Discovering Hammarby Sjöstad on a bike

Without being hyperbolic, I can honestly say that I love my electric bicycle. Winter or summer, weekday or weekend, I use it practically every day. Especially when commuting to work.

We – that is, my family and me – live in the southern suburb of Älta, with the Nacka nature reserve and Hellasgården practically as our backyard. This means that my usual everyday route first takes me through the forest before reaching the urban area of Sickla. After that, it continues through Hammarby Sjöstad's "archipelago light"-surroundings and the lush greenery of Årstaviken. The last leg of the commute offers a dose of city life; Hornstull, Västerbron, Rålambshovs park, and Kristineberg. Along the way, I pass the many facets of Stockholm; ski slopes, city parks, skyscrapers, and boat docks. And thanks to my daily routine I've discovered many hidden gems – that I probably would've missed had I taken the bus or subway.

Hammarby Sjöstad alone is full of great restaurants, cafés, and bars. On the Henriksdal side of the district, you'll find Pong, a nice and affordable pan-Asian restaurant. By the Sickla channel is Restaurang Göteborg (which even has a Gothenburg area code in its telephone number) beautifully located by the water. Its patio and small dock give it a feeling of sitting in a small harbor hamlet. A couple of minutes away by bike, also along the shore, is the steakhouse Texas Longhorn and Stockholm's best sushi restaurant Tezukuri.

If you take the district's main street instead, you'll come across Magnus Johansson Bageri & Konditori run by former Nobel banquet pastry chef Magnus Johansson. A great little bakery, that also happens to run an ice cream bar just a couple of doors down. By the Luma park, you'll find brewery-and-bar Nya Carnegiebryggeriet. I can't speak for the brews, since I'm not a beer drinker myself, but the restaurant is great with a lovely outdoor area. And speaking of bars, there's a great penthouse bar in the newly constructed skyscraper (named Sthlm 101) at the far end of Hammarby Sjöstad; Sjöstaden Skybar. Great drinks and a great view overlooking Södermalm and Stockholm's southern surroundings.

Now, I might choose a different route. For example, taking the commuter ferry from Saltsjökvarn or Kvarnholmen into Norrmalm. Luckily, having a bike is not a problem since the ferries allow bikes aboard, as opposed to the subway or the buses. For example, I might need the bike fixed, which means I'll take the ferry to Gamla Stan, drop by Stockholm's coziest bicycle repair shop Gamla Stans Cykel, and take a coffee while my ride gets a look-over. And to anyone who wants to take a trip along my route, there are several great rentals in Stockholm.