Visiting Stockholm was on my target list after a Swedish film I watched during the pandemic titled “I Love You – A Divorce Comedy“. The film is a sweet romantic comedy shot in Stockholm, in which one can see the beauty of Stockholm – the land of the Nobel prize and the legendary ABBA band. (Photo above: Getty Images via cntraveler.com).

Scenes from the Swedish film originally titled “Jag älskar dig – En skilsmässokomedi” (You also come across cosy inner decorations in the film reflecting the warmth of the Scandinavian style.) (Photos: filmtopp.se / cineeuropa.org)

I had the chance to visit Stockholm towards the end of October. Although our visit coincided cold weather in Stockholm, which had suddenly come that week, it was still pleasant to walk around in the city. Cold fresh air was good for us after continuous hot weather above seasonal norms in Istanbul. Even the snow drizzled once which was nice to see.

Stockholm, Gamla Stan (Getty Images via thetimes.co.uk)

Our hotel, “Haymarket by Scandic”, a hip hotel in the city center that I will mention more later in this post was just opposite of the Stockholm Concert Hall (Konserthuset Stockholm), where the Nobel Prize award ceremony takes place every year – which I learnt from the lady at the shop of the Stockholm City Hall – our first stop in Stockholm after we checked in our hotel.

Photo: Stockholm Concert Hall at Christmas with the set of beautiful sculptures in front (Photo: by Oleksii Kondratiev, shutterstock.com via visitstockholm.com)

Stockholm City Hall (Stadshuset), a red-brick building with its spire featuring three golden crowns, is the prime landmark of the city located on the shore of Lake Mälaren. I was told by the lady at the City Hall shop that the Nobel banquet is held here annually following the award ceremony. After dinner in the Blue Hall, guests including the Swedish royal family dance in the Golden Hall, surrounded by millions of gold mosaics.

The 2015 Nobel Prize Banquet at Stockholm’s City Hall hosted by the Swedish Royal Family (Getty Images via mirror.co.uk)

The Nobel Banquet 2016: Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria and Physics Laureate J.Michael Kosterlitz / A beautiful dessert at the glorious banquet table (Photos: Alexander Mahmoud and Dan Lepp, via nobelprize.org) (Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and Literature are awarded in Stockholm, while Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway as Alfred Nobel’s will.)

The Nobel dance held in the Golden Hall of Stockholm City Hall, following the Nobel Prize dinner (visitsweden.com)

Note that the City Hall is open to public only through guided tours. Unfortunately the tours had been cancelled due to an event when we went there and we couldn’t get inside. So check for the tours before you go. You can also climb up inside the tower for the view of the city.

Stockholm City Hall (Photo: visitstockholm.com)

My husband and I at the City Hall, Oct.19, 2023

Following the City Hall, we headed to Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s Old Town, which is a must-destination and the cosy heart of the city with its narrow cobblestone streets, jolly souvenir shops, and colorful buildings in tones of brick, mustard and green tones – dating back to the Middle Ages.

Stortorget Square in Gamla Stan, the oldest square in Stockholm (Photo: Getty Images via forbes.fr)

In the streets of Gamla Stan (Västerlånggatan and Österlånggatan are the two main shopping streets)

One of the medieval cobbled streets of Gamla Stan (Photo: Alamy via thetimes.co.uk)

Surrounded by a medieval spirit and a warm atmosphere, we really felt in a different time. The cosiness of the streets were amplified by the ‘fika’ hour we came across in the cafes of Gamla Stan. ‘Fika‘ is the coffee break tradition of Sweden typically practiced by a cup of coffee and a cinnamon bun. The Swedish fika though means much more than just a coffee break but rather creating a break to socialize with friends, family or colleagues at work, and enjoy a cup of coffee with them.

A ‘fika’ break in a cosy cafe in Gamla Stan, where we also came across a group of Swedish people having fika

Cinnamon buns (Kanelbulle) in the window of the cafe

‘Kanelbulle‘ (cinnamon bun), which I think is a perfect accompaniment of coffee, is a popular pastry in Stockholm which you come across in almost all cafes and ‘konditori’s (patisserie) along with ‘kardemummabulle‘ (cardamom bun).

Cinnamon buns and Princess cake, both counted among the Swedish fika classics (Photos: visitsweden.com)
(We came across the princess cake in “Vette-Katten“, a well-known konditori chain in Stockholm, but I did not know it was a Swedish classic then. It looked tempting yet I didn’t try it.)

