Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

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Previous issues for Stockholm

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Sweden : Stockholm - August 2009

Country Code: Dial for Sweden

Catch the end of the precious Stockholm summer and bask in its bittersweet glory. The city’s Kulturfestival (11-13 August) offers entertainment – for free – while Lake Mälaren is as warm as it’s going to get. Victoria Larsson dives in

Getting around

Airport is 8km west of the city.

Bus: Flygbussarna buses link the airport with Stockholm’s bus/train station, Cityterminalen. The journey costs €14/ SEK 130 return and takes 20 minutes, with departures every 20 minutes at peak times.
Taxi: Licensed cabs are available outside the terminal. The fare to the city centre is about €20/SEK 186.
Tourist information: The main office is at 27 Hamngatan, with the entrance on Kungsträdgården (tel. , stockholmtown.com).

GAMLA STAN

Touristy, but totally irresistible. Stray off the main drag, Västerlånggatan, and get pleasantly lost in the crisscross of narrow streets, with their cute little shops and cafés.

Sleep soundly – First Hotel Reisen (12 Skeppsbron, 3260, firsthotels.com, rooms from €95/SEK 1,050) is a top-notch luxury option, with a splendid view over a particularly scenic chunk of Lake Mälaren. The bar is popular with the locals, thanks to its great drinks and expert staff.

Culture vultures – Livrustkammaren (3 Slottsbacken) is heaven for history buffs. The royal armoury, which is located inside the royal castle, has an impressive collection of jewels, clothing and armour.

Must eat – Le Bar Rouge (17 Österlånggatan, tel. ) is Le Rouge’s less pricey sibling. Enjoy French bistro fare in a split-level space done out in red velvet. Try the juicy Le Hamburger accompanied by a salad in a bowl made out of lettuce.

Must drink – Head to Zen-style Chaikhana (23 Svartmangatan) for a pot of tea brewed with utmost care.

Dance the night away – Pontus by the Sea (2 Tullhus, Skeppsbrokajen) is a Miami-style club, frequented by a young, designer-clad crowd.

Shop til you drop – With few exceptions Västerlånggatan is a tourist trap, where Viking helmets and moose T-shirts are the big sellers. But at Iris Hantverk (24 Västerlånggatan), you’ll find locally produced handicrafts and home textiles.

HORNSTULL

Standing at the edge of the inner-city limits, this area is fashionable without being overrun with tourists.

Sleep soundly – Långholmen Hotell (20 Långholmsmuren, tel. , langholmen.com, rooms from €94/SEK 1,040) was a prison until 1975, but has been reincarnated as a hotel. There are beaches and hiking trails right outside the door, with Kungsholmen a stone’s throw away.

Culture vultures – Hornstull Strand (4 Hornstulls Strand) resembles a high-school cafeteria with its hard wooden chairs and benches, but the long family-style tables make it easy to strike up a conversation with a friendly stranger. The music ranges from jazz to rock, via hip-hop.

Must eat – The Austrian couple who run Moldau (33 Bergsunds Strand, 7548) don’t care for minimalist Scandinavian interior design – the restaurant is furnished with heavy wooden furniture and handstitched tablecloths. The beer is frothy and the schnitzels are oversized.

Shop til you drop – Splurge on a pair of platform Hasbeens or save on vintage clogs at Oma (178 Hornsgatan).

CITY

Hit Drottninggatan for some serious retail therapy or relax in scenic Kungsträdgården.

Sleep soundly – Clarion Hotel Sign (35 Östra Järnvägsgatan, tel. , clarionsign.se, rooms from €99/SEK 1,095) is an architectural masterpiece of glass and steel near Central Station.The hotel’s triangle suites, with floor-to-ceiling windows, give the feeling of being in the very heart of this spectacular building.

Culture vultures – Kulturfestival (kulturfestivalen.stockholm.se), from 11-13 August, has a Finnish theme this year. There’ll be music, theatre, art and poetry. See the website for details.

Must eat – 1900 (66 Regeringsgatan, 6010) serves food your grandma would have cooked if she were Swedish. Local and organic are the watchwords here. Try the housemade pickled herring.

Must drink – Cadierbaren (8 Södra Blasieholmshamnen), inside Grand Hôtel Stockholm, provides superb service, great drinks and free snacks in three-tiered silver trays. For a perfectly tart drink, order the Ginger Drop.

Shop til you drop – Weekday (63 Drottninggatan) is about to kick H&M off the throne and become Sweden’s number-one outfitter. If you’re after skinny jeans and bold prints, this is the shop to head for.

Compiled by Victoria Larsson