish cuisine in beer hall atmosphere.

* Blå Dörren

Södermalm. Rustic Swedish dishes. Blå Dörren Södermalmstorg 6 116 45 stockholm Phone: 08 743 0 743/ 743 0 740

Operakällaren, The Royal Opera House, Karl XII:S torg Box 1616 SE-111 86 Stockholm, Sweden Phone: +46 8 676 58 00

http://www.eng.operakallaren.se/

http://www.bla-dorren.se/

http://www.pelikan.se/sidor/eng_index.htm

* Grand’s Verand

Downtown. Smörgåsbord. Grand Hôtel Southern Blasieholmshamnen 8 Box 164 24 103 27 Stockholm Tel: 08 - 679 35 00

* Restaurant 1900

Downtown. Modern cuisine using traditional flavours.

http://www.grandhotel.se/in_english/restaurant_bar/grands_ veranda

* Sturehof

* Fem Små Hus

Downtown. French influence. Great seafood!

Gamla Stan. High end in historic atmosphere.

Sturehof AB Sturegallerian 42 Stureplan 2 114 46 Stockholm Phone: +46 8-440 57 30

Fem Små Hus Nygränd 10 111 30 Stockholm Telephone: +46 8 10 87 75

http://www.sturehof.com/en-us/home/

http://www.femsmahus.se/english_ny.html

* JT

Gamla Stan. Rustic dining in the Old Town. RESTAURANG JT Järntorget 78 111 29 Old Town, Stockholm Phone: +46 8 20 44 20

http://www.jt78.se/en/

1900: brasserie på svenska Regeringsgatan 66 114 46 Stockholm Tel:+46 (0)8 20 60 10

http://r1900.se/#

WHERE TO STAY

Stockholm is a stylish and civilised city with great shopping, restaurants and hotels. During the day, you can explore this archipelago city by bicycle or foot and at night.

* RIVAL HOTEL * HOTEL SKEPPSHOLMEN * BERNS

Näckströmsgatan 8, Östermalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 566 32200) Everyone from Robbie Williams to the Dalai Lama has checked in to Berns’ boutique bedrooms, which are well-placed near the Opera House, the best shops and great nightlife.

Gröna gången 1, Skeppsholmen, Stockholm (00 46 8 407 2300) Hotel Skeppsholmen, which is housed in two 17th-century buildings on an island in the heart of the city, is more than just another exercise in Nordic minimalism.

* LYDMAR HOTEL

Södra Blasieholmshamnen 2, Stockholm (00 46 8 223160) The location of Per Lydmar’s second hotel in Stockholm - between the Grand Hotel and the National Museum, with views over the harbour, Old Town and Royal Palace - is ideal.

Mariatorget 3, Södermalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 545 78900) Benny from ABBA is breathing new life into Stockholm’s hotel scene with this hotel-cafébakery-cinema.

* STALLMASTAREGARDEN

Norrtull, Vasastaden, Stockholm (00 46 8 610 1300) Located next to the huge Haga park with beautiful views over a lake but only 10 minutes’ drive from the city centre, Stallmästaregården is a rustic and romantic hotel popular with Stockholmers who want a slap-up meal and an overnight stay.

* NORDIC LIGHT HOTEL

Tulegatan 8, Norrmalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 674 1800) Built in 1974, the hotel has been revamped to become a showcase for Swedish design.

* RICA HOTEL KUNGSGATAN

Kungsgatan 47, Östermalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 723 7220) A central hotel with pleasant blond-wood furnishings.

* DESTINATION STOCKHOLMS SKARGARD

(00 46 8 5424 8100) Cottages and chalets can be rented by the week, for 1,500 SEK-15,000 SEK (about £100-£1,000) depending on size and facilities, such as private swimming pools. Full listings can be found at www.dess.se Price rating: 0/5 Norrmalmstorg 2-4 (00 46 8 614 1000) Talk about the best of all worlds: the Nobis has Swedish interiors, Italian food and an American bartender mixing cocktails in the Gold Bar. All this, plus pitch-perfect service and a location on a square in the heart of town have made it the must-stay hotel for both business travellers (the elegant meeting rooms are a legacy from the building’s days as a bank) and tourists (it’s an easy stroll to the old town and NK department store).

* HOTEL BIRGER JARL

Strandvägen 7a, Östermalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 663 0740) Overlooking the harbour on one of the classiest streets in town, Esplanade is close to all the most fashionable Östermalm shops.

Lilla Nygatan 5, Gamla Stan, Stockholm (00 46 8 506 40000) Slap in the middle of Gamla Stan (the Old Town), the Victory plays up to the Stockholm’s nautical obsession: each of the 45 ship-shape rooms are named after a Swedish sea captain.

