Roavina

Country guide

Sweden

A photograph of Sweden
Photograph · Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 4.0

Sweden runs from 55°N to 69°N — long enough that its north and its south keep different weather and different daylight in the same week. Of its 450,295 km², built-up land accounts for 1.5 per cent, and 88 per cent of the 10,610,485 people counted in October 2025 live in towns concentrated in the south and the centre. That is the practical division for a visitor: the southern counties hold Stockholm and most of what fits into a weekend, while the rest of the 21 counties trade density for distance. Choose by how far you are willing to travel between two things.

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
Swedish
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+46
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Swedish krona (SEK)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
112
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type C and F · 230 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Safe from the mains
Municipal drinking water is subject to Swedish food-safety controls

Planning a visit

  1. January: seasonal closure recorded
  2. February: seasonal closure recorded
  3. March: seasonal closure recorded
  4. April: seasonal closure recorded
  5. May: seasonal closure recorded
  6. June: seasonal closure recorded
  7. July: seasonal closure recorded
  8. August: no seasonality data recorded
  9. September: no seasonality data recorded — this month
  10. October: no seasonality data recorded
  11. November: no seasonality data recorded
  12. December: no seasonality data recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Stockholm Palace Stockholm Palace
    02 2 hours

    Stockholm Palace

    Stockholms slott

    Kungliga slottet, the Royal Palace of Stockholm, stands at the northern edge of Gamla Stan on the rock where Birger Jarl is recorded as having built a fortress in the mid-thirteenth century.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  2. Stockholm City Hall Stockholm City Hall
    03 1 hr 30 min

    Stockholm City Hall

    Stockholms stadshus

    Stockholms stadshus is the working seat of Stockholm's city government, not a museum that happens to look municipal.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  3. Drottningholm Palace Drottningholm Palace
    04 3 hours

    Drottningholm Palace

    Drottningholms slott

    Drottningholm sits on the island of Lovon in Ekero Municipality, about ten kilometres west of central Stockholm, and it is a working royal home as well as a monument.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  4. Riddarholm Church Riddarholm Church
    05 45 min

    Riddarholm Church

    Riddarholmskyrkan

    Riddarholm Church, or Riddarholmskyrkan, is a medieval church on Riddarholmen in central Stockholm. It serves as the burial church of Swedish monarchs and now functions primarily as a royal mausoleum and heritage site.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  5. Parliament House of Sweden (Riksdagshuset) Parliament House of Sweden (Riksdagshuset)
    06 45 min

    Parliament House of Sweden (Riksdagshuset)

    Riksdagshuset

    The Parliament House of Sweden, known locally as Riksdagshuset, serves as the seat of the Swedish Parliament. Located on the island of Helgeandsholmen in central Stockholm, the building houses the unicameral legislative assembly of Sweden.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  6. Millesgården Millesgården
    07 45 min

    Millesgården

    Millesgården is an art museum and sculpture garden located on the island of Lidingö near Stockholm. It was the former home and studio of sculptor Carl Milles and his wife, artist Olga Milles.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  7. Stockholm Olympic Stadium Stockholm Olympic Stadium
    08 45 min

    Stockholm Olympic Stadium

    Stockholms stadion

    Stockholms stadion is a historic sports arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Built for the 1912 Summer Olympics, it remains one of the world's oldest active Olympic stadiums.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  8. Drottningholm Palace Theatre Drottningholm Palace Theatre
    09 45 min

    Drottningholm Palace Theatre

    Drottningholms Slottsteater

    Drottningholm Palace Theatre is a historic court theatre located on the grounds of Drottningholm Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site near Stockholm. Built in 1766, it is one of the best-preserved 18th-century theatres in Europe.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  9. Stockholm Observatory Stockholm Observatory
    10 45 min

