Sweden · Local picks
100+ Places to Visit in Sweden
These are the places worth your time in Sweden, from Stockholm's island museums and Gothenburg's seafood halls to Malmö's sea saunas, medieval Visby and Arctic Kiruna. Classics sit beside quiet corners many travellers miss, so every kind of visitor finds something to love.
Places to Visit in Stockholm
Arts and Culture
- Vasa Museum (Djurgården)
See the almost complete seventeenth century warship that sank on its maiden voyage and was raised in 1961. - The Royal Palace (Gamla stan)
One of Europe's largest palaces, with state rooms, the treasury and the daily changing of the guard. - ABBA The Museum (Djurgården)
Interactive museum where you can sing, dance and step on stage with the band's holograms. - Fotografiska (Södermalm)
Photography museum in an old customs house, with a waterside café and restaurant. - Moderna Museet (Skeppsholmen)
Modern art from Picasso to Swedish names on a quiet island, with free entry to the permanent collection. - Millesgården (Lidingö)
Sculptor Carl Milles's home and terraced garden of statues above the water. - Stockholm metro art (Citywide)
Over ninety metro stations are decorated with art, with T-Centralen and Kungsträdgården the most striking, all for the price of a ride. - Skogskyrkogården (Enskede)
UNESCO-listed woodland cemetery, a calm and moving piece of twentieth century landscape design.
Things to Do
- Skansen (Djurgården)
The world's oldest open-air museum, with old farmhouses, craft workshops and Nordic animals like elk and bears. - Gamla stan (Old Town)
Wander the medieval lanes, Stortorget square and the Royal Palace on the island where Stockholm began. - Stockholm City Hall (Kungsholmen)
Guided tours of the Golden Hall where the Nobel banquet is held, and a tower with views over the old town. - Rosendals Trädgård (Djurgården)
Organic garden with a greenhouse café where you can eat in the orchard. - Drottningholm Palace (Ekerö)
The royal family's home and a UNESCO site, reached by boat from the city in summer. - Gröna Lund (Djurgården)
Waterside amusement park with old-style rides and summer concerts.
Nature and Outdoors
- Stockholm archipelago by Waxholmsbolaget ferry (Strömkajen)
Hop on a public ferry to car-free islands like Vaxholm, Grinda and Sandhamn. - Monteliusvägen (Södermalm)
A short cliff-top walking path with one of the best free views over the old town and City Hall. - Djurgården island walk (Djurgården)
Leafy royal park island with waterside paths, gardens and cafés, easy to reach on foot or by tram. - Hellasgården (Nacka)
Forest lake with swimming, saunas, winter ice bathing and trails a short bus ride from the centre.
Cafés
- Vete-Katten (Norrmalm)
Classic konditori serving cinnamon buns, princess cake and coffee since 1928. - Fabrique (Citywide)
Stone-oven bakery chain with some of the city's best cardamom buns. - Café Pascal (Vasastan)
Popular neighbourhood coffee house with excellent pastries and a relaxed local crowd. - Kaffekoppen (Gamla stan)
Candlelit cellar café on Stortorget, cosy on dark winter afternoons.
Restaurants
- Östermalms Saluhall (Östermalm)
Grand market hall restored in 2020, with seafood counters, Swedish classics and lunch spots. - Meatballs for the People (Södermalm)
Swedish meatballs of many kinds with lingonberries and mash, a fun first taste of home cooking. - Pelikan (Södermalm)
Old beer hall with dark wood panelling serving traditional husmanskost like meatballs and pickled herring. - Den Gyldene Freden (Gamla stan)
Tavern in the same old town cellar since 1722, steeped in Swedish song and poetry. - Hermans (Södermalm)
Vegetarian buffet with a terrace overlooking the water and old town.
Bars and Nightlife
- Tak (Norrmalm)
Rooftop restaurant and bar with Nordic and Japanese flavours and city views. - Mosebacke Terrace (Södermalm)
Big summer terrace with beer, music and views across the harbour.
Shopping and Markets
- Drottninggatan (Norrmalm)
Long pedestrian shopping street linking the centre to Gamla stan. - SoFo (Södermalm)
Area south of Folkungagatan full of vintage shops, design boutiques and cafés.
Events
- Midsummer at Skansen (Djurgården)
Dance around the maypole, wear flower crowns and see the classic Swedish midsummer celebration. - Nobel Prize Museum (Gamla stan)
Learn the stories of Nobel laureates in the old Stock Exchange on Stortorget.
Stays
- Grand Hôtel Stockholm (Blasieholmen)
Historic waterfront hotel facing the Royal Palace, where Nobel laureates traditionally stay. - Af Chapman hostel (Skeppsholmen)
Sleep aboard a three-masted sailing ship moored opposite Gamla stan. - Hotel Skeppsholmen (Skeppsholmen)
Calm design hotel in a seventeenth century building on a green island.