* NOBIS HOTEL, SWEDEN

Vasaplan, Vasastaden, Stockholm This cool, pale designer hotel has 175 rooms and friendly, helpful staff.

* HOTEL ESPLANADE

* VICTORY HOTEL

* STORY HOTEL

Riddargatan 6, Östermalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 54 50 39 40 ) The Story, which opened in March 2010, used to be an apartment building and so underneath its fiercely trendy new look it retains a cosy, homely charm.

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Tourist Info

Travel Information

For more information on Stockholm, visit the city’s official visitor’s guide (www.visitstockholm.com) or call the Swedish Travel and Tourism Council (00800 3080 3080; www.visit-sweden.com).

How To Get There * AIRPORT

Arlanda airport is 45km north of Stockholm. Highspeed trains leave for Stockholm every 15 minutes and take 20 minutes.

* AIRLINES FROM THE UK

SAS (0870 60 727 727; www.flysas.com) flies daily from London Heathrow to Stockholm Arlanda up to eight times a day. British Airways (0870 850 9 850; www.ba.com) flies up to five times a day from Heathrow to Stockholm Arlanda. Norwegian (www.norwegian.com) flies from Edinburgh and Gatwick to Arlanda.

* Visas:

The main tourist office (00 46 8 508 28 508) is on Vasagatan 14 (opposite the central train station).

For a stays of up to 90 days, you probably will not need a visa, but citizens of South Africa, Hong Kong residents with Chinese passports and residents of many African, Asian, South American and some Eastern European countries should check requirements.

* NEED TO KNOW

* Public holidays:

Language: Swedish Capital City: Stockholm Population: 9 million Area: 174,000 square miles Telephone Calling Code(s): 46 Electricity: 230V, 50 Hz Currency: As of Nov 22, 2011: 1 Sweden Kronor = $0.15 US Calculate Other Amounts Entry Requirements: Sweden, a member of the EU, does not require visas for citizens of the United States. A valid passport is sufficient for a three-month stay.

When To Go There’s been a lot of snowfall in winter lately, with blizzards most likely in January and February— though bright sun or frequent wet weather (cold or mild) are just as possible. March tends to be damp, but by April, temperatures begin to rise. By May, the city’s blossoming and the sidewalk tables are out. In June and July, it never gets completely dark (conversely, on a dull day in December it can barely get light at all, with the sun setting around 3 p.m.). In July and August, the water is warm enough for swimming, and, though some businesses, notably restaurants, take vacation time, high summer is probably the nicest season to visit. Two major annual events take place in the dead of winter though: the Nobel Prize ceremony in the Konserthuset on December 10, and the Stockholm design fair in February. Anyone afraid of the cold should avoid Stockholm during the winter months, which can be bitter, although the city looks beautiful in the snow. For the clearest weather, go in July or August.

New Year’s Day; Epiphany; Good Friday; Easter Monday; Labour Day; Ascension; Whit Monday; Midsummer Eve and Day (June); Christmas Eve; Christmas; Boxing Day.

* Local dishes:

Swedish food is largely based on fish, meat and potato. Unusual specialities include reindeer, elk meat and wild berries. The local spirit is akvavit and comes in many different flavours.

* Funny fact:

All alcohol has to be bought in off-licences except for class A beers (less than 3%) which can be bought in supermarkets.

Nightlife

* LE BAR ROUGE * BERNS SALONGER Berzelii Park, Norrmalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 566 322 22; www.berns.se). A legendary music hall that host concerts as well as club nights.

Österlånggatan 17, Gamla Stan, Stockholm (00 46 8 505 244 60; www.lerouge.se). With its banquettes and acres of scarlet velvet, Le Bar Rouge looks like a corner of fin-de-siècle Paris. It is the creation of the team behind several Stockholm hotspots (F12, Kungsholmen, Grill); good for late-night drinks, it also serves one of the city’s best burgers.

Birger Jarlsgatan 4, Östermalm, Stockholm (00 8 545 035 60; www.riche.se). A very fashionable bar, Riche is frequented by the rich, famous and very stylish. The restaurant serves traditionally Swedish food, whereas the bar is extremely vibrant and modern.

* STURECOMPAGNIET Sturegatan 4, Östermalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 545 076 00; www.stureplansgruppen.se). Probably the most famous club in Sweden, Sturecompagniet is made up of four rooms over two floors and is popular with 23-30-year-olds.

