One of my best friends and I had always wanted to take a trip together. We wanted a city break that was easy to reach from London and full of character. After some back and forth, we narrowed it down to three options: Oslo, Riga, and Stockholm. We decided on Stockholm.
We actually tried to go in 2022, but my flight was cancelled at the last minute due to overbooking. Unfortunately, we hadn’t booked our flights together, so she didn’t have the option to cancel easily. She ended up losing the money on her ticket, and we decided to split the loss between us. It was frustrating at the time, but we knew we would try again.
In 2023, we finally made it happen, and during Midsummer, no less. Midsummer is one of the most important holidays in Sweden, marking the summer solstice and the longest day of the year. It is a celebration centred around being outdoors with family and friends. Traditionally, people dance around a maypole, wear flower crowns, and eat classic dishes like pickled herring, new potatoes with dill, sour cream, and fresh strawberries. Most locals leave the city for the countryside, so Stockholm becomes noticeably quieter and more peaceful. Being there during such a significant national holiday made the whole experience feel especially meaningful.
Day 1: Art, Coffee, and Old Town Charm
After an early morning of travel, my best friend and I arrived in Stockholm on a Thursday afternoon. We checked into our hotel, Haymarket by Scandic, around 2:30pm. The hotel occupies a historic former department store on Hötorget, and its interiors blend 1920s art deco glamour with modern Scandinavian restraint. High ceilings, warm lighting, and elegant communal spaces made it feel lively without being overwhelming. Its central location also made it incredibly easy to get around, whether on foot or by public transport. It was the kind of hotel that felt like part of the city rather than separate from it.
Feeling a bit peckish after the journey, we wandered over to Pascal Kaffebar, just a 10-minute walk from the hotel. We each got a rye sandwich with boiled eggs and Swedish caviar, and shared two sweet pastries. One was a Krämbullar (Swedish cream bun) with raspberries, and the other was a Wienerbröd (Danish pastry) with strawberries. The pastries were generous without being heavy, sweet but carefully balanced.
Sweden takes baking seriously, and it shows. There is a strong culture of fika, the daily pause for coffee and something baked, and bakeries prioritise quality ingredients, precise techniques, and subtle flavours over excess sugar. Cardamom is often favoured over cinnamon, butter is used generously, and texture matters just as much as taste. Even simple pastries feel thoughtfully made.
Next, we made our way through the city, soaking in the architecture and waterfront views, until we arrived at the Moderna Museet. The museum, perched on the island of Skeppsholmen, houses a thoughtful collection of modern and contemporary art. It’s a bit of a strange museum in that it’s difficult to find the highlights, but it was a quiet, inspiring start to our cultural immersion.
The collection focuses on modern and contemporary art, with works by Picasso, Dalí, and Giacometti alongside Nordic artists. What stood out most was the calmness of the space. The galleries are not densely packed, and the layout encourages slow looking rather than rushing between highlights. Some rooms felt almost meditative, with natural light and views out towards the water. It was not a museum that demanded attention, but one that rewarded patience.
As the afternoon slipped into early evening, we made our way to Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s old town and one of the best-preserved medieval city centres in Europe. Built across a small island, Gamla Stan dates back to the 13th century and was once the heart of the city’s political and commercial life. Its narrow streets were designed long before cars or crowds, which gives the area its slightly compressed, intimate feeling.
The buildings lean towards each other, painted in warm yellows, reds, and ochres that glow softly in the evening light. While there are souvenir shops and busy stretches, it only takes a few turns to find quieter corners where everyday life continues. Laundry hung from windows, locals lingered in doorways, and small squares opened unexpectedly between buildings. It felt lived-in rather than preserved, historic without feeling frozen in time.
Around 7pm, we stopped for a craft beer at Stigbergets Fot, a laid-back spot perfect for people-watching and chatting about our first impressions of the city.
Dinner was at Främmat, a restaurant we discovered thanks to a recommendation from Topjaw, before they became super famous. It turned out to be one of the culinary highlights of our trip. We shared a selection of small plates that balanced bold flavours with seasonal produce. We started with the red shrimp with roasted corn and béarnaise sauce, and the cod carpaccio with avocado, coriander, jalapeño, and strawberries.
We then had: a gorgeous tarte à la tomate with anchovies, stracciatella, and basil; gravlax paired with sweet melon and espelette; and wax beans with harissa, burrata, and pangrattato.
We finished by sharing a dessert dish of goat cheese with rhubarb granita and pistachio foam. Every bite was thoughtful and full of contrast, rich and bright, familiar and surprising.
We ended the night with a quiet drink back at the Haymarket hotel bar. The space was softly lit and calm, and it felt like a natural extension of the day rather than a separate destination. It was the perfect place to decompress and reflect on a first day filled with excellent food, beautiful surroundings, and the quiet satisfaction of finally being in Stockholm after such a long wait.
Day 2: Buns, ABBA, and a Midsummer Island Escape
We kicked off Friday morning with breakfast at Lillebrors Bageri, one of Stockholm’s most beloved bakeries. There was a bit of a queue, but it was absolutely worth the wait. I had a cardamom bun that was fresh, warm, and bursting with flavour. Soft, sticky, and perfectly spiced. It was one of the best pastries I’ve ever had.
In the early afternoon, we visited the ABBA Museum, which was just as fun and quirky as we’d hoped. The museum is located on Djurgården island and is much more than just a standard exhibit. It’s an interactive celebration of all things ABBA, charting their rise from Eurovision stardom to global pop icons.
The space is filled with original costumes, handwritten lyrics, vintage footage, and perfectly preserved 1970s glam. You can mix your own ABBA track in the sound booth, step into a recreated backstage dressing room, and even perform on a virtual stage “with” the band (but no, we did not do this). Everything is done with a sense of humour and joy, which makes it incredibly immersive even if you’re not a superfan.
By early evening, we made our way to the harbour to catch a ferry out to Fjäderholmarna, one of the closest islands in the Stockholm archipelago. The journey took around thirty minutes, and as the boat pulled away from the city, the atmosphere began to shift. Urban edges softened into water, trees, and red wooden boathouses scattered along the shoreline.
As the ferry approached the dock and we stepped onto the island, it felt like we were crossing more than just a stretch of water. The city, with its museums, cafés, and busy streets, receded behind us, and something gentler took its place. The pace changed, the light softened, and the sense of Midsummer we had been hearing about finally began to reveal itself.
And with that, our time in Stockholm was only just beginning to unfold. Stay tuned for Part II!
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