    Stockholm Observatory

    Stockholms gamla observatorium

    Stockholm Observatory, also known as Stockholms gamla observatorium, is a historic astronomical facility in Stockholm. It belongs on a city walk for travellers interested in science, architecture and the intellectual history of Sweden.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  10. Chinese Pavilion at Drottningholm Chinese Pavilion at Drottningholm
    11 45 min

    Chinese Pavilion at Drottningholm

    Kina slott

    The Chinese Pavilion at Drottningholm, called Kina slott in Swedish, is a royal pleasure pavilion on Lovön near Stockholm.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  11. Rosendal Palace Rosendal Palace
    12 45 min

    Rosendal Palace

    Rosendals slott

    Rosendal Palace, known locally as Rosendals slott, is a royal palace situated on Djurgården island in central Stockholm. The palace was constructed as a pleasure palace for King Karl XIV Johan in the 1820s.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  12. Ulriksdal Palace Ulriksdal Palace
    13 45 min

    Ulriksdal Palace

    Ulriksdals slott

    Ulriksdal Palace, or Ulriksdals slott, is a royal palace in Solna, north of Stockholm city centre. The palace belongs to Sweden’s royal heritage and sits within extensive parkland and gardens.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  13. The House of Culture The House of Culture
    14 45 min

    The House of Culture

    Kulturhuset

    The House of Culture, known locally as Kulturhuset, is a prominent cultural centre located in central Stockholm. It occupies a significant position within the city's cultural infrastructure, serving as a multi-purpose venue for artistic and community activities.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  14. Theater Confidencen Theater Confidencen
    15 45 min

    Theater Confidencen

    Confidencen

    Theater Confidencen is a Stockholm theatre whose identity is created by live performance rather than by a permanent exhibition. Its character comes from the meeting of performers and audience, the production chosen, and the particular occasion announced in the programme.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  15. Karlberg Palace Karlberg Palace
    16 45 min

    Karlberg Palace

    Karlbergs slott

    Karlberg Palace, or Karlbergs slott, is a historic palace complex in Stockholm’s Karlberg district beside the water.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  16. af Chapman af Chapman
    17 45 min

    af Chapman

    Af Chapman

    Af Chapman is a full-rigged steel ship permanently moored on Skeppsholmen in central Stockholm. Built in 1888 as Dunboyne in Whitehaven, it later served as a training vessel before becoming a youth hostel in 1949.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  17. Axel Oxenstierna Palace Axel Oxenstierna Palace
    18 45 min

    Axel Oxenstierna Palace

    Axel Oxenstiernas palats

    Axel Oxenstierna Palace is a historic Stockholm building named for Axel Oxenstierna, the Swedish statesman who served as Lord High Chancellor during the reigns of Gustavus Adolphus and Queen Christina.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  18. Arvfurstens palats Arvfurstens palats
    19 45 min

    Arvfurstens palats

    Arvfurstens palats is a palace building in central Stockholm and a distinctive part of the capital’s built heritage. Its importance for a traveller lies primarily in the architecture and the building’s position within the historic city centre.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  19. Wrangel Palace Wrangel Palace
    20 45 min

    Wrangel Palace

    Wrangelska palatset

    Wrangel Palace, or Wrangelska palatset, stands on Riddarholmen in central Stockholm. Built for Count Carl Gustaf Wrangel during Sweden’s seventeenth-century great-power era, it is a prominent example of Swedish Baroque architecture.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  20. Tessin Palace Tessin Palace
    21 45 min

    Tessin Palace

    Tessinska palatset

    Tessin Palace stands in Stockholm’s Gamla Stan and was designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger as his private residence. The building represents Swedish Baroque architecture and reflects the ambitions of one of Sweden’s leading court architects.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  21. Bonde Palace Bonde Palace
    22 45 min

    Bonde Palace

    Bondeska palatset

    Bonde Palace, also known as Bondeska palatset, is a historic Stockholm building associated with noble residence and the city’s older urban fabric. Its architectural presence reflects the long political and social history of central Stockholm.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  22. Ulvsunda Castle Ulvsunda Castle
    23 45 min

    Ulvsunda Castle

    Ulvsunda slott

    Ulvsunda Castle, known locally as Ulvsunda slott, is a historic castle and manor house in western Stockholm.

