Europe Travel Blog

Sweden tends to be a little off the beaten track for tourists and holidaymakers due to the fact that the prices do not compete so well with the more relatively inexpensive parts of Europe, yet the beauty of the country, and the wonderful places of interest that it has to offer, in particular, Stockholm, surely make a visit well worth it.

Stockholm is located on the east coast of Sweden at the mouth of Lake Malaren, and that part of the city known as Slussen is the point where the lake meets the Baltic Sea. Beyond that, and out to sea is the beautiful Stockholm archipelago of islands, renowned for their natural beauty. The central part of the city is in fact built on fourteen of the islands that form part of the archipelago, so that even within the city itself, you are never far from a picturesque walk along the water’s edge, and there are plenty of trees, parks and green areas. For this reason, Stockholm does not have the feeling of congestion that a lot of cities do.

Because Stockholm has cold winters, the best time to visit is in the summer, and if you are there for the longest day in late June, you will find that the Swedes really celebrate the summer solstice in style, staying up all night and having parties. Stockholm, being so far north, remains light all night in the midsummer, which is wonderful for going out in the evenings to socialize, or to enjoy “the nature”. Many people take to the skies, and in the summer evenings a profusion of colorful hot air balloons can be seen over the city, affording magnificent aerial views to their passengers.

In a future post I will outline some of the must-see sights that Stockholm has to offer, and perhaps I will persuade you to visit.

Filed under: Nordic countries, Scandinavia, Sweden