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Five non-touristy things to do in Stockholm this winter

Spend your winter getaway like a local with this hand-picked selection of non-touristy things to do in Stockholm.

Five non-touristy things to do in Stockholm this winter
Take a winter swim at Hellasgården. Photo: Helena Wahlman/imagebank.sweden.se

Snow-sprinkled streets, the smell of freshly-baked saffron buns and a large glass of glögg (mulled wine) — Stockholm is as magical in winter as it is lush and green in summer.

If you’re tired of Gamla Stan and you’ve done the Vasa Museum to death, get off the beaten track and experience the city like a Stockholmer instead. Here are five things to do once you’ve made the 18-minute journey on the Arlanda Express from the airport to the city centre. 

Fika and farm shop

Rosendals Trädgårdskafé – a rustic greenhouse-cum-garden-café on the island of Djurgården – is a favorite haunt for many Stockholmers in the summertime. But the fun doesn’t stop when the mercury drops. From the end of November, it’s transformed into a winter wonderland and adorned with wreaths and twinkling fairy lights. Stop by for a traditional Swedish bulle (that’s a bun, to you and me), a glass of warm äppelmust (fresh pressed apple juice) and a serious dose of winter cosiness. There’s also a farm shop next door to the café, so you can take a (most likely cinnamon-based) taste of Sweden home with you.

Go for a dip (yes, really)

Photo: Helena Wahlman/TT

Many people don’t realise that the city of Stockholm is situated on fourteen islands — and that it’s part of a wider archipelago made up of some 30,000 islands. Over summer, the entire city empties out as Swedes flock to their summerhouses on remote islands (but don’t worry, even on the farthest island the 4G never wavers — Swedes have got their priorities straight).

Click here to buy your Arlanda Express tickets in advance

Ferries from central Stockholm to the archipelago run year-round so you can explore the islands off-season too. Some might even argue it’s a better time to visit as you can indulge in a favourite Swedish pastime: jumping into icy water before sprinting to the sauna. There are several spots for winter swimming like Abborrvass Bad on the island of Svartsö or the floating saunas at Sandhamns Seglarhotell — both just a couple of hours from the city by ferry. If you’re strapped for time, you can go for a winter dip closer to the city at Hellasgården, a huge recreation area where there’s as much to do in winter as there is in summer. 

Good news if you only have hand luggage: this is Sweden so there’s no need to pack your swimsuit — your birthday suit will do just fine.

Snow place like the slopesPST

One of Stockholm’s most attractive features is that it’s a city that isn’t really like a city at all. It’s packed full of nature reserves, wild swimming spots (many which double as ice rinks in winter) and you can even hit the slopes without travelling too far out of the city centre. 

There are real and artificial slopes like Hammarbybacken, a 100-meter man-made hill just a 10-minute drive from the city centre or Ekholmsnäsbacken, a family-friendly ski area where beginners can take some lessons at a reasonable rate. 

Have an ice day!

Photo: Tobias Röstlund/TT

Stockholmers love to strap on their skates and glide around the many frozen lakes in and around the city. If you’re not an experienced skater, hire the help of a professional wild Nordic skating guide. ICEguide offers guided skating tours – and hires out all of the required accoutrements, like ice skates and helmets – on natural ice between December and March. Feeling the winter sun on your face and the brisk wind in your hair as you skate across an icy lake is a bona fide bucket-list experience.

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Sausage and spice at Skansen

If you’re visiting Stockholm in December, don’t miss the Christmas market at Skansen. The open-air museum – which is open all year round – is a highlight of the city in itself, showcasing homes and farmsteads from times gone by. Each year since 1903 the market square has filled up with stalls selling tasty treats like traditional sausages, sugared almonds and marzipan. Visitors can also take part in Swedish traditions like dancing around the Christmas tree and handcrafting their own decorations. 

Skansen in winter. Photo: Tuukka Ervasti/imagebank.sweden.se

There’s still plenty to see and do at Skansen outside of Christmas time. Outdoor activities are planned throughout the year and it’s also home to a number of rare Nordic animals including brown bears, European bisons, Gute sheep and some sizeable moose AKA the undisputed kings of the Swedish forest. 

With so much to do in Stockholm this winter, make getting there as fast and easy as possible by booking your airport transfer with the Arlanda Express, the fastest route between Arlanda Airport and downtown (a mere 18 minutes). Click here to book your tickets before you land.

