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Royal Djurgården
Stockholm's main attractions are conveniently packaged close to the heart of the city on the island of Djurgården, crammed with entertainment options, museums, restaurants and wooded green space. Once upon a time the island was a royal hunting ground. Now visitors can hunt for souvenirs at the Handarbetets Vanner (handicraft center); browse the art galleries; enjoy thrills and spills at Gröna Lund, Sweden's oldest amusement park; explore Sweden's past at the Skansen open-air museum; meet Nordic wildlife at the zoo; and watch folk dancing. Also on the island, accessed with a pleasant stroll along the waterfront, is the Junibacken fairy-tale fun center, the National Museum of Cultural History and the fascinating Vasa Museum featuring a fully rigged restored 17th-century galleon raised from Stockholm harbor. Top off the day with a meal at one of the many excellent restaurants.
Address: A 10-minute walk from the city center across the Djurgarden bridge
Transport: Vintage tram; buses 44 or 47; or ferry

Royal Palace and Gamla Stan
The official Swedish Royal residence is one of the largest and most glorious palaces in Europe, dating from 1754 (although it was built on the remains of an earlier medieval castle). The Baroque edifice is in the heart of Gamla Stan, the old city, and many of its 608 staterooms are open to the public all year round. Visitors can admire the Hall of State, the Royal Treasury, Apartment of the Orders of Chivalry, Gustav III Museum of Antiquities and the Royal Chapel. In front of the palace the changing of the guard ceremony takes place (Wednesday and Saturday 12.15pm, Sunday 1.15pm) with splendid pomp and ceremony that rivals the similar tradition played out at Britain's Buckingham Palace. Gamla Stan itself is a treasure-trove of Swedish architecture from the 17th century. Today tourists throng the alleyways, once notorious for brothels, but now lined with shops and restaurants, and admire the 13th-century Cathedral, the Storkyrkan.
Address: Slottsbacken 1, Gamla Stan
Phone Number: (0)8 402 6000
Website: www.royalcourt.se
Transport: Metro stop Gamla Stan, or bus 2, 43, 55, 71 or 76 to Slottsbacken station
Hours: Royal apartments: closed 8-31 January and subject to closure according to the King's official duties, but open daily 10am to 5pm (June to August), 10am to 4pm (15-31 May and 1-14 September). Opening hours are shortened the rest of the year, and closed on Mondays
Admission: 130kr (combined ticket for the whole palace), or 90kr for selected parts of the palace; concessions available

City Hall
Stockholm's main landmark, the distinctive red brick City Hall (Stadshuset) building, has stood on Kungsholmen (King's Island) since 1923 and become world-renowned as the venue for the annual Nobel Prize Banquet. The rather practical and austere façade, dominated by three golden crowns atop a tower, hides an extraordinary art nouveau interior. The plush council chamber itself has a vaulted ceiling resembling an inverted Viking longboat, echoing the Viking tradition of using overturned vessels as shelter in winter. Most impressive, though, is the magnificent Golden Hall, its walls covered with handmade mosaics. The view of Stockholm from the tower is unsurpassed.
Address: Hantverkargatan 1
Phone Number: (0)8 5082 9058
Website: www2.stockholm.se/cityhall
Transport: Underground station T-Centralen/T-Rådhuset, or bus 48 and 62
Hours: Tours depart daily at 10am and 12pm with an additional one at 2pm in September and October. The tower is open daily in summer from 10am to 4.15pm
Admission: 60kr (adults), 30kr (children 12-18). Tower: 20kr (adults). Children under 12 free of charge

Museum of National Antiquities
Sweden's history from prehistoric times to the present day is fascinatingly laid out in the Museum of National Antiquities, which contains a hoard of archaeological artifacts and treasures, including an impressive collection of gold objects recovered from the tombs and treasure caches of the Vikings. The museum's most prized possession dates from the Middle Ages. This is the splendid gold reliquary, set with precious stones, which contained the skull of Saint Elisabeth of Thuringia.
Address: Narvavagen 13-17
Phone Number: (0)8 5195 5600
Email Address: info@historiska.se
Website: www.historiska.se
Transport: Metro station Karlaplan; bus 44 and 56
Hours: Daily 10am to 5pm (May to September), Tuesday to Sunday 11am to 5pm with late closing at 8pm on Thursdays (October to April)
Admission: 60kr (adults), children are free

The Archipelago
The city of Stockholm stretches across 14 islands, but the archipelago, of which they form but a tiny part, consists of more than 24,000 islets, famed for their natural beauty, wildlife, fjords and spectacular channels and straits. A highlight of any visit to Stockholm is exploring this unique natural wonderland, and summer time is the time to do it, whether individually or on one of the many organized boat tours on offer. The standard tour is the 'Thousand Island Cruise', lasting 11 hours, which takes you to the outer islands and allows passengers to spend time ashore on some of the larger islands, like Nämdö, renowned for its handicrafts. Those with less time to spend can opt for a shorter cruise from between two to six hours, or travel on the high speed 'Cinderella' waterjet boats that service many of the islands. Do-it-yourself travelers can make use of the regular Waxholmsbolaget ferries that service the inhabited islands. Bed and breakfast accommodation is available for those seeking a longer getaway and perhaps wanting to stay a few days to experience island life.
Address: Archipelago tour information is available from the Tourist Center, Sweden House, Hamnagatan 27
Phone Number: (0)8 789 2415
Website: www.stockholmtown.com

Skansen
Visitors can explore Sweden's past at the Skansen open-air museum, the oldest in the world, where historical buildings dating from the 18th and 19th centuries have been relocated from around the country. The exhibits include a full replica of a 19th-century town complete with craftsmen in period dress who demonstrate the art of tanning, shoemaking, baking and glass-blowing. Skansen is also home to an aquarium and the World of Monkeys within the Skansen Zoo, which focuses on Scandinavian animals such as reindeer, wolverines, elk, lynx and brown bears. Every December the central square hosts a Christmas market that attracts thousands of visitors every weekend.
Address: Djurgarden
Phone Number: (0)8 442 8000
Email Address: info@skansen.se
Website: www.skansen.se
Transport: Bus 47 from Central Station, vintage tram 7, or ferry from Gamla stan
Hours: Daily 10am to 10pm (20 June to August), 10am to 8pm (May to 19 June and September), 10am to 4pm (March, April and October); the rest of the year 10am to 3pm (until 4pm on weekends). Market days 11am to 5pm on weekends
Admission: June to August: 110kr (adults), 50kr (children 6-15); admission is reduced the rest of the year, but varies according to season

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