“Vette-Katten” Konditori we dropped by on Kungsgatan Street (Photo: vettekatten.se)

Inside “Vette-Katten” / Fika time at “Thelins” Konditori, which we liked a lot – also on Kungsgatan Street close to our hotel.

If you prefer something salty or savory instead of sweets or desserts for fika, there are plenty of options at the cafes or ‘konditori’s in the city especially the Scandinavian style open sandwiches or savory cakes.

At a cosy cafe in Gamla Stan with many savory options, as seen in its vitrine, Oct. 2023

A Swedish sandwich cake (Smörgåstårta) / Open sandwiches (Smörgås) we tried at Thelins Konditori (Photos: pinterest.se / thelinskonditori.se)

You can also come across attractions about the Vikings in Gamla Stan. The Vikings, who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe, had also lived in Sweden in today’s cities of Birka (one of Sweden’s first towns in Lake Mälaren) and Uppsala.

A Viking pub and restaurant we dropped by in Gamla Stan. We enjoyed our beer in Viking cups in a medium of the Vikings era which was well displayed by the place.

“Agaton Ristorante & Pizzeria“, Gamla Stan, Stockholm (Photo: thatsup.co.uk)

I would also like to mention the cosy restaurants along the historical streets in Gamla Stan. We were lucky to come across a nice one, “Agaton” (Västerlånggatan 72), a warm romantic Italian restaurant with red-checked table cloths and candles, a typical trattoria, with a nice bar, offering tempting Italian classics.

Inside Agaton Restaurant – romantic and warm with the candles out of wine bottles that we adored (Photos: restaurangagaton.se)

Luckily, there was wine-tasting at Agaton the evening we dropped by. We liked the wines, and the special menu offered – a starter, main course and a dessert, each accompanied with a different wine presented and explained to us by the wine producer coming from Rome (Mazzarosa Wines). The service was very good and everything we had for dinner (bruschetta, pasta and pizza) was delicious. It was a very pleasant evening.

Inside and in front of Agaton restaurant in Gamla Stan, Oct.20, 2023

A street in Gamla Stan (Photo: expedia.com)

Stockholm is the biggest city of Scandinavia built on 14 islands connected by many bridges, and has canals through which Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea. Gamla Stan (Stockholm’s Old Town) consists of several islands. Stockholm is also the first city to be named as ‘European Green Capital‘ in 2010 by the European Commission and is known as one of the world’s most sustainable cities.

(Illustrated maps: Pinterest)

Stockholm city center (Photo: kimkim.com)

On the second day of our stay in Stockholm, we have been to Djurgården Island, home to some of the city’s most known museums like ‘Skansen open-air museum‘, ‘ABBA The Museum‘, ‘The Vasa Museum‘, ‘The Nordic Museum‘ and ‘The Viking Museum‘.

A rescued 17th-century warship with many carved sculptures displayed at The Vasa Museum (Photo: flickr.com)

We could only visit ‘Skansen‘, which lasted several hours. It was interesting to see the ancient Swedish houses and farmsteads dating back to the 16th century and the way of life then (old post office, pharmacy, bank, bookbinding, a bakery making Swedish thin bread that you can taste, and more), and to observe the Nordic animals at the zoo.

An ancient Swedish house and its kitchen at Skansen open-air museum, Oct.20, 2023 (Better to visit Skansen in warmer weather for some of the attractions and food stalls were closed due to the cold.)

We did not visit the ABBA museum, but I entered the place and its souvenir shop to cherish this legendary band, formed in 1972 in Stockholm, and whose songs I fell for while watching the two ‘Mamma Mia!‘s – the musical film series starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth.

‘ABBA The Museum‘ and ABBA. Their marvelous song “Dancing Queen” makes one feel actually like one. (Photos: dailyscandinavian.com / Mamma Mia photo: coruna.gal)

Djurgården island is also home to Gröna Lund amusement park, and home to part of “Djurgården Royal National City Park“, once a royal hunting ground, now a popular weekend haunt for families where you can walk in ancient forest, ride a bicycle, swim or visit the beautiful buildings and castles. (timeout.com, royaldjurgarden.se)

Photo: (visitsweden.com)

We took a boat from Djurgården to Slussen and walked to ‘Fotografiska‘, a contemporary photography museum with changing exhibitions. The exhibition then did not appeal to us but we had the chance to sit at the stylish cafe bar of the museum – with a nice view.

