Stockholm is built across fourteen islands where the lake meets the sea — clean, calm and impossibly pretty. Swedes speak flawless English, but a "tack" (thanks) and a "hej" still land warmly.
- Gamla Stan — the medieval old town on its own island: ochre houses, the narrowest alley in the city, and the Royal Palace with its noon changing of the guard.
- The Vasa Museum — a 17th-century warship that sank on its maiden voyage and was raised almost intact 333 years later. Astonishing, and the city's must-see.
- Skansen — the world's oldest open-air museum, on Djurgården: historic houses, Nordic animals and a hilltop view over the harbour.
- Djurgården — the green island of museums and parkland. Rent a bike or just walk the waterfront; the ABBA Museum is here too, if you must.
- An archipelago boat trip — 30,000 islands begin at the city's edge. Take a ferry to Vaxholm or Fjäderholmarna for red cottages, swimming and a taste of Swedish summer.
Try "fika" — the Swedish coffee-and-cake ritual — and you've learned both a word and a way of life. Meet a Swedish speaker below and arrive ready to say hej.
