Port guide: Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm has a long history and superb medieval old town, but is also an experimental, contemporary city of considerable Nordic chic.

Who goes there

Baltic cruises are a staple for budget megaships, small luxury ships and even the occasional expedition ship too. Some start or finish itineraries here, while others pass through on their circuit of the Baltic. Some Baltic cruises may originate in ports beyond, commonly Southampton or Amsterdam.

Skeppsbron in Stockholm.

Sail on in

Ships navigate a 60-kilometre waterway to reach Stockholm, scattered with a claimed 22,000 little islands. Lean on your ship’s rail and admire the rocky outcrops, shimmering fir trees and red and yellow summer cabins that pass by. When Stockholm finally arrives, you’re rewarded (depending on where you dock) with the spires and rooftops of the old town, which appear to float on water.

Berth rites

The Swedish capital has three docking locations. Only Skeppsbron, used by small ships, is right up against the old town. Stadsgarden is also in the city centre. A good half of all ships – and almost all of those on turnaround – dock at Frihamnen. This is a rather dull industrial zone and requires a 20-minute bus ride into the city centre. Shuttles may also run.

Before and after

You’ll find plenty to see and do in Stockholm and its surrounds, so consider staying on, as a single cruise day won’t be enough. The romantically minded could stay at the historic Lady Hamilton Hotel in the old town, or the eco-conscious at Scandic Anglais for its energy conservation and recycling programs. The central Clarion Sign Hotel has a rooftop pool and bar.

Going ashore

The old and new collide in Stockholm’s old town, Gamla Stan.Credit: iStock

If you’re here for a single cruise day, you’d best focus on certain areas. First-timers will want to see Gamla Stan, the island old town with its royal palace, Great Church, Nobel Prize Museum and cobbled streets. Riddarholm Church is the resting place of Sweden’s monarchs.

Its plain tombs are outdone by flamboyant coats-of-arms on the walls. Then head to City Hall, an odd blend of Italianate and Byzantine styles, for wonderful views from its tower.

Don’t miss

Djurgarden has another host of concentrated sights, including the amusing ABBA Museum and fascinating Vasa Museum, which preserves a 1628 warship and its artefacts. More overlooked is Waldemarsudde, the lovely villa of Prince Eugen, a leading 20th-century landscape painter. More time-consuming (you’ll need half a day) is Skansen Open-Air Museum, which brings together 150 historical buildings from across Sweden.

Get active

Stockholm is cycle and kayak friendly and has miles of waterfront promenades and expansive parks. Royal National City Park is a vast sprawl that encompasses meadows and forest where you might spot deer and badgers as you walk or run. The hardy can consider a swim from its rocky shoreline, although water temperatures aren’t for the fainthearted.

Retail therapy

Norrmalm is the location for major Swedish department stores, while Ostermalm has interior decoration and Scandi-design boutiques. Chic glassware, wooden items in pine and birch, stainless-steel kitchen utensils, and knitted sweaters and mittens with Nordic patterns make for great souvenirs, as do painted handicrafts from the provinces. Across the harbour, Sodermalm has more alternative fashions in funky design galleries.

Further afield

You’ll have quite the variety of shore-excursion choices, among them visits to the historic town of Sigtuna on Lake Malaren, and the royal family’s summer residence Drottningholm, a yellow baroque palace surrounded by expansive landscaped gardens. (You can easily visit the latter on public transport, too.) Stockholm’s archipelago or Skerries can be explored by yacht or boat, although you’ll get a good view of them anyway as you cruise out of Stockholm.