Brrr, it’s a bit nippy, isn’t it? Not that we’re complaining. While most places come alive in the summer, not every city can claim to be a beautiful winter destination, too. When it comes to Stockholm, the cold time of the year very much runs in the locals’ veins, and the Swedish truly know what it means to embrace the season.
Imagine a lazy afternoon filled with books, hot chocolate, perhaps a massage and plenty of looking out the window, over a snow-covered cityscape, and voila – that’s the taste of winter in Stockholm. Sound intriguing? Here are our favourite cosy corners in the Open City!
The Deluxe Sea & Garden View room at Hotel Skeppsholmen
This hotel on pretty Skeppsholmen island offers a whole range of gorgeous rooms, but if you’re looking to spend a day cuddling up in bed and enjoying room service, one beats them all: the Deluxe Sea & Garden View double comes with a bed right under a generous window, allowing you to peak up at the snow-covered trees outside and back into the pages of your novel without having to move as much as a finger – well, other than to turn the page, that is. Forgot to bring a book? There are plenty of in-room magazines. Though if reading isn’t your cup of tea, you can always just enjoy the views of the lake Mälaren from the comfort of your warm bed…
Sturehofs Matmarknad
Beautifully nestled between art galleries and fashion boutiques in the historic Sturegallerian mall, Sturehofs Matmarknad is where winter-worn locals head to warm up with a hearty meal, a hot coffee or a smooth glass of wine (no better excuse for calories than to warm up, right?). Sit under Matmarknad’s red-and-white-striped awning, immersed in warm light, and eat your way through the delicatessen market’s countless local snacks. It’s easy to forget about time here, so remember to make good use of your visit and pick up some fine foods to take away for your beloved ones at home – who wouldn’t love a present from the place where cosy meets culinary?
Café Petissan at Skansen
Watch your step as you walk past naked trees and cross the cobblestone courtyard leading to adorable Café Petissan, perhaps the single most picturesque place in all of Skansen – and that’s quite the feat. The world’s oldest open-air museum boasts with pretty outdoors scenery, but when temperatures drop below zero, there’s no better spot than the cute café, decked in antique furniture and candelabras. Petissan serves some of the capital’s best cakes and cinnamon buns in a relaxed atmosphere (you can’t visit Stockholm without trying Swedish ‘kanelbullar’!), and you wouldn’t be the first visitor to bring a card game for an afternoon of shenanigans with your friends. This is pure, cosy bliss!
The Retreat at Hotel Diplomat
Need some extra comfort to shake off the cold? Let yourself be spoiled at The Retreat at Hotel Diplomat, an oasis of calm and warmth where wellness dreams come true, away from the blazing winds outside. The LGBT-friendly Diplomat has created Stockholm’s most luxurious spa with The Retreat, though what makes it truly stand out, is that it’s private, too: guests can book the space to enjoy a gorgeous sauna, a variety of beauty treatments and massages as well as, of course, a minibar bursting with healthy comfort foods. This is quite literally the hottest Stockholm gets during the cold months of the year… and it’s perhaps our favourite cosy corner in all of town!