Stockholm between the archipelago and national parks

Stockholm County is home to nearly 370 nature reserves, where activities including hiking, berry picking, paddling, skiing and swimming are possible.

Nature

Tyresta National Park has 55 kilometres of hiking trails with fire pits and wind shelters. It encompasses primeval forest, beautiful forest lakes and mighty trees up to 400 years old; rare lichens, wood fungi, mosses and beetles are found there. At the main entrance in Tyresta by, there is a visitor centre, accessible toilets and parking.

Ängsö National Park has herb-rich groves and untouched forests that provide a habitat for many birds. Easy-to-walk paths lead through meadows and forest around the island.

Trails and islands

The Stockholm Archipelago Trail is a 270-kilometre hiking trail across more than 20 islands in the Stockholm archipelago. Every section of the trail can be reached by public ferry. Ängsö National Park is accessible exclusively by boat; scheduled services run from Stockholm or Furusund in spring and summer.

The Stockholm archipelago stretches 80 kilometres eastwards from the city into the Baltic Sea. There are opportunities for swimming, fishing, kayaking and cycling, as well as opportunities to enjoy traditional Swedish cuisine in the fresh sea air. Different route lengths, island connections and types of activity can be considered separately when planning your days.

Landscapes close to the city

The Royal National City Park combines a unique historic landscape with parks, buildings, forests, open land and beaches close to Stockholm city centre. Large parts of the park can be reached by bus, metro or boat. Footpaths and cycle paths are available for routes through this area.

You can find further regional destinations under Boo area, Solna Municipality, Ekerö Municipality, Stockholm Municipality, Huddinge Municipality, Lidingö Municipality, Nacka Municipality and Botkyrka Municipality.

Culture and history

The royal domain of Drottningholm comprises the palace, the palace theatre, the Chinese Pavilion and the gardens. Drottningholm Palace Park is open year-round. A walk leads through a formal garden from the late 17th century, an English-style park begun about a century later, and the more intimate bosquets from the 1760s at the Chinese Pavilion.

Drottningholm Palace Theatre has wooden stage machinery that is still operated by hand; around 30 stage sets have been preserved. Every summer, it offers opera, theatre and dance performances, as well as concerts, guided tours and events related to the 18th century.

Skogskyrkogården is an outstanding early 20th-century cemetery whose design combines vegetation and architectural elements. The Woodland Chapel is closely integrated into its surroundings. Skansen is the oldest open-air museum in Sweden and the world, bringing together cultural history, nature and animals in one place.

The Vasa Museum offers guided tours centred on one of the best-preserved 17th-century ships in the world. The museum on Djurgården in Stockholm can be reached by tram, bus, car and ferry.

Birka and Hovgården are complete and exceptionally well-preserved archaeological sites from the Viking Age on Björkö and Adelsö in Lake Mälaren. Visible remains include a trading town, a royal domain, a harbour, defensive structures and prehistoric cemeteries.

To the higher-level travel overview: Sweden.