Stockholm
20 July 2025
Stockholm syndrome hits different. I went to Stockholm because it happened to be the cheapest flight out of Europe that week, so I had no expectations. Now that I have been, let me adjust your expectations appropriately: It’s a lot like Copenhagen. I hope that doesn’t trigger any Swedes or Danes. I know you don’t want to hear it, but it’s true. That being said, Stockholm is great!
Day 1
- The Royal Palace
- Stortorget
- Stockholm Canals
- Riddarholmen Church
The Royal Palace
The Royal Palace in Stockholm is the official residence of the Swedish monarch and one of the largest palaces in Europe. Similar to Copenhagen’s government building, I stared at the exterior a bit in the harsh morning sun, then moved on.
Stortorget
Stortorget is the historic main square in Stockholm’s Old Town. The square is quite small, but it’s very charming. The colorful buildings that frame the cobblestone square make this a special spot. I’d like a piece of art depicting Stortorget, I’m just realizing this as I type.
The rest of Old Town is equally as charming as Stortorget. I loved walking down small alleys to see what was around the next corner. I also enjoyed going into shops to look at art I can’t afford.
Stockholm Canals
If I’m being honest, at this point in my trip, I was a little Europe’d out. After a while, a lot of the buildings in the cities I had visited started to look a little similar. So, I went for a swim. This was at a designated swimming area called Konstgjord strand. The water was a little cold, but it felt good. The wooden boardwalk didn’t have a lot of space but I managed to secure a spot to lay out in the sun and doze for an hour.
Riddarholmen Church
Riddarholmen Church is one of the city’s oldest buildings, dating back to the late 13th century. Originally a medieval monastery, it now serves as the burial church for Swedish monarchs. It was closed when I arrived.
Refreshed from my swim, I spent more time walking around Old Town.
I love the movie The Grand Budapest Hotel, and apparently, I see the hotel everywhere in Europe. If a European reads this, I’m sure you’ll scoff at my American ignorance of architecture. All I know is that this ain’t no Motel 6.
When I got back to my hostel, I was on Instagram in bed and saw that my cousin Nicole (technically 2nd cousin) was also in Stockholm! I messaged her and we decided to get breakfast together
Day 3
- 7-Eleven
- The Vasa Museum
- Djurgårdsbrunnsviken
Nicole’s sister, Brianna, lived in Stockholm and recommended a breakfast place. She doesn’t miss. The food at Vete-Katten was great. I ordered a kind of cinnamon roll on Brianna’s recommendation, which I think is called a kanelbulle. Super good!
Nicole was traveling with family, and we discovered we were both headed in the same direction so I tagged along with the group.
7-Eleven
I mentioned that the 7-Elevens in Copenhagen were surprisingly good. Well, they were even better in Stockholm! They had all kind sof good stuff and were super nice. This particular location also had a little cafe seating area.
Sweden has a strong candy culture. A common tradition is for parents to take their kids to the store and by candy by weight. So you’ll see loose candy (“lösgodis”) for sale in a lot of places, including this 7-Eleven. I bought and ate way too much.
The Vasa Museum
The Vasa Museum is one of the coolest museums I have ever been to. Unlike other museums, this one has just one artifact on display: the 17th-century warship Vasa. It sank on its maiden voyage and was salvaged over 300 years later. The ship is preserved incredibly well and what little restoration work was needed (like adding ropes and hydrating the wood) has been done masterfully. The ship was placed upright, then a massive warehouse was built around it. I was in awe the entire time along with the rest of the group.
For lunch we went to Ulla Winbladh. Everyone liked their food, although it wasn’t cheap.
Djurgårdsbrunnsviken
Djurgårdsbrunnsviken is a bay close to the museum where I decided to hang out for a bit. Nicole and her squad went to an ABBA museum which I decided to sit out. I sat by the water for a while, walked around the bay, then met back up with the group for a while. We walked back towards our accommodations, then finished the day with some Swedish tacos. Traveling solo is fun but traveling with friends or family is better!
Next time
On our next adventure, I return to the USA and we go on a summer road trip!
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