* TRANAN

* KVARNEN Tjärhovsgatan 4, Södermalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 643 0380; www.kvarnen.com). A legendary Södermalm restaurant and bar, which hasn’t forgotten the borough’s working class roots, Kvarnen is housed in a beautiful fin de siecle building and you can choose to take your drink alfresco during the warm summer months.

* RICHE

* NALEN

* SPY BAR

Regeringsgatan 74, Norrmalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 505 292 00; www.nalen.com). When talking about legendary places, Nalen shouldn’t be forgotten - it has played host to several jazz legends over the years. Today, people come here for concerts and club nights. Pay a visit to the restaurant where you’ll find some classic Swedish food.

Birger Jarlsgatan 20, Östermalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 545 076 55; www.spybar.se). Also a celebrity favourite, Spy Bar is a genuine nightclub with good and varying music. Popular with partygoers, it should be avoided if you’d prefer talking to dancing. The queue is legendary.

Karlbergsvägen 14, Vasastaden, Stockholm (00 46 8 527 281 00; www.tranan.se). A bit further north, Tranan is another Stockholm classic that offers great drinks and fantastic bar food (most of the menu is very Swedish). The bar has rotating DJs and the music ranges from Brazilian jazz to 70s funk and deep house.

Where To Shop

Stockholm is an excellent shopping destination. The stylish inhabitants frequent equally stylish shops and boutiques, and you’ll be able to find the latest - and best - Scandinavian design here.

ANTIQUES * SVENSKA RUM

Nybrogatan 40, Östermalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 662 17 77; www.svenskarumantikt.se). The name means Swedish Rooms, and owner Leif Jansson is a big fan of Gustaviana from the 18th and 19th centuries.

CLOTHES * ANNA HOLTBLAD

Grev Turegatan 13, Östermalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 5450 2220; www.annaholtblad.com). Anna Holtblad is known for her wearable yet unique clothes, and her beautiful boutique is well worth a visit.

* BEYOND RETRO

Åsögatan 144, Södermalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 641 3642; www.beyondretro.com). With over 6,000 items in store, Beyond Retro is definitely worth a visit. For a shopping experience with a twist, visit the shop on a Sunday after 3pm when Stockholm musicians treat shoppers to live music.

* FILIPPA K

Biblioteksgatan 2-4, Östermalm, Stockholm ( (00 46 8 611 88 03; www.filippa-k.com). Swedish designer Filippa Knutsson makes high quality basics for men, women and children. Expect sailor-stripe T-shirts, cotton sweaters, cords and chinos in an array of colours.

* LISA LARSSON

Bondegatan 48, Södermalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 643 6153; www.lisalarssonsecondhand.com). For the best in second-hand chic try the Lisa Larsson boutique on Södermalm. An established

boutique for over twenty years and a favourite with celebrities, Lisa Larsson’s collection is one of Stockholm’s best-kept secrets. You will find a wide range of potential purchases - from collectable designer items to inexpensive costume pieces.

* NATALIE SCHUTERMAN

Birger Jarlsgatan 5, Norrmalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 611 62 01; www.nathalieschuterman.se). An exclusive boutique that stocks 3.1 Phillip Lim, Bottega Veneta, Miu Miu, Marchesa, Christian Louboutin and other internationally renowned designers. Open Mon-Sat.

* NORDISKA KOMPANIET

Hamngatan 18-20, Östermalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 762 80 00; www.nk.se). The Swedish department store, Nordiska Kompaniet (known as “NK”) stocks all the must-have Scandinavian fashion labels along with the international masters. With plenty of Swedish and Scandinavian exclusives that you won’t find elsewhere, NK is well worth a visit.

* STADSMISSIONEN

Stortorget 5, Gamla Stan, Stockholm (00 46 8 7878 661; www.stadsmissionen.se). Stadsmissionen sells second-hand stuff in aid of the homeless and you might, with luck, score some vintage Swedish design at bargain prices. Failing that, pop into its wonderful bakery next door for traditional cardamom and cinnamon breads.

* STUREGALLERIAN

Grev Turegatan 9a, Östermalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 453 50 67; www.sturegallerian.se). One of the most exclusive shopping malls in Sweden, Sturegallerian has over 50 luxury boutiques and an assortment of quality eateries. It’s a favourite of Stockholm’s elite, and the princesses (especially the fashionable Princess Madeleine) are often spotted shopping here. The mall houses the original Sturebadet public bath, which has been restored to its

original Art Nouveau design and reincarnated as Stockholm’s most luxurious spa.

HOME AND INTERIORS * CARL MALMSTEN

Strandvagen 5b, Östermalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 233 380; www.c.malmsten.se). This designer opened his interiors boutique in the 1920s, and his work is enjoying a renaissance. The Farmor armchair (about £975), and the Hemmakväll sofa (from about £1,935) are design classics. The store also sells fabulous glasses, ceramics and textiles by contemporary Swedish designers.

