Stockholm

Kingdom of Sweden | Konungariket Sverige

Sweden

English

Sverige

Swedish

Region:

Northern Europe

Area:

450 295 km²

Ranked 55 out of 195

Population:

10 402 000

Ranked 88 out of 235

Urbanization:

88 %

Ranked 23 out of 194

Capital:

Stockholm

Population: 2 403 000

Largest City:

Stockholm

Population: 2 403 000

Major Cities:

Stockholm
Gothenburg
Malmö
Uppsala
Västerås

Economy & Development:

Human Development Index:

Very High

Ranked 7 out of 189

Inequality-Adjusted HDI:

Very High

Ranked 7 out of 189

GDP (PPP) Per Capita:

$53 240

Ranked 35 out of 225

Democracy & Freedom:

Democracy Index:

Full Democracy

Ranked 3 out of 167

Freedom House:

Free

100 points out of 100 possible

Press Freedom:

Good

Ranked 3 out of 180

Economic Freedom:

Most Free

Ranked 35 out of 162

National Identity:

Independence Since:

1523

Independence From:

Denmark

National Day:

6th of June

What Is Celebrated On The National Day:

The coronation of Gustav Vasa as King Gustav I on the 6th of June 1623, which symbolized the ending of the Kalmar Union and Danish rule over Sweden.

Facts & Codes:

Driving Side:

Right

Time Zone:

UTC +1 (CET)

Summer - UTC +2 (CEST)

Country Calling Code:

+ 46

Country Code:

ISO 3166

Swedish County | Svenskt Län

Stockholm

English / Swedish

Region:

Central Eastern Sweden

Area:

6 519 km²

Ranked 16 out of 21

Population:

2 380 000

Ranked 1 out of 21

Population Share:

23 %

Of National Population

Capital:

Stockholm

Population: 2 403 000

Largest City:

Stockholm

Population: 2 403 000

Major Cities:

Information:

GDP Per Capita::

$77 272

Higher than national average

Climate:

Humid Continental Climate

Köppen: Dfb

Time Zone:

UTC +1 (CET)

Summer: +2 (CEST)

Vasa Museum

17th-Century Ship

Gamla Stan

Old Town

Kungliga Slottet

Royal Palace

Stockholm-Arlanda Airport

IATA Code:

ARN

ICAO Code:

ESSA

Passenger Volumes:

Distance:

40 km / 25 mi (N)

Located In:

Märsta / Sigtuna

Named After:

Arlanda is a constructed name made for the Airport

Information:

Stockholm actually has three airport (Arlanda, Bromma & Skavsta). Stockholm-Arlanda is the largest and the most probable point of entry if you're flying into Stockholm.

Transfer To/From:

Arlanda Express is the quickest and takes 20 minutes to the Central Station. It's quite expensive and cost 30 USD one-way. You can also take a commuter rail for about half that price and double the time. Buses costs 15 USD (Flygbussarna) and will take you to the city center in 45 minutes. Taxis are expensive and be aware of scams. Make sure you take a car from the three main companies (Taxi Stockholm, Sverigetaxi, and Taxi Kurir).

Underground Metro

Tram / Light Rail

Elevated Rapid Transit

Walkability

Public Transportation:

Stockholm has a metro system with 100 stations and three main lines. The system opened in 1950 and is the heart of public transportation in Stockholm. There's also a network of commuter rail and trams throughout the city and suburbs, the commuter rail network even connects to Uppsala in the North. Even if you do not need to use the metro while exploring the city it's worth visiting some of the stations regardless as the Stockholm Metro is often called "The World's Longest Art Work" due to the beautiful artworks and murals at the stations. Three stations worth visiting are Rådhuset, Kungsträdgården, and T-Centralen (Metro Station at the Central Train Station). Prices are the same no matter how far you travel in the network (except for Arlanda Airport and Uppsala) and the system is completely cashless.

Walkability:

The city center is very walkable and you don't need to use public transport while exploring the areas of Norrmalm, Södermalm, Östermalm as well as the Old Town. Those areas include almost all major sights of the city.