Fotografiska museum in a former customs house (Photo: fotografiska.com) (The photo is taken during the Audrey Hepburn exhibition, which I would have been over happy if we had come across to.)

I could not visit them but I took note of two other nice historic museums in Stockholm below:

‘Swedish Nationalmuseum‘ (in Gamla Stan) and ‘ The Swedish Museum of Natural History‘ (exhibitions about nature, mankind and universe) (Photos: Getty Images via britannica.com / nrm.se)

I had also read about ‘Artipelag‘, a contemporary cultural center and art gallery, with waterside dining, on the island of Värmdö in the Stockholm archipelago. However, we had no time go there, besides the weather was not so suitable to visit the archipelago.

Artipelag – an art gallery within a pine forest on the Värmdö island – the largest island in the Stockholm archipelago. (Photo: tripadvisor.co.uk). The gallery holds art and photography exhibitions like Andy Warhol and Swedish fashion designer Lars Wallin.

Artipelag Restaurant with a breathtaking view, offering smörgåsbord lunch on weekdays and brunch at the weekend. There is also a chic café and pâtisserie at Artipelag. (timeout.com) (Photo: Courtesy of Artipelag via hemispheresmag.com)

Nature walks are possible along the coastal boardwalk / Solar egg displayed as part of Artipelag’s permanent outdoor exhibition ‘Sculpture in Nature’ (Photos: artipelag.se). As it says in the web-site of Artipelag: “Art Meets Nature“. (Artipelag and the archipelago are among my targets for another visit to Stockholm.)

Stockholm’s city centre consists of 14 islands, but there are almost 30,000 islands and islets in the Baltic Sea that make up the Stockholm archipelago, known for their calmness and beauty, around which 200 are inhabited. There are islands with vast forests, ancient villages, or luxurious retreats. Most of the summer houses in the archipelago are owned by Stockholmers. (stockholmarchipelago.se)

(Photo: By Henrik Trygg, stockholmarchipelago.se)

Södermalm – The hip neighbourhood of Stockholm

Södermalm is one of the 14 islands in the center of Stockholm. Once known as the slum area of Stockholm and a working-class district, today a bohemian neighbourhood. A place less touristic and more for Stockholmers, the lady in our hotel’s reception told us. We have been to Södermalm following her suggestion.

A street in Södermalm (Getty Images via nymag.com)

We could the feel the hipness surrounding us from the historic buildings, differing shops, cafes and pubs. We also came across a falafel house where we had a falafel wrap – a taste we like a lot.

In Södermalm, Oct.21, 2023

Åsögatan Street in Södermalm (Photo: nytimes.com)

Falafel houses and creative shops of clothing, design, vintage, houseware or music on one side, trendy cafes and flashy bars on the other … Södermalm area of Stockholm is like a mosaic that would appeal to different tastes and cultures. As we were walking, a large sign in front of a pub caught my attention which said: “World’s Best Gin“. Wondering what it is, we went inside and discovered a chic cosy cafe-pub: “Hernö Gin Bar”, the own bar of Hernö Gin, a leading gin producer.

‘Hernö Gin Bar‘ in Södermalm, Stockholm (Photo: thatsupco.uk)

“Omnipollos Hatt“, a craft beer bar and pizzeria in Södermalm – an award-winning brewery famous for its interesting beers and tasty pizzas (visitstockholm.com) (Photo: nytimes.com)

You may also would like to note “Lucy’s Flower Shop“, a bar famous for its cocktails, which was in the World’s 50 Best Bars list, located in an empty flower shop in Stureplan (a trendy public square between the Norrmalm and Östermalm districts).
If you like Irish pubs, note “The Liffey Irish Pub” with live music located in Gamla Stan which holds pub quiz and karaoke events. (timeout.com)

The Liffey Irish Pub in Gamla Stan / A Coctail in ‘Lucy’s Flower Shop’ (Photos: tripadvisor.com / visitstockholm.com)

Restaurants in Stockholm suggested by a Celebrity Chef

I also want to mention the restaurant suggestions of Mehmet Gürs, a celebrity chef born in Finland and grew up in Stockholm having successful restaurants in Istanbul, that I have read in an article. “Östermalms Saluhall” (A Food Hall and a gastronomy center where you can also shop) and “Restaurant Sturehof” (historic brasserie with Swedish cuisine emphasizing seafood) are among his suggestions.

