Stockholm. What a cracking city.

A beautiful place in a very pleasant country where you can't fail to enjoy whiling away a few days, or longer.

Stockholm was only my second visit to Scandinavia and my first to Sweden. The endless mention of how expensive that part of northern Europe was, and perhaps the wonder of just exactly how much there was to see and do, meant it had never figured highly on my radar before.

Yep, we in Blighty had all, rather predictably, heard of Abba and Bjorn Borg as perhaps the main Swedish exports. That and Sven Goran Ericsson of course. And it has to be said, when we hopped off the plane at Stockholm's Arlanda Airport the first giant murals we saw heading to arrivals were of a four-piece pop group from the 1970s and a tennis player with a beard. No sign, though, of a football manager prowling the touchline for England/ Mexico/ Manchester City/ Notts County/ Leicester (note to self, update this list regularly).

But those images aside, Stockholm is a remarkable place not least because it's clearly a great place to live, work, and yes, visit.  Not for nothing has it been consistently in the top end of the cities offering the best quality of life on the planet.

 

 

 

Old town: Gamla Stan in the heart of Stockholm

 

It's very chilled. It may be a capital city, the most populated urban area in Scandinavia and home to some 850,000 people, but it rarely feels crowded or frenetic.

Stockholm is clean, friendly and very accessible. Not too many of us outside the country know much Swedish but that's hardly a problem when everybody, and I mean everybody, knows at least a smattering of English. It's virtually a second language and many things, from train signs to menus to museums, carry an English version to help you through.

The city is built on islands and its historic heart is Gamla Stan. This tiny island takes all of ten minutes to walk from end to end and is a network of medieval passageways surrounding the Royal Palace. It's touristy in parts, you'll be tripping over viking hats and cuddly mooses, but it's well worth a meander.

 

Stockholm has dozens of museums and attractions, and if you have to pick one I'd recommend Skansen. It's the city's recreation jewel, the world's first open air museum. Swedish buildings and farmhouses from the past few centuries have been moved from elsewhere in the county and rebuilt in this giant park. There's also a zoo there, with Scandinavian animals including the famous moose, reindeer and brown bears. All in all good value for 120SEK (£12) each and you can easily spend a few hours there. It's on Djurgarden island, where you'll also find Grona Lund Tivoli, Stockholm's traditional and much loved fairground. You can catch Tram 7 there from Nybroplan or alternatively hop on board a ferry from Slussen or Nybroplan.

 

The list of other museums is extensive so it's take your pick. The architecture museum is also central and gives a quick insight into Stockholm's famous cutting edge design and architecture which you'll experience throughout your stay - from the brutal concrete buildings of the seventies that have taken on new life, to the quirky and bold designs of the 21st Century.




Moderne Museet is the place for modern art while the city's museum, Stockholm's Stadsmuseum is highly recommended. You'll find that on Sodermalm, the sharp and gritty island to the south of Gamla Stan which by all accounts is a great place to hang out. However, I'll admit we didn't make it there - there's so much else to see.

The shopping and commercial hub is found close to the main station. Some of the prices in the window will see your jaw drop but many are little different to those you'll see at home. And some, such as clothes, can be cheaper - this is, after all, the home of H&M and North Face.

What you must also do is hop on a boat and sample Stockholm's archipelago. There are thousands upon thousands of islands in the area and in the sunny summer months hordes of city dwellers escape to the seclusion of island life.

 

Some are several hours away but there's no shortage of sightseeing boat trips in the immediate vicinity - visit www.stromma.se

There's a one and a half hour trip to Vaxholm, the capital. They also travel to Drottningholm Palace, home of the Swedish royal family, and also to the Viking Island of Burka, a world heritage site. For more visit www.strommakanalbolaget.se or you can buy tickets on the boat.

All the info you'll need can be found at the city's tourist information centre at Hamngatan 27 in Sweden House, open seven days. There's also one at Arlanda Airport. You can buy the Stockholm Card at these places which gives you access to dozens of museums plus tour discounts, as well as unlimited travel on the buss, metro and trams. Visit www.visitstockholm.com/en

All in all Stockholm ticks a lot of boxes.

In the summer months it's a delight, the sun barely sets this far north and you won't be short of things to do, see, eat and drink. The locals are unfailingly polite and it feels very safe. No-one would ever suggest it is cheap, but with a careful eye on the kronas it needn't break the bank either. I'd definitely recommend it.