* NORDISKA GALLERIET

Nybrogatan 11, Östermalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 442 8360; www.nordiskagalleriet.se). This is where you’ll find the very best contemporary furniture by Scandinavian designers. Limited-edition chairs are produced each year, and rapidly increase in value.

* SVENSKT TENN

Strandvägen 5, Stockholm (00 46 8 670 16 00; www.svenskttenn.se). An established furniture, textile and lighting design company, Svenskt Tenn boasts its own lifestyle philosophy. The pieces are truly unique; embodying the creative culture the company has stuck to since its conception in the Twenties. The shop also regularly holds exhibitions for inspirational Stockholm designers.

* TEN SWEDISH DESIGNERS

Götgatan 25, Södermalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 643 2504; www.tiogruppen.com). The signature

of this collective of textile designers (which put a firm mark on fashion in Sweden during the 1960s) is bold, bright graphics that are applied to fabrics by the metre. The collection includes bags, accessories, clothes and bed linen.

JEWELLERY * EFVA ATTLING

Hornsgatan 44, Södermalm, Stockholm (00 46 8 642 9949; www.efvaattlingstockholm.com). Efva Attling is a former Eileen Ford model and singer who turned jewellery designer during the 1990s. Her work is beautifully crafted using simple, clean designs. The range of chunky sterling silver rings start at about £45.

The image of Stockholm

In a large online survey, potential visitors to Sweden from eleven countries have stated their top three associations with Sweden. Here is the list of Sweden’s 20 top-ranking “qualities”, based on the survey, along with our subjective comments. 12. Beautiful. YES! We are surprised that this quality doesn’t rank higher on the list. Sweden’s beauty is magical. 1. Nature, countryside. Oh yes! Two-thirds of Sweden is forests, lakes, rolling hills, pristine archipelagos and wilderness. It’s not easy to find a more beautiful country, if we may say so ourselves.

13. IKEA. No one can deny the enormous influence that this furniture and design giant has had on people’s homes and lifestyles around the world. IKEA’s opposite number, H&M, established the same year and with a similar concept, has done much the same in the fashion world.

2. Cold. Yes and no. It’s true, our winters are often cold and long but we love the dramatic shifts between the four seasons, with the extremes of the midnight sun and the polar night.

14. Mountains. Yes. The endless alpine expanses and mountain ranges of the northwest are our pride and joy – impressive and majestic but also welcoming and accessible for everyone.

3. Stockholm. Our royal capital – one of the world’s most beautiful cities, according to ourselves and many others.

15. Fjords. Here we are wondering if some people have mixed us up with our neighbor, Norway. Still, we do have relatively small fjords on our west coast.

4. Expensive. In the past, yes. Today Sweden may be expensive compared to certain countries, yet it is inexpensive and good value compared to others.

16. Nice country to visit. Thank you!

5. Snow. Yes! Almost all of Sweden is white during the winter months, with all the enjoyment, pleasures, adventures and recreation that the snow and ice offer. 6. Friendly country and people. Thank you very much! 7. Forests. Yes. More than half of Sweden is forested, and from this comes our prosperity, our sagas and mythology, our food and much more. We Swedes love our forests. 8. Peace and quiet. So true. These precious qualities exist in abundance in our country. 9. Inexpensive. Yes, in some respects and by some comparisons it actually is. 10. Lakes. Yes. Throughout the country visitors can enjoy the priceless luxury of looking out over a quiet lake in the forest at sunset. The nine million Swedes have 520,000 lakes to share between them! 11. Plenty of space, great distances. Yes and no. Sweden is one of the few countries where the countryside is still larger than the people. Norrland, with the same area as the United Kingdom, has 1.3 million people. However in the more densely populated south of the country, distances are short. Visitors find our metropolitan regions manageable, with lots to see and do within a limited range.

17. Culture. Strindberg, Nobel, Greta Garbo, Ingmar Bergman, Ingrid Bergman, ABBA, Stieg Larsson – the list of great Swedes in the cultural sphere can go on and on. Sweden is a country that offers and consumes cultural experiences of all varieties. 18. Skiing. One of our great popular pastimes, in all its forms: cross country, downhill, snowboarding, and extreme skiing. There’s something for everyone. 19. Blond people. Yes and no. It’s true that we are famous for our fair hair, but today Sweden is a multicultural country where one fifth of the population has foreign heritage. 20. Clean. Yes. We have worked long and hard to keep our country clean, both on and below the surface. www.visitsweden.com