Magnus describes himself as a "sun and light junkie", which makes Stockholm both a challenging but also remarkable place to choose to live in. He's always on the hunt for more Vitamin D – whether it means choosing the sunniest open-air restaurant or walking up a mountain. Nothing makes him feel better than opening a window in his Södermalm apartment, breathing in the fresh air, and watching the sunset.  
Magnus works in marketing and has been a Stockholmer for 15 years. When he's not working or walking, you'll most probably find him in a relaxed restaurant or bar on Södermalm, trying to win a music quiz.

English

Swedish

Portrait of Visit Stockholm's local expert Magnus Engvall.

Magnus Engvall

Food & Drink

travel

Cycling

Walking

Attractions in Stockholm. The Woodland Cemetery, spring. A grassy knoll with trees at the top, at the UNESCO world herritage site.

Skogskyrkogården, vår

Sunny walks with stunning views

Culture in Stockholm. The Stockholm Public library. Exterior shot of the classic Stockholm landmark.

Stadsbiblioteket

Stockholm, full of grace

Långa Raden

4 lovely dating spots in Stockholm

Restaurants in Stockholm. Pelikan on Södermalm, a classic eatery and bar where the turn-of-the-century-interior has been preserved.

Pelikan

My favorite spots for Swedish-cuisine classics

A person writing answers on a sheet of paper during a pub quiz,

Quiz

Quiz night in Stockholm

Museer i Stockholm. Nationalmuseum, interiör. På bilden synns konste hänga på museets gulmålade väggar.

Nationalmuseum

After five years of renovations and modernizations, Nationalmuseum - Sweden&#x27;s premier museum of art and design - opened up its doors again in 2018. The new space is tailored, quite literally, to highlight the museum&#x27;s enormous collection of classic art.

Sevärdheter i Stockholm. Skogskrematoriet. På bilden syns John Lundqvists staty Uppståndelsen.

Skogskyrkogården

<a href="https://skogskyrkogarden.stockholm.se/in-english/visiting/public-guided-tours/">Guided tours</a> on Sundays, June - September.

A place of sublime beauty and poetry. Created over a period of a quarter-century (1915-1940) on about 250 acres of pine-covered boulder ridge under the direction of the famous modernist architects Gunnar Asplund and Sigurd Lewerentz.Considered one of the most important works of the modernists, it evokes a Nordic philosophy on nature, life, and death. There are also a number of beautiful chapels and a visitor center (open May-September). The Woodland Cemetery is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994.

The Woodland Cemetery

: A black and white photo of the exterior of the restaurant Den Gyldene Freden. It´s a historic building in Gamla Stan with its characteristic look, a huge white flag with the restaurant´s name hangs down over a row of paned windows.

In a medieval basement in the Old Town, you’ll find this classic restaurant. Owned by the Swedish Academy, which selects the Nobel Prize for literature. Legend has it that many Nobel prizes have been decided at the Academy’s regular table here. The menu offers big names in classic Swedish cooking, nowadays with interesting contemporary touches.

Den Gyldene Freden

: A bright dining room with light blue walls and typical Scandinavian minimalist- design furniture. Little tea lights are placed on each table.

The idyllic island of Skeppsholmen is situated just a stone&#x27;s throw from the hustle and bustle of the city, but still in the heart of downtown. Classic Hotell Skeppsholmen and its restaurant Långa Raden are situated in a park-like area at the water&#x27;s edge, in a setting that has been preserved since the 17th century. The dining room serves traditional Swedish flavors with style, and in the summertime, you are welcome to take a seat on the patio. Or why not combine a walk around the island with a stop for coffee?

Långa Raden – Hotel Skeppsholmen

Matateljén

A small and intimate deli and restaurant in Gamla Enskede, an idyllic suburb just south of the Ericsson Globe and Tele2 Arena. Matateljén focuses on green, fresh and light dishes. Many of the courses are in fact wholly vegetarian.

Two young men are sitting at a table pouring coffee into cups. They are both wearing black, the room is a huge dining room with tiled floors and wood panelling. Light is shining in from the vaulted windows.

