How to get out Stockholm
Drottningholm? Although the Royal Palace is situated in the center of the city, the Royal family actually lives at Drottningholm Palace on the Lovö island in Lake Mälaren, 30 minutes from the city centre by public transport. The 18th century palace is beautiful, and much of it is open to the public. The surroundings are well worth a walk as well. Take the green line of the underground (T-bana) to Brommaplan, change to bus 176 or 177 or (mostly during peak hours) 301-336, to Drottningholm. In the summertime, there is also regular boat service from Stadshuskajen (the City Hall Quay) to Drottningholm operated by Strömma Kanalbolaget (130SEK for a return ticket). Consider the combination return ferry ticket (210SEK, includes the palace and the Chinese Pavilion). But, if you are a student with an ISIC card, don't buy the combo ticket because you won't get the discounts offered by the Palace and Chinese Pavilion. Sadly, there are no interpretative signs in the Palace or in the Chinese Pavilion. So, catch a (free) guided tour, offered nearly every half hour in Swedish and English, and you'll get a lot more out of it. Or, buy a guide book (50SEK). If you use Talk of the town the mobile audioguide for Stockholm. You can listen at six sights spread over Drottningholm Royal domain in six languages.
Birka? For the real Viking buff, there's Birka , the site of a former Viking city of about 1,000 inhabitants situated on Björkö, an island in Lake Mälaren. Today, however, traces of the settlement are hard to spot and the small museum (+46 8 56051445, closed during winter) is really only worth the ride if you are genuinely interested in the subject. Boats to Björkö are operated by Strömma Kanalbolaget . Birka can also be reached by driving to Ekerö (Ekerövägen/road 261), taking a car ferry to Adelsö, and finally taking a short ferry to Björkö. The car ferry to Adelsö is free and takes approximately 10 minutes. Immediately after driving of the Adelsö ferry, you should turn to the left. Drive until you see a church, Adelsö Church, and park in the parking lot located across the street from the church. Walk across the road (that you just arrived on) and follow the country road that is paralell to the church (i.e., walk towards the lake). After a five-minute walk, you will see a gate on the left. Open it and let yourself in to the field, but do not forget to close it behind yourself. The rocks and rune stone on the field are remains from a royal residence. Continue along the path until you reach a jetty. The Björkö ferry leaves Adelsö jetty at 11:30 (during the summer), and the crossing to Björkö takes approximately 15 minutes. There is a pleasant cafe across the street from Adelsö Church.
Uppsala? A lively and very old university city located 45 minutes north of Stockholm (trains every hour for 62-72 SEK one way). There you can see the biggest cathedral in Scandinavia, Linnaeus' botanical gardens as well as Viking royal burial mounds and temple remains from the time when Uppsala was Sweden's capital. Currently fourth largest city in Sweden, but still doable as a day trip.
Sigtuna ? Oldest medieval town in Sweden. Streets are small here and dotted with low built wooden houses. Lies north of Stockholm and makes an excellent daytrip.
Bornsjön? For a real wild animal safari close to Stockholm, Bornsjön is the best spot. It is a nature reserve 30 minutes drive south of Stockholm. The natural environment is perfect here for watching mammals like moose, roe deer and wild boar. Stockholm Outback offers tours down to the reserve every evening during the summer. For further information call +46 73-6578708 or visit their homepage .
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The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Stockholm
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