Places to Visit in Uppsala
Arts and Culture
- Gamla Uppsala (Gamla Uppsala)
Royal burial mounds and a museum on one of Sweden's oldest power centres, from the Viking era and before. - Uppsala Cathedral (Centre)
Scandinavia's tallest church, where Linnaeus and Gustav Vasa are buried.
Places to Visit in Gothenburg
Things to Do
- Liseberg (Heden)
Scandinavia's biggest amusement park, with famous wooden roller coasters and a huge Christmas market. - Haga (Haga)
Cobbled old quarter of wooden houses, cafés and giant cinnamon buns. - Gothenburg Botanical Garden (Slottsskogen)
One of Europe's largest botanical gardens, free to stroll. - Marstrand (Bohuslän)
Island fortress town an hour away by bus and ferry, lovely for a summer day trip. - Paddan canal boat (Kungsportsplatsen)
Low boats that duck under bridges on a tour of the canals and harbour.
Cafés
- Café Husaren (Haga)
Home of the hand-sized Hagabulle cinnamon bun. - Da Matteo (Centre)
Local coffee roaster with several cafés and serious espresso.
Restaurants
- Feskekôrka (Rosenlund)
Fish market hall built like a church, with fresh seafood and lunch counters. - Saluhallen Stora Saluhallen (Kungstorget)
Historic market hall with delis, cheese, Swedish snacks and cheap lunches. - Sjömagasinet (Klippan)
Seafood restaurant in an eighteenth century East India Company warehouse by the river. - Smögen harbour (Bohuslän)
Long wooden boardwalk of fish shacks, shrimp sandwiches and boats on the west coast.
Nature and Outdoors
- Southern archipelago ferries (Saltholmen)
Tram then public ferry to car-free islands like Styrsö, Vrångö and Brännö. - Slottsskogen (Linnéstaden)
Big free city park with a petting zoo, seals, elk and picnic lawns. - Delsjön lakes (Delsjöområdet)
Forest lakes with trails and swimming spots on the edge of the city.
Arts and Culture
- Universeum (Heden)
Science centre with a rainforest, aquarium and hands-on exhibits, great for families. - Röhsska Museum (Vasastan)
Design and craft museum covering Swedish and Asian decorative arts. - Gothenburg Museum of Art (Götaplatsen)
Strong Nordic art collection at the top of Avenyn, by the Poseidon statue.
Shopping and Markets
- Haga Nygata (Haga)
Car-free street of small shops, antiques, sweets and cafés.
Stays
- Barken Viking (Lilla Bommen)
Stay aboard a historic four-masted sailing ship in the harbour. - Hotel Pigalle (Centre)
Boutique hotel full of character close to the canals and Kungstorget.
Places to Visit in Malmö
Arts and Culture
- Turning Torso (Västra Hamnen)
Twisting skyscraper icon of the new waterfront district, best seen from the beach promenade. - Malmöhus Castle (Slottsparken)
Renaissance castle housing museums, an aquarium and natural history displays. - Moderna Museet Malmö (Centre)
Contemporary art in a converted power station with a bright orange extension. - Lund Cathedral (Lund)
Romanesque cathedral with an astronomical clock, a short train ride away in the student town of Lund.
Nature and Outdoors
- Ribersborgs Kallbadhus (Ribersborg)
Open-air sea bathhouse on a pier with wood-fired saunas and cold-water dips all year. - Ribersborg beach (Ribersborg)
Long sandy city beach with views to the Öresund Bridge. - Slottsparken and Kungsparken (Centre)
Connected green parks with a windmill and paths by the canal. - Söderåsen National Park (Skåne)
Deep ravines, beech forest and lookouts in the heart of Skåne.
Things to Do
- Lilla Torg (Old Town)
Cobbled square of half-timbered houses packed with terraces in summer. - Ales stenar (Kåseberga)
Viking-era stone ship monument on a cliff above the Baltic, an hour from Malmö. - Österlen apple country (Österlen)
Rolling farmland, apple orchards, art galleries and quiet beaches in southeast Skåne. - Öresund Bridge crossing (Malmö)
Take the train across the famous bridge to Copenhagen in well under an hour.
Restaurants
- Malmö Saluhall (Gibraltargatan)
Food hall in an old railway warehouse with bakeries, street food and coffee. - Falafel on Möllevången (Möllevången)
Malmö is famous across Sweden for falafel, and the Möllan area is the best place to try it.
Shopping and Markets
- Möllevångstorget market (Möllevången)
Lively daily fruit and vegetable market at the heart of multicultural Malmö.
Cafés
- Lilla Kafferosteriet (Old Town)
Coffee roaster in an old house with a hidden garden.
Events
- Malmöfestivalen (City centre)
Free week-long city festival in August with food stalls, music and family events.
Places to Visit in Visby
Things to Do
- Visby city wall (Visby)
Walk along one of the best preserved medieval town walls in Europe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. - Almedalen (Visby)
Seaside park beneath the wall, lovely at sunset.
Arts and Culture
- Gotland Museum (Visby)
Picture stones, Viking silver hoards and the island's long history. - St. Karin church ruins (Visby)
Roofless medieval church ruin on the main square, used for summer events.
