Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Kungsholmen
To the west of the city centre,
Kungsholmen
has a very different feel, with wider,
residential streets, larger parks, select shops and Stockholm's Stadshuset. Whereas
Norrmalm is easy to get to on foot, Kungsholmen is best reached by T-bana (either
Rådhuset or Fridhemsplan T-bana stations). Venture further into Kungsholmen and
you'll discover a rash of great new bars and restaurants (see p.69), and an excellent
beach
at Smedsudden (bus #4 to Västerbroplan, then a 5min walk). There's also the popular
park,
Rålambshovsparken
; head through it to get to Smeduddsbadet, where you can
swim in Lake Mälaren and enjoy fantastic views of the Stadhuset and the Old Town.
Stadshuset
City Hall • Hantverkargatan 1 • Daily: June-Aug guided tours every 30min 9.30am-4pm; Sept-May hourly 10am-3pm • April-Oct 90kr,
Nov-March 60kr •
Tower
Daily: May & Sept 9am-4pm; June-Aug 9am-5pm • 40kr •
W
stockholm.se/cityhall • T-Centralen T-bana
Finished in 1923,
Stadshuset
is one of the landmarks of modern Stockholm and one of
the first buildings you'll see when approaching the city from the south by train. Its
simple if somewhat drab exterior brickwork is no preparation for the intriguing detail
inside. If you're a visiting head of state you'll be escorted from your boat up the elegant
waterside steps; for lesser mortals, the only way to view the innards is on one of the
guided tours, which reveal the kitschy Viking-style legislative chamber and impressively
echoing Golden Hall. Whilst here, it's worth climbing the steps to the top of the
tower
for a wonderful aerial view of the city centre and Lake Mälaren. The Stadshuset is also
the departure point for
ferries
to Drottningholm, Birka, Mariefred and Gripsholm,
Sigtuna and Uppsala.
Östermalm
East of Birger Jarlsgatan, the streets become noticeably broader and grander, forming a
uniform grid as far as Karlaplan.
Östermalm
was one of the last areas of central
Stockholm to be developed; the impressive residences here are as likely to be consulates
and embassies as fashionable homes.
Nybroplan
Djurgården ferry: daily 7.30am-1am; every 15min • 40kr one-way • Östermalmstorg T-bana
The first place to head for in Östermalm is
Nybroplan
, a square at the water's edge, a
ten-minute walk just east along Hamngatan from Sergels torg and marked by the
white-stone
Kungliga Dramatiska Teatern
, Stockholm's showpiece Royal Dramatic
Theatre, and more commonly known as Dramaten. The curved harbour in front is the
departure point for all kinds of archipelago
ferries
and tours (see p.84), including a
summertime (June-Aug) ferry operated by Strömma Kanalbolaget that makes the short
journey to Djurgården via Skeppsholmen.
Östermalmstorg
Östermalmshallen: Nybrogatan 31
•
Mon-Thurs 9.30am-6pm, Fri 9.30am-7pm, Sat 9.30am-4pm • Östermalmstorg T-bana
From the theatre continue up the hill of Sibyllegatan and you'll reach
Östermalmstorg
, an elegant square that's home to the somewhat ritzy
Östermalmshallen
, a wonderful indoor food market. Although it looks very similar
to Norrmalm's Hötorgshallen, the items here are more akin to what you might find
in a smart delicatessen, along with various oddities including reindeer hearts and
the wicked-smelling
surströmming
(fermented Baltic herring). Wander round at