Restaurant Sturehof, an authentic restaurant in Stockholm

Two dishes served in Sturehof: Bouillabaisse and Köttbullar (Swedish meatballs with rich gravy, mashed potatoes and lingonberries) (Photos: tasteatlas.com)

He also suggests “Restaurant Prinsen” (a historic restaurant with classic Swedish cuisine), “Babette” (Italian restaurant known for its pizzas), “Restaurant Frantzén” (Three starred-Michelin restaurant serving a set menu grounded in Nordic cuisine), and “Restaurant Ekstedt” (a Michelin-starred restaurant that uses Scandinavian cooking techniques). 

Restaurant Ekstedt and Restaurant Frantzén created by renowned chefs Niklas Ekstedt and Björn Frantzén offering Scandinavian cuisine cooked over open fire. Frantzén is counted among the world’s 50 best restaurants. (Photos: visitstockholm.com / gina-power.com)

Restaurant Prinsen, Stockholm (Photo: visitsweden.com)

We have been to Restaurant Prinsen on our first evening in Stockholm. We loved Prinsen for its historical chic ambiance, excellent service and tasteful Swedish food. It was a perfect choice for our first dinner in the city. We especially fell for the Swedish meatballs we ordered as per the suggestion of our waiter, served in a rich gravy with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam.

Inside Restaurant Prinsen, Oct. 19, 2023 – tasty Swedish cuisine in a cosy ambiance

Drottningholm Palace

“Drottningholm Palace”, on the island of Lovön in Lake Mälaren, which used to serve as the summer residence of the royalty, is today the permenant home residence of the Swedish Royal Family. Built in the 1660s, Drottningholm Palace is on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. The official residence of the royalty is in Stockholm center, being “The Royal Palace” located in Gamla Stan.

Drottningholm Palace (Photo: kungligaslotten.se)

Sweden has celebrated the 50th jubilee of King Carl XVI Gustaf (50 years on the Swedish throne) this year in mid-September, about a month prior to our visit to Stockholm.

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden riding through Stockholm during the Golden Jubilee procession / Sweden’s royal family at The Royal Palace in Gamla Stan during the Golden Jubilee celebrations, September 16, 2023 (Photos: AFP via thecourtjeweller.com)

Norr Mälarstrand in Kungsholmen (flickr.com) / At the Monteliusvagen, just across – a suggested place to watch the sunset (nytimes.com)

We have visited Drottningholm Palace on our third day in Stockholm. We went there by cab – a short drive from city center. On the way to Drottningholm, we passed from Norr Mälarstrand, a scenic path along Lake Mälaren. Our driver told us that it is an elegant and expensive neighbourhood of Stockholm.

Drottningholm Palace, side facing Lake Mälaren (Photo: kungligaslotten.se) / Around Drottningholm

When we got off the cab, we found ourselves in a very scenic beautiful surrounding near the lake. I could feel the elegance and the inspiring fresh air around – a royal touch I would say. The first thing that caught my eyes were the benches and white marble statues along the path near the lake that was so beautiful under the trees in autumn colors. I just wanted to sit on a bench a bit to breathe in that beauty but it was so cold and windy, so we walked towards the Palace nearby.

The beautiful path near the lake near Drottningholm Palace, October 21, 2023

It was very pleasant to stroll around Drottningholm Palace, a charming royal castle with magnificent gardens, inspired by the Palace of Versailles and its gardens. Luckily, the palace was open when we went there and we toured the inside. We spent a beautiful half-day on the royal island.

We especially liked the cafe near the palace, chic and cosy with a nice view of the lake. The cafe serves lunch as well as nice pastries and cakes with tea or coffee.

In front of and inside the cafe near Drottningholm Palace – a beautiful nature outside and a cosy noble atmosphere inside

In the shop of Drottningholm Palace we came across the candies of Pippi Longstocking, a character in a series of children’s books written in the 1940s by Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren, as we did in the shop of Stockholm City Hall and many candy shops in the city. There were also mugs and other objects with the figure of Pippi. The red-haired, freckled, playful and free-spirited girl famous all over the world had left her mark in Stockholm.

