So you’ve marvelled at Stockholm’s Royal Palace and danced your way around ABBA The Museum, but you’ve yet to find a spot to connect with the locals? It’s not uncommon: among the Open City’s blockbuster attractions, it’s easy to forget the capital also offers more intimate experiences. To discover Stockholm off the beaten track means to see it like a local – and who wouldn’t enjoy that?
If you want to swap other tourists for locals during your upcoming stay (well, some of the time, anyway!), start with the below list of activities and see parts of the capital others tend to miss out on…
Jam out at AtSix’ music lounge Hosoi
Unbeknownst even to all but the best-informed Stockholmers, the city’s first music listening lounge Hosoi makes for an utterly unique experience. The concept was pioneered by Victor Sanchez, music curator at the super-contemporary five-star AtSix Hotel, and it’s really taken off – well, with those in the know, anyway.
Whether you bed down at the luxury address or simply pop in for a jam session, Hosoi has a welcoming atmosphere and everyone with an appreciation for good music is welcome. It’s also a great place to meet like-minded people, though save the chatter for a drink at the bar later; this place is really about the listening experience!
Venture out to Millesgården
While Millesgården is well-regarded and even raved about by those who visit, some tourists sadly never make it here because they fear it might be difficult to reach. But the gorgeous estate and sculpture gardens built by Swedish artist Carl Milles are a mere twenty minutes from the city centre!
One advantage of its location a bit further out is that you won’t be squeezing past hordes of tourists, though even if you had to, this place would be worth it… A quaint art museum that still packs a punch and features a superb café and restaurant, Millesgården is an absolute gem of an attraction.
Play tennis at Hotel Skeppsholmen
Nowhere takes ‘leaving the crowds behind’ more seriously than this marvellous four-star hotel surrounded by nature. Set on the island of Skeppsholmen, the hotel feels remarkably removed from central Stockholm, despite its actual proximity to the city’s top sights. And sports-loving visitors are in for a special treat…
The Skeppsholmen’s tennis court, built by King Oscar II in 1882, was Sweden’s first outdoors tennis court, and it’s as exclusive as ever! Though even if you’re not staying at the hotel, you can play a few balls here for a nominal fee, and seeing the court is entirely skirted by trees and sits next to the mighty Lake Mälaren, it’s truly a special, off-the-beaten-track experience.
Sneak into Bibliotekstan’s Birger Jarlspassagen
You can’t visit the city of Nordic cool without taking home a few finds, can you? Stockholm’s most fabulous shopping district by far, Bibliotekstan, is home to many a big name, from local fashion labels to the couture houses of Paris and Milan, but there’s a lesser-explored bit even to this place…
Head into the pretty Birger Jarlspassagen pedestrian passage for some of Bibliotekstan’s more hidden-away stores: from Insanto, which sells upscale and rare perfumes and toiletries, to designer boutique HIGH, which is mega-popular among Stockholm’s hip crowd, and Misshumasshu, a Stockholm meets Tokyo all-day dining experience perfectly showcasing just how diverse of a city the capital is – on and off the beaten path!