Nature and Outdoors
- Fårö raukar (Fårö)
Strange limestone sea stacks on the windswept island where Ingmar Bergman lived. - Tofta beach (Tofta)
Long sandy beach south of Visby, popular with families. - Lummelunda Cave (Lummelunda)
Limestone cave with underground streams north of Visby.
Events
- Medieval Week (Visby)
August festival with jousting, markets and costumes filling the old town.
Cafés
- Saffranspannkaka at a café (Visby)
Try Gotland's saffron pancake with dewberry jam and cream.
Places to Visit in Kiruna
Stays
- Icehotel (Jukkasjärvi)
The original hotel made of ice and snow, rebuilt every winter, with a year-round ice art hall. - Abisko Turiststation (Abisko)
Mountain station run by the Swedish Tourist Association, a classic base for hikers and aurora hunters. - Treehotel (Harads)
Designer rooms hung in the pine forest, south of Kiruna near Luleå.
Nature and Outdoors
- Abisko National Park (Abisko)
One of the best places in the world to see the northern lights, with midnight sun hikes in summer. - Kungsleden trail (Abisko)
The King's Trail, Sweden's most famous long-distance hike through mountain valleys. - Kebnekaise (Nikkaluokta)
Sweden's highest mountain, with a classic summer summit hike.
Things to Do
- Aurora Sky Station (Abisko)
Chairlift up Mount Nuolja to an observation station for northern lights watching. - Dog sledding tours (Jukkasjärvi)
Drive your own team of huskies across frozen rivers and forest. - Kiruna town move (Kiruna)
See how a whole town is being moved away from the iron ore mine below it. - LKAB visitor centre mine tour (Kiruna)
Go underground in the world's largest underground iron ore mine on a guided tour.
Arts and Culture
- Kiruna Church (New city centre)
Wooden church shaped like a Sami hut, moved to the new town centre.
Restaurants
- Suovas and reindeer stew (Kiruna)
Try smoked reindeer or a reindeer wrap, a staple of northern cooking.
Events
- Jokkmokk Winter Market (Jokkmokk)
Sami market held every February for more than four hundred years.
Places to Visit in Dalarna
Events
- Midsummer at Lake Siljan (Leksand)
Traditional midsummer with folk costumes and church boats on the lake.
Shopping and Markets
- Nils Olsson Dala horse workshop (Nusnäs)
Watch the famous red Dala horses being carved and painted.
Arts and Culture
- Carl Larsson-gården (Sundborn)
The painter's family home, which shaped Swedish interior style.
Places to Visit in Småland
Shopping and Markets
- Kingdom of Crystal glassworks (Kosta)
Watch glassblowing at Kosta and other historic glassworks in the Småland forests.
Things to Do
- Astrid Lindgren's World (Vimmerby)
Theme park where Pippi Longstocking and Emil's stories come alive.
More to Explore
We are still checking these with fresh sources, so confirm opening times before you go.
- Nystekt strömming food truck (Slussen, Stockholm)
Fried Baltic herring with mash, a true Stockholm street food by the water. - Debaser (Södermalm, Stockholm)
Live music club with indie, rock and club nights. - Himlen (Södermalm, Stockholm)
Bar on the twenty-sixth floor of the Skatteskrapan tower with sweeping city views. - Hornstull Market (Södermalm, Stockholm)
Weekend summer market of street food, vintage clothes and crafts on the waterfront. - Ahlströms Konditori (Centre, Gothenburg)
Classic old konditori serving cakes since 1901. - Brewers Beer Bar (Majorna, Gothenburg)
Local favourite for Swedish craft beer and pizza. - Upper House Bar (Gothia Towers, Gothenburg)
High-rise hotel bar with views across the city. - Göteborgs Kulturkalas (City centre, Gothenburg)
Free city culture festival in August with concerts, dance and street events. - Far i Hatten (Folkets Park, Malmö)
Summer bar and stage in the old people's park with live music. - Mayfair Hotel Tunneln (Old Town, Malmö)
Small hotel in one of Malmö's oldest buildings near Lilla Torg. - Bakfickan (Stora Torget, Visby)
Small seafood restaurant on the main square. - Fårö cottages (Fårö, Visby)
Simple cottages and guesthouses on the quiet island north of Gotland. - Gotland lamb and craft shops (Visby, Visby)
Look for local sheepskin, ceramics and lamb products made on the island. - Nutti Sami Siida (Jukkasjärvi, Kiruna)
Meet reindeer and learn about Sami culture from Sami hosts. - Sami duodji crafts (Jokkmokk, Kiruna)
Look for handmade Sami knives, leather and bone work with the Sami Duodji label. - Northern lights snowshoe night (Abisko, Kiruna)
Guided evening walk on snowshoes away from lights for the best aurora chances. - House of Emigrants (Växjö, Småland)
Museum and research centre on the emigration of over a million Swedes to America. - Free walking tour of Södermalm (Södermalm, Stockholm)
Cliffs, old wooden houses and Millennium trilogy locations on the city's creative island.