Pelikan provides a glimpse of Stockholm in the old days when there was a beer café on every corner. Classic Swedish home fare is served in a rustic beer hall with high ceilings, where the atmosphere is relaxed, the food is affordable and the crowd is a mix of people. Pelikan is a long-time favorite of many in the city’s culture crowd.

A traditional Swedish dish from the classic Stockholm restaurant Tennstopet. Meat, small potatoes and sprouts all look very appetizing.

Restaurants come and go, but Tennstopet has endured for decades. Have a taste of Swedish home fare in a neighborhood restaurant with Vasastan charm. Not only does Tennstopet change its menu according to the season, but they also have special dishes that return each year like black soup and crow (yes, crow).

Tennstopet

Drop Coffee

A popular place run by true coffee aficionados with very high focus on quality and craftsmanship. All coffee served is both organic and fair-trade and also roasted in their own award-winning roastery. Two-time winner of Barista Cup.

Johan & Nyström

Combined coffee bar, roastery and concept store for coffee aficionados. The fair-trade organic beans are roasted in their own roastery. Try the &quot;roast of the week&quot; or ask the friendly and knowledgeable baristas for personal advice on what to order.

Johan & Nyström Swedenborgsgatan

Bar Brooklyn

Trendy American bar and club with events and after-work offerings. You can order food until 11 pm and a variety of American craft beers and drinks. If you book a table and eat at Bar Brooklyn, you get admission to Debaser&#x27;s live stage. Pleasant, outdoor seating in the spring and summer.

Kvarnen

Legendary restaurant, bar, and waterhole with a century’s history, in the old blue-collar district of Södermalm. Enjoy well-made, classic Swedish fare in a beautiful setting, with high ceilings and plenty of patina. Kvarnen is also featured in Stieg Larsson&#x27;s Millennium-books as the meeting place for Lisbeth Salander and her bandmates in the rock band Evil Fingers.

Pharmarium

At Pharmarium, right on Stortorget in the Old Town, the choice of cocktails determines the choice of food. Signature cocktails are served along with well prepared medium-sized dishes composed of seasonal ingredients and traditional medicinal herbs. The bar is inspired by Sweden&#x27;s first pharmacy, which opened to the public in 1575 in the area. Just as its first druggist Anthonius Busenius the owners have created a place of medicine, beauty and magic.

Riche

Classic meeting place in the city center, with multiple bars and restaurants. Stockholm’s art, fashion and club crowds gather here to see and be seen.

Trädgården

Trädgården is an ultra-popular outdoor club located under the Skanstull Bridge in Södermalm. If you&#x27;re craving an authentic festival feel, this is where you should spend your late hours. Here, you can drink beer from plastic cups, dance, watch live performances and play table tennis or pétanque. Arrive early to avoid long lines. Trädgården is open during the summer season only, but its indoor venue Under Bron is an all-year-round affair.

Trädgården/Under Bron

Bars in Stockholm. Wirströms pub in Gamla Stan in Stockholm.

Wirströms pub

Live music Tuesday through Saturday in a classic pub setting. Wirströms pub has become a popular hangout for Stockholm’s large English-speaking population. They have a large selection of beers and arrange whiskey tastings.

If you enjoy the outdoors, the Hellasgården recreation area, 20 minutes from downtown Stockholm, should be on you Stockholm bucket list. Here, you can walk or bike along the paths, or swim by the sandy beach. For the sporty visitor, open-air activities abound, including petanque, beach volleyball, fishing, tennis, canoeing, and yoga. During the winter ice skating and cross-country skiing dominate, with a hole cut in the ice for the bravest swimmers. (There is also a sauna on-site.) Hungry visitors can head to Storstugan, where fika, light lunches, and vegetarian dishes are served.

Hellasgården

One of the exhibition- halls at the museum for modern photography, Fotografiska in Stockholm. Visitors are looking around in a white, stark gallery space.

Fotografiska is one of the world&#x27;s largest meeting places for contemporary photography. Four unique large exhibitions and about 20 smaller exhibitions are presented annually. Book and souvenir shop, restaurant and a photo gallery. In the top floor café, you will find one of Stockholm&#x27;s very best viewpoints.Eat Guides 360° Action named the restaurant of Fotografiska the best in Sweden in 2019, thanks to its sustainable gastronomy.

