While waiting for the Christmas decorations to light up the city, we’ve been writing down the absolute musts during your visit to the capital of Sweden. Looking for the most decorated places, a traditional Christmas dinner or cosy Christmas markets? We’ve got you covered. Here are a few of our tips when you explore Stockholm this Christmas!
Stockholm’s most “Christmassy” places
Nordiska Kompaniet
One thing that not only tourists but also locals have as a must-see during Christmas is visiting Nordiska Kompaniet. Nordiska Kompaniet is a department store in central Stockholm that has new Christmas window displays every year. As you walk by, you can follow a story and see how it develops window by window. We’re just as excited each year to see what Nordiska Kompaniet has in store for us.
Real-life calendar in Stockholm’s Old Town
See how a building in the charming Old Town of Stockholm has turned into a real-life Christmas calendar. Every day from the 1st of December to the 24th, a window will open, and you can enjoy different live performances from different buildings in Gamla Stan. It’s the perfect place to walk past to get your daily dose of culture and Christmas feeling. Check out the map on their website to see where the next window will open.
Read more at masterolofsgarden.se
The best Christmas markets in Stockholm
Skansen Christmas market
The Skansen Christmas market is a Stockholm tradition that goes way back. Skansen is Stockholm’s open-air museum located on the island of Djurgården. This means that you can take a short ferry trip from Slussen and enjoy the beautiful view of the city. Skansen offers historical Swedish handicrafts, delicious food and treats in a cosy environment. Make sure to dance around the Christmas tree and visit the Christmas workshop to complete your Skansen experience.
Stortorget Christmas market
In the Old Town of Stockholm, you’ll find the oldest Christmas market in Stockholm and in fact, all of Sweden! Visit the 41 