Currency:

Swedish Krona

Code:

SEK

Subunit:

Öre

Symbol:

Cash Or Credit:

Credit all the way! Sweden redesigned all the bills and coins 5-10 years ago and I still don't know how the new ones look like. I've had the same 100 Kronor (10 USD) bill in my wallet for several years without ever having to use it. You can use credit cards even for transactions of less than one SEK if you want to without complaints or issues.

Good To Know:

Local Language:

Swedish

Language Family:

Germanic (Indo-European)

Writing System:

Latin Alphabet

What About English?

Almost everyone speaks good English in Sweden and you don't have to ask if it's okay to use English. You can just assume that everyone, of all ages, will be able and willing to assist in English.

Other Common Languages:

Drottninggatan

Pedestrianized

Yes

Built

1630s

District

Norrmalm

Drottninggatan (Queen Street) is a 1.5 km (0.9 mi) long street that goes from Riksbron (National Bridge) near the Swedish Parliament Building and continues North to Observatorielunden in Vasastan, not far from Odenplan Metro Station. Most of the stretch is pedestrianized, except for two blocks at the Northern end of the street. It was built in the 1630s and was originally known as Stora Konungsgatan (Great King's Street). Drottninggatan will take you through some major sights of Stockholm such as The Parliament Building, Sergels Square, and Hötorget, as well as the Central Station.

The central of Stockholm, both geographically and from a tourist’s point of view, is undoubtedly the Old Town, which is situated on a small island known as Stadsholmen. As a tourist this is an area where you will spend a lot of time, however, I wouldn't recommend looking for a hotel in that area. I would rather recommend you to look at hotels in Norrmalm, just North of the Old Town. The reason for that being that you would have more and better dining and shopping options in the evening. Stay within a five-minute walking distance of the Old Town on the Northern shore and you will have a great time.

The central of Stockholm is very safe and there's no reason to be worried at all while exploring there. Any issues will be found in the suburbs, which you have no reason to visit if you're on a purely touristic trip. The furthest North that you might go to while exploring are Friends Arena and Mall of Scandinavia in Solna, and the furthest South you might go is Globe Arena just South of Södermalm. Everywhere in between those two points are perfectly safe, and it's only if you would venture further out than this that you could end up in areas that can be considered unsafe.

Note: My assumption is of the basis that you will always take normal precautions when you're out traveling, just as you would do at home. Even the safest cities have bad elements and no matter how safe you might feel you must always take basic precautions. I'm always aware of my surroundings when I walk around, both with and without the camera. I am however a very typical tourist and it shows so I am a person that will undoubtedly draw the attention of those who targets tourists. If you can you should of course always try to blend in as much as possible, but with my big camera around my neck, it's impossible. That's two things that are good to know when reading my assessment of how it felt from a safety point of view.

Stockholm, unfortunately, lacks a lot of the international chains that have established themselves in other European capitals in recent years. There are however some local chains worth trying out.

Max

Origin:

Founded:

1968

Type of Food:

Hamburgers

Did I Try:

Yes

My Score:

3 / 5

About:

Comment:

This is a good option if you're looking for hamburgers and it’s worth trying out. They have a company profile of caring for the environment and focusing on vegan alternatives in their menus.

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ChopChop Asian Express

Origin:

Founded:

2011

Type of Food:

Asian Fusion

Did I Try:

Yes

My Score:

4 / 5

About:

Comment:

It's very good if you're looking for this type of food. But I would probably not recommend someone who's just visiting for a few days to go there. It's very similar to Panda Express in the United States. The menu is almost identical, with only minor differences.

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Sibylla

Origin:

Founded:

1932

Type of Food:

Hot Dogs & Hamburgers

Did I Try:

Yes

My Score:

2 / 5

About:

The most classical of Swedish chains. Began as a collective of hot dog stands that wanted to increase the average standard of hot dog stands. During the year it evolved and today they are mostly known for selling hamburgers.

Comment:

I'm not a super fan, but it's not bad. It's just that I don't find it good enough to want it ahead of any of the competition. It's more fun to try than any of the chains you have at home, but I wouldn't aim for Sibylla.

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