Fotografiska

Museums in Stockholm. Millesgården, summer. A staute stands in the lush greenery of the museum.

Millesgården sommar

The spectacular museum built on terraces is the former home of artists Carl and Olga Milles. In the park, some of Carl Milles most famous sculptures are on display. Original castings and tools are shown in the large studio. Art gallery, museum shop, and bistro.

Millesgården

Beautiful view from Monteliusvägen in Södermalm, Stockholm.

A 500-meter long (quarter-mile) walking path with a magnificent view of Lake Mälaren, Stockholm City Hall, and Riddarholmen, especially at sunrise and sunset. The path is lined with charming houses on one side and a beautiful view on the other. There is, of course, a safety rail on the path, but be careful in the wintertime when parts of the path might be a bit slippery.

Monteliusvägen

Stockholm's low skyline and a summer sunset seen by lots of people picnicing on the cliffs of Skinnarviksberget in the Södermalm district

Skinnarviksberget

The highest natural point in central Stockholm is a favorite place among the locals for picnics and parties under the open sky. The views are stunning – across Kungsholmen, Gamla Stan (Old Town), the Stockholm City Hall, and other points of interest. The park beneath the hill has a small playground and an open-air café where you can enjoy a light lunch or an ice cream in one of the hammocks.

Stockholm Concert Hall, interiör. The main auditorium and stage stands empty. Chairs are lined up on the stage, waiting for the orchestra ta take their seats.

The Concert Hall at Hötorget is home to the Swedish Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and world-famous for hosting the Nobel Prize ceremony. The house was built in 1926, and overflows with music all year round (you can also attend guided tours and exhibitions on the premises).The iconic blue building is one of Stockholm&#x27;s prime examples of neoclassicism; The architect Ivar Tengbom aimed erect a classical temple to the glory of music. Many leading artists, including Carl Milles and Isaac Grünewald, have contributed to the decoration, inspired by ancient mythology.

Stockholm Concert Hall

Stockholm City Hall, with its spire featuring the golden Three Crowns, is one of the most famous silhouettes in Stockholm. It is one of the country’s leading examples of national romanticism in architecture

Stockholm City Hall, with its spire featuring the golden Three Crowns, is one of the most famous silhouettes in Stockholm. It is one of the country’s leading examples of national romanticism in architecture. The City Hall was designed by architect Ragnar Östberg and is built from eight million bricks. The 106-meter tall tower has three crowns, which is the Swedish national coat of arms, at its apex. Behind the magnificent facades are offices and session halls for politicians and officials, as well as splendid assembly rooms and unique works of art. Stockholm’s municipal council meets in Rådssalen, the Council Chamber.The great Nobel banquet is also held at City Hall. After dinner in Blå Hallen, the Blue Hall, Nobel Prize laureates, royalties, and guests dance in Gyllene Salen, the Golden Hall, with its 18 million gold mosaic tiles.The City Hall shop features specially designed souvenirs and presents that commemorate City Hall and Stockholm. The City Hall is open to the public through guided tours only. Guided tours are held daily in Swedish and English at certain hours and can be canceled with short notice due to events. <a id="4101" linktype="page">The City Hall Tower </a>is open during the summer months (May to August). During this period, you can climb up inside the tower and enjoy a fantastic view of the city.

The City Hall

Interior of the City Library in Stockholm.

The Stockholm Public Library is currently closed due to renovations and maintenance. Planned reopening is in 2027. Read more about the project at <a href="https://vaxer.stockholm/stadsbiblioteket">Stockholm växer (page in Swedish)</a>.

The Stockholm Public Library in Stockholm was created by world-famous architect Gunnar Asplund and is a great example of the style called Swedish Grace. This library has been listed as one of the world&#x27;s most beautiful libraries by the magazine Conde Nast Traveler. The facade is truly gorgeous, but make sure to enter the building for an even more amazing sight.