    • High
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  23. Hessensteinska palatset Hessensteinska palatset
    24 45 min

    Hessensteinska palatset

    Hessensteinska palatset is a historic palace in Stockholm, Sweden. The building represents classical Swedish architectural heritage and stands as one of the notable palatial structures in the city.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  24. Gustav III's Pavilion Gustav III's Pavilion
    25 45 min

    Gustav III's Pavilion

    Gustav III:s paviljong

    Gustav III’s Pavilion is a royal pleasure pavilion in Hagaparken, north of Stockholm. Built for King Gustav III in the late eighteenth century, it is a notable expression of Swedish Gustavian architecture.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  25. Hässelby Castle Hässelby Castle
    26 45 min

    Hässelby Castle

    Hässelby slott

    Hässelby Castle, or Hässelby slott, is a historic landmark in Stockholm's western Hässelby district. The castle extends Stockholm's heritage beyond the central islands and offers a different scale of city experience, shaped by historic architecture and its surrounding setting.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  26. Klara Church Klara Church
    27 45 min

    Klara Church

    Klara kyrka

    Klara Church, or Klara kyrka, is a historic church in Stockholm’s central Klara district. Its tower is a visible part of the city skyline, and the building remains both a landmark and a functioning place of worship.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  27. Swedish House of Nobility Swedish House of Nobility
    28 45 min

    Swedish House of Nobility

    Riddarhuset

    The Swedish House of Nobility, known in Stockholm as Riddarhuset, is a historic institution and building in Gamla Stan. It is associated with Sweden's noble families, their records, and the country's earlier system of estate-based political representation.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  28. Styckekranen Styckekranen
    29 45 min

    Styckekranen

    Styckekranen is a mapped place in Stockholm, Sweden, identified by its name and location in OpenStreetMap. Its value lies in adding a less familiar location to a Stockholm walk and in encouraging attention to the city's working and historic landscape.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  29. Stenbockska Palatset Stenbockska Palatset
    30 45 min

    Stenbockska Palatset

    Stenbockska palatset

    Stenbockska Palatset is a historic palace in central Stockholm, associated with the Stenbock family and the city's aristocratic architectural heritage.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm
  30. Sager House Sager House
    31 45 min

    Sager House

    Sagerska huset

    Sagerska huset, known in English as Sager House, stands as a prominent building in Stockholm. The structure holds official significance within the Swedish capital's urban fabric.

    • Notable
    • Historic monument
    • Stockholm

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Sweden be?

Seven to ten days gives Stockholm three or four days and allows one rail-linked city, archipelago stay or northern extension. A journey into Swedish Lapland needs extra nights and should be planned as a distinct leg.

What entry documents are needed for Sweden?

The Swedish Migration Agency sets visitor and short-stay requirements. Check whether the passport needs a visa and which Schengen state should process an application for the complete itinerary.

What is the best way to travel around Sweden?

Stockholm Arlanda is the largest gateway; Gothenburg and the Copenhagen–Malmö route provide alternatives. Long-distance trains link the principal cities, while ferries, regional buses and domestic flights reach the wider country.

When is a practical time to visit Sweden?

May through August brings long daylight and the broadest summer access. Winter aurora or snow travel is a separate seasonal product, particularly in the north, with different transport and clothing requirements.

What money and payment basics apply in Sweden?

Sweden uses the krona (SEK), not the euro. Current cash and card acceptance is Not recorded in this file; check the operator’s stated payment method, particularly for unmanned or rural services.

What practical safety details should I save for Sweden?

Call 112 for emergencies in Sweden. Type C and F sockets operate at 230 V, and the recorded guidance says mains tap water is safe.