Inger Nilsson as Pippi Longstocking, with her mismatched socks and two braids, in the 1969 film version. (Pippi, whose parents are dead, shares her house with a monkey and a horse who lives on the porch.) (Photo: Allstar/Cinetext/Beta Film via theguardian.com)

In an article I read in The New York Times it says:
“In Sweden, Pippi is something more: a national treasure and embodiment of the country’s egalitarian spirit.“

Pippi Longstocking on Swedish TV (Photo: SVT via nytimes.com)

If you go to Stockholm especially with your children, you can visit Junibacken, a fun park with a theater at Djurgården where you can see the home of Pippi Longstocking (Villa Villekulla), Lindgren’s beloved character. You can also visit the flat in Vasastan in Stockholm which was Astrid Lindgren’s home from 1941 until she died in 2002. (visitstockholm.com)

Enamel fika mugs by Muurla, among my favourite Stockholm souvenirs. I bought the Pippi Longstocking birthday-themed mug for my daughter. (Photo: swedentips.se)

Jazz in Stockholm

Jazz suits Stockholm so well … As a coincidence, our visit coincided with the jazz festival (Stockholm Jazz Festival, 13 – 22 October 2023). As a jazz lover, I owe a lot to a friend, who has been to Stockholm several times, recommending me a very nice jazz club in the center of Stockholm with a cosy bar and a concert venue: Fasching Jazz Club.

Fasching entrance (Photo: fasching.se)

We went to Fasching on our first night at Stockholm, which was very close to our hotel. We had noticed its sign during the day and we decided to go there after having dined at the Swedish ‘Restaurant Prinsen‘ I had mentioned above. My husband remarked that we had done everything in one day! He was right for our schedule had been quite full for the first day of a trip abroad.

Gerald Clayton, Dutch-born American jazz pianist and composer with Grammy nominated albums (Photos: fasching.se)

The atmosphere at Fasching was cosy and inspiring – just like the jazz music itself. We bought tickets for “Gerald Clayton Trio“, an American jazz trio. Besides a bar, the club’s concert venue has a small dining place. We watched the concert standing very close to the scene. We enjoyed the good music and the intimate atmosphere of the place. I also liked the bar at the entrance of the club. Just close to the bar is a small pleasant area with a piano by the window – where we saw, after the concert, an oldish cheerful man playing the piano and a small group of jazz lovers sharing his joy around. The moment was so pleasant …

Inside and outside Fasching Jazz Club (Kungsgatan 63, Stockholm), Oct. 19, 2023 (Tired but happy after our fruitful first day in Stockholm which ended with a wonderful live jazz concert in an artistic cool jazz bar.)

The hotel we stayed in Stockholm, Haymarket By Scandic, had also a jazzy atmosphere. The hotel has a chic bar with a piano, where live jazz events are held and jazz bands perform.

Haymarket By Scandic in Hötorget – the market square in central Stockholm (Photo: luxuryweb.com)

Haymarket By Scandic Hotel – An Iconic Hotel of Stockholm

I wanted to mention our hotel at the end, like those who save their favourite food for last. Haymarket By Scandic is an Art Deco hotel in the center of Stockholm reminiscent of the elegance and the Jazz Age of the 1920s – subject of my prior post about Great Gatsby. The hotel is located in Norrmalm district on Hötorget Square amid the farmers’ markets, cinemas and concert halls, a few blocks away the Central Station and ‘Drottninggatan’, a nice popular pedestrian shopping street.

The Royal Swedish Opera, founded in 1773, is at a walking distance to the hotel. The beautiful opera house is on the banks of the Norrström river and connected to ‘The Royal Palace’ through a bridge. (Photo: operan.se)

Hötorget Square with the farmers’ markets (view from the Haymarket hotel). At the background is the Stockholm Concert Hall (Photo: Getty Images)

At Drottninggatan and Kungsgatan – two nice streets very close to our hotel (Fasching Jazz Club is also on Kungsgatan (‘gatan’ means ‘street’ in Swedish)).

I did not know though, frankly, when I was staying at Haymarket by Scandic, that the building of the hotel was originally the PUB department store (a popular store opened in 1882), where the legendary Swedish-American actress Greta Garbo worked as a shop assistant – in the hat department in the early 1920s (telegraph.co.uk). If I did, I would breathe the air of the hotel even more deeply.

