In a nutshell
- Want to experience Stockholm off the beaten path? You’ve come to the right place!
- We’ll show you 10 places in Stockholm that most visitors walk right past — far less crowded than the usual tourist attractions.
- From unforgettable views and cool day trips to the best Swedish food in the city — we’ve tried it all and loved every bit of it.
- Our absolute favorites: Skinnarviksberget for the views, the City Library for a free wow moment, and Långholmen for a perfect lazy afternoon.
Skinnarviksberget: Best View in Stockholm
If you’re up for a walk, you absolutely have to visit the best viewpoint in the city — Skinnarviksberget. It’s a rocky hilltop on Södermalm that gives you a stunning panorama of Stockholm’s bay and the city skyline.
Especially in summer, locals head up here with a picnic blanket and snacks to watch the sunset over the city. Skinnarviksberget is also a seriously fantastic photo spot!
Our tip: Wear sturdy shoes. The best spots are up on the rocks, so you’ll need to do a bit of climbing. Totally worth it, though!
Stockholm City Library
The Stockholm City Library in the northern neighborhood of Vasastaden is worth visiting for the architecture alone — inside and out. The central main hall is a perfect cylinder with three freely accessible floors lined floor-to-ceiling with bookshelves.
Travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler once named it the most beautiful library in the world. We’d say that’s pretty hard to argue with.
Best of all, you can visit the City Library for free, take photos, and browse through the books at your leisure.
Långholmen: Green Oasis in Stockholm
An idyllic little island with green meadows, a swimming beach, open-air events, and charming wooden houses — that’s Långholmen! For Stockholm locals, it’s a popular retreat when they want to escape the city without actually leaving it.
The island sits right between Södermalm and Kungsholmen and is connected to both neighborhoods by a bridge. So you can simply stroll over and enjoy a lovely afternoon — no planning needed.
The Långholmsbadet beach is at the eastern end of the island. It’s on the smaller side and fills up quickly in summer, but the nearby trees keep it nicely shaded.
You can also explore Stockholm’s bay from Långholmen by kayak — it’s a blast and one of our top recommendations for getting off the beaten path:
Book a self-guided kayak tour from Långholmen
Tanto Strandbad: Södermalm's City Beach
When you visit Stockholm, Södermalm is a must. So here’s something important to know before you go: pack a towel and your swimsuit!
In the southeastern part of Södermalm, you’ll find a small city beach called Tanto Strandbad. After a long day of sightseeing, there’s honestly nothing better than cooling off here when the temperatures climb.
The beach has a large sunbathing lawn, swimming piers, diving platforms, showers, restrooms, and even a small sauna — for which you’ll need to reserve a ticket online in advance. There are some time slots for public sauna sessions; otherwise, access is reserved for sauna members only.
Our tip: Stockholm has more than 80 swimming spots within the city. So always have a mini towel and swimsuit on hand — at least in summer.
Junibacken Children's Museum: for the Whole Family
On the island of Djurgården you’ll find Stockholm’s most popular museums — the Vasa Museum, the ABBA Museum, and the Nordiska Museum. You’re probably heading there anyway. If so, make sure to set aside some time for our next Stockholm secret spot: the Junibacken Museum!
It’s really more of a full-on theme park, and it’s absolutely worth a visit — especially for a vacation with kids.
At Junibacken, you step into the fantasy world of Astrid Lindgren and discover the beloved stories of Pippi Longstocking and more in a fun, hands-on way.
Adult admission costs between 165–215 SEK (approx. $15–20). Children ages 2–15 pay between 140–180 SEK (approx. $12–14). Book your tickets online in advance to skip the lines.
Book tickets for the Junibacken Children’s Museum
Skanskvarn: Bar for Sunset Views
A drink in the open air with views of the city and the setting sun — this is something you really have to do in Stockholm.
There are several rooftop bars that fit the bill. Our top pick is Skanskvarn. You can enjoy the sunset from the summer terrace with a cold drink in hand. The bar sits south of Södermalm and is a genuine local hangout for sundowners — very much off the tourist radar.