This article was produced by The Local Creative Studio and sponsored by Arlanda Express.

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TRAVEL NEWS

Everything you need to know about travel to, from and in Sweden this Easter

Easter tends to be the busiest travel holiday in Sweden. Here's the latest on the planned rail works, changing road rules and European strikes which could disrupt your journey.

Everything you need to know about travel to, from and in Sweden this Easter

If you’re travelling by rail

Sweden usually schedules railway maintenance work for national holidays, as fewer people are travelling to work, and Easter – with the arrival of warmer temperatures – tends to be the start of the rail works season in the southern half of the country.

The Swedish Transport Administration provides a detailed breakdown of Easter work planned. We’ve summarised the main points below. 

Stockholm 

The Citybanan commuter rail system in Stockholm will be closed between Stockholm City and Odenplan between March 29th at 10pm and April 1st at 5pm, with Stockholm’s regional travel company SL promising replacement traffic.

All rail traffic between Jakobsberg in northwest Stockholm and Stockholm City will also be cancelled throughout March 29th and April 2nd. 

Gothenburg 

Maintenance work on the tracks between Partille and Alingsås and bridge repairs between Töreboda and Gårdsjö will see regional trains between Gothenburg and Alingsås and Gothenburg and Gårsjö cancelled between March 28th and April 1st. Replacement buses will be provided. 

Buses will also replace trains between both Varberg and Halmstad and Kungsbacka and Gothenburg from 2pm on March 28th to 2pm on April 1st, as tracks and switches are connected as part of the Varberg tunnel project.

The Västtågen commuter train will still operate between Gothenburg and Kungsbacka, with the Öresundståg trains taking that route. 

Work on the new Västlänken will also mean all trains between Gothenburg’s Central Station and the Gamlestaden station in the north of the city will be cancelled all day on March 29th and on April 1st until 2pm. 

West coast 

As well as the cancellations of trains between Halmstad and Kungsbacka (see above), trains will also be cancelled between Borås and Varberg between March 28th at 2pm and April 1st at 2pm, due to roadwork around Sundholmen. Replacement buses will be provided. 

Work will continue on the tracks between Uddevalla and Stenungsund, while the most southerly part of the same track, between Ytterby and Gothenburg, will also be closed between Good Friday and April 1st at 2pm. 

Central Sweden 

Work at Karlstad’s main station could see trains cancelled between March 28th at 10pm and April 2nd at 5.20am.  

East coast 

The Stångådalsbanan railway between Linköping and Kalmar could see trains cancelled between March 30th at 2pm and March 31st at 3pm.  

Here is a map of the planned work: 

Planned rail work in Easter 2024. Photo: Swedish Transport Administration

If you’re travelling by car

Easter is one of Sweden’s busiest travel holidays, and traffic tends to be concentrated to a few days, rather than spread out as at Christmas and Midsummer.

That means queues should be expected. It’s good to plan your journey in advance, allow extra time and make stops to rest.

The E4 road between Gävle and Tönnebro tends to be particularly busy as travellers head to and from the mountains for their Easter ski trip. 

The good news for those travelling by car is that this year, no major roadworks are planned over Easter — mainly because the holiday falls so early this year that temperatures are still too close to freezing across much of the country, making it difficult to lay down new tarmac. 

If you’re travelling by air 

This year, there are no strikes directly affecting airports or airlines in Sweden,  but industrial action in Spain and the UK might affect Easter travel if you are venturing abroad.  

Workers at airports in Valencia and Madrid, two of Spain’s busiest, have announced that they will strike over the Easter period. At Madrid-Barajas airport, the UGT union has called a strike by employees of the Platform Management Service (SDP) for Wednesday 27th and Friday 29th March between 7am-12pm.

At Valencia airport, flights could be affected between Thursday March 28th and Monday April 1st, between 11am-13am, when workers will walk out and protest outside the Terminal 1 building in Manises.

The Lufthansa airline struck a deal with ground staff on Wednesday, March 27th, averting the risk of strikes over the Easter holidays, which might have affected flights to and from Germany from Norway. 

Finally, border force workers at the UK’s Heathrow Airport voted on March 22nd to strike over the Easter holidays, although walkouts will not happen until after April 8th, you won’t be affected if you are only travelling over Easter, but might be if you stay another week. 

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