Haymarket By Scandic Hotel – in the historic PUB building where Greta Garbo was discovered as she was shop assistant and model Greta Gustafsson (scandichotels.com)

Hotel entrance (Photo: sthlmhotel.se) / Greta Garbo (Photo: fineartamerica.com)

It says in the web-site of the hotel that Paul’s, 1920s themed American brasserie located one floor up the lobby, is ‘a tribute to Paul Urbanus Bergström, menswear pioneer and founder of the PUB department store‘. It is mentioned that he liked steak for dinner and ‘parties with Champagne in the spirit of Great Gatsby‘.

(Photo: scandichotels.com)

I can say that you can feel this Great Gatsby spirit the moment you enter the hotel, as you face a grand Art Deco style lobby with a brass staircase and a big crystal chandelier, awakening the glamour of those times.

(Photo: scandichotels.com via forbes.fr)

The Gatsby spirit further enhances at the hotel’s chic cocktail bar ‘Americain’, a few steps from the lobby – a jazz venue hosting jazz bands occasionally (unfortunately there wasn’t any during our stay). The bar was always full in the evenings mostly with the local people enjoying their drink at a chic cosy ambiance – a view so vivid and jolly every time we entered the hotel at night. It was like we were touring Stockholm, while the Stockholmers were hanging out at our hotel!

“Americain” at Haymarket By Scandic Hotel (Photos: scandichotels.com)

An article I have read refers to Haymarket By Scandic as ‘the city’s most inspiring address ‘. It says in the article:
“Haymarket is a bit like La Samaritaine des Parisiens for Stockholmers, a meeting place for generations” (forbes.fr)

At the bar ‘Americain’, which also appeared in the Swedish film I mentioned at the beginning of the post.

‘Gretas‘, a chic and modern restaurant and bar of the hotel at its entrance, is also a pleasant address of the city. We wanted to have our dinner there on our last day in Stockholm, but it was closed that evening.

(Photos: scandichotels.com)

I can’t help mentioning the large exclusive breakfast buffet served at the hotel, which we enjoyed. The ambiance was pleasant and there was a wide selection including smoothies and champagne.

At breakfast at Haymarket By Scandic – Outside in the background is the Stockholm Concert Hall where Nobel prizes are awarded , October 2023

I definitely recommend “Haymarket By Scandic”, for your stay in Stockholm, a chic jolly boutique hotel, historic and soulful, at the heart of the city with several travel awards.

Street Lamps, Candles and Arts …

I also want to mention the Stockholm street lamps that I loved. Every time we walked in the city the beauty of the lamps standing in the streets or hanging from the buildings caught my eyes – lamps with an uplifting charm and a mystery of ancient times …

The elegant street lamps in Stockholm (Photo: Pinterest)

While walking around in Gamla Stan, we came across a nice souvenir shop with special design candles. The shop owner lady told us about Swedish designer Stig Lindgerg and his famous Berså decor.

Candles with a special green leaf pattern design (Berså) by the late Stig Lindberg, one of Sweden’s most loved designers. We bought the ‘tealight holder’ on the right called an ‘angel chime‘ (above right), rotating with the rising warmth from the candle. A very jolly set and design. (Photos: plutoprodukter.se)

A jolly statue at the bar ‘Americain’ and an artistic figure at the interior of the shower of our room at Haymarket By Scandic (Photos: booking.com / Photo I took with my mobile phone)

The sense of art in Stockholm makes itself felt by the antique street lamps, special design candles and objects, beautiful statues here and there (including our art-deco hotel), art galleries scattered throughout the city, and even its metro stations. The art theme also shows up in the Swedish film I mentioned at the beginning.

Photos: yelp.com / Geoffrey Morrison via forbes.com (Stockholm’s metro is said to be the world’s longest art exhibit.)

A street view in Riddarholmen, Gamla Stan (Photo: kayak.co.uk)

Fika time inside a cosy cafe in Gamla Stan, the old town of Stockholm

(Photo: cookiesandnoodles.com)

Stockholm was quite cold during our visit, but we could warm up with the artistic soul of the city, cosy interiors, candles and fika hours.

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! – A glittering year, shining with the beauty and warmth of candle lights, and cosy moments …