Skanskvarn is also a restaurant, though prices are on the higher side. We’d suggest eating somewhere else first, then grabbing a front-row seat here just in time for sunset.
The windmill on-site is a popular photo subject too. We’re not entirely sure why it’s there — but it’s a great sight.
Our tip: Besides Skanskvarn, we can also recommend Stockholm Under Stjärnorna, or SUS for short, as a rooftop bar. The venue is huge, covering the entire 1,200-square-meter rooftop of the 5-star hotel At Six — which, by the way, is also one of the most beautiful boutique hotels in Stockholm in our opinion.
Meatballs for the People: the Best Meatballs
A fan of Swedish meatballs? The best köttbullar in Stockholm are at the little restaurant Meatballs for the People in Södermalm — and this is one of those Stockholm insider tips that locals are almost reluctant to share.
The cozy spot serves exclusively köttbullar, but made from all kinds of meats found in Sweden — beef and pork, plus moose, bear, reindeer, and wild boar.
Only organic ingredients from selected Swedish farms are used, and the result is seriously delicious.
You can order various köttbullar varieties or go for a wild mix. Served alongside are mashed potatoes, pickles, lingonberry sauce, or risotto and mushroom sauce. Yum!
The place is always packed, so make sure to book a table in advance.
The Best Cinnamon Rolls in Stockholm
In everyday Swedish life, fika — the quintessentially Swedish coffee break with pastries — is celebrated anytime, anywhere. And no fika is complete without Sweden’s favorite treat: the cinnamon roll!
Here’s where to find the best cinnamon rolls in Stockholm and which cafés are perfect for a proper fika:
- Café Pascal: a small café in Södermalm with delicious cinnamon rolls and great lunch options.
- Lykke: a hip café with a cozy interior in Södermalm and fantastic cinnamon rolls.
- Stora Bageriet: a great spot for breakfast and lunch in Östermalm — and yes, cinnamon rolls too!
- Svedjan Bageri: an unassuming bakery with real craftsmanship right in the heart of Södermalm.
- Vete Katten: the classic fika café — styled after the 1920s, somehow old-fashioned yet totally cool. And the cinnamon rolls are really, really good.
- Skeppsbro Bageri: organic cinnamon rolls with a view of the water, super centrally located in Gamla Stan.
- Café Villagatan 1: an out-of-the-way garden café in Gustavsberg right in the middle of the archipelago. Our under-the-radar pick!
Day Trip to Nacka Strand
In summer, you should definitely take a day trip into Stockholm’s archipelago. With around 24,000 islands to choose from, the only hard part is picking one.
We’ll make it easy for you: one of the best areas for a day trip from central Stockholm is Nacka Strand.
Nacka is a relaxed little recreational area with a wooden boardwalk promenade, waterfront restaurants, and a fun photo opportunity you won’t want to miss.
Right at the entrance to Nacka’s harbor stands a massive fountain sculpture with the rather unwieldy name Gud Fader på Himmelsbågen (God the Father on the Celestial Arch). We’ll leave the name without comment — but the fountain, which looks like a giant rainbow, is definitely an eye-catcher.
The easiest way to get to Nacka is by ferry from Slussen Pier in Gamla Stan. You can also get there by bus, but the ferry ride through the archipelago is so much more scenic.
Artipelag: Art and Culture in Stockholm's Archipelago
Another spot you absolutely need to visit in summer is the Artipelag venue in Stockholm’s archipelago — a real standout among Stockholm’s secret spots.
Artipelag is a blend of art, entertainment, and Nordic nature. The sprawling grounds include two restaurants, several exhibitions, a design shop, outdoor spaces for workshops, a waterfront promenade, and multiple forest trails. In summer, events with live music and theater regularly take place here.
You can reach Artipelag from Stockholm in about half an hour by the Artipelag bus; the ride costs 50 SEK.
The most beautiful way to arrive, though, is by boat. You’ll wind your way through the sometimes narrow channels of the Stockholm archipelago, with a small onboard bistro serving coffee and cake. The crossing takes one and a half hours and starts at 215 SEK per person.
One more thing: with the Stockholm Pass, the boat crossing is free and you also get free admission to all of Artipelag’s exhibitions.