The Stockholm Public Library

Carl Malmsten

Tradition and modern furniture are mixed here, with Swedish folk tradition as the starting point. Handicrafts, genuine materials, colors from nature, sustainability and functionality are the watchwords.In addition to furniture designer Carl Malmsten’s classics, some of which have been given new clothing, the company is also investing in a complementary more modern look. Visitors to The City Hall can also see Carl Malmsten&#x27;s Stadhusstolen which won first prize in a furniture competition for the City Hall in 1916.

Modernity

High-end store specializing in vintage design and 20th-century antiques – furniture, lighting, and objets d’art. Emphasis is on Scandinavian design, including luminaries lie Alvar Aalto and Arne Jacobsen.

NK - Nordiska Kompaniet

Steeped in tradition, NK is Stockholm&#x27;s most luxurious department store, established in 1915. Swedish and international fashion, cosmetics, jewelry, crystal, ceramics, design, fine foods and much more.

Svenskt Tenn

The classic interior design company Svenskt Tenn has its flagship store on the beautiful shoreline boulevard of Strandvägen. The company originated with a fortuitous meeting between two courageous people with fresh ideas: the stylist and businesswoman Estrid Ericsson and the designer Josef Frank. The timeless, amazingly-patterned, and brilliantly colored creations are cause for a pilgrimage for anyone with an interest in design and interior furnishings. The store has modern classics, a lovely gift department with glass, pottery, and objects by younger established designers.

Interior of Skandiabiografen with red cinema chairs seen from the side. In the background you can see a statue and detailed art on the walls.

Bio Skandia

The classic single-screen cinema Bio Skandia has presented movies in Stockholm since the early twentieth century. Since 2024, its managed by the Stockholm International Film Festival and screens niche films as well as mainstream movies.It is undoubtedly one of Stockholm’s most beautiful theaters, originally designed by world-renowned architect Gunnar Asplund and is adorned with works by many major artists of the twentieth century. The auditorium is designed to produce a sense of being outside.

Three beer battered fish tacos at the Mexican restaurant Chelas in Hornstull, Stockholm.

Chelas.jpg

Chelas is Mexican slang for beer, and that gives you a hint of what this trendy restaurant is all about: Mexican food and drinks. The beer-battered fish tacos are a favorite among Hornstull locals who have made Chelas their go-to restaurant. Dogs are also welcome!

Chelas

Architecture in Stockholm. A statue by Carl Milles outside of The Matchstick Palace ("Tändstickspalatset") in central Stockholm.

Tändstickspalatset exteriör

Ivar Kreuger&#x27;s opulent palace in central Stockholm is an excellent example of Swedish Grace in architecture, art, and interior design. The work of architect Ivar Tengbom, The Matchstick Palace also features contributions by several of Sweden&#x27;s most famous artists and designers like Carl Milles, Elsa Gullberg, and Carl Malmsten. Today the listed building is a members club, co-working space, and conference center.

The Matchstick Palace (Tändstickspalatset)

Bars in Stockholm. The counter at Glada Stinsen, located at Södra Station comuter train station.

Glada Stinsen

Glada Stinsen is a neighborhood pub, with a friendly atmosphere, located at the Södra Station commuter train station. The kitchen serves classic Swedish pub dishes and a selection of Balkan specialties, and Glada Stinsen also has a popular pub quiz every Sunday.

Restaurants in Stockholm. Söders hjärta, a cozy neighborhood eatery on Södermalm.

Söders hjärta

Söders hjärta is a small and cozy restaurant and bar just off Hornsgatan. Serving both lunch and dinner, the food is a mix of classic dishes and Swedish favorites. Hjärtat, as the locals lovingly refer to it, also hosts regular music quizzes every Tuesday.

Bars in Stockholm. The counter at Bar Kaja on Södermalm.

Bar Kaja

Bar Kaja is a small cozy bar on Södermalm, serving empanadas and tasty craft beer on tap. The bar also hosts a popular pub quiz in English, every Thursday.

Visitstockholm is the official guide to Stockholm for visitors and talents. The website is editorial, and the content is based on an independent, qualitative selection of what Stockholm has to offer.

Visit Stockholm

The official guide for visitors and talents about things to see and do, activities, restaurants, cafés and events in Stockholm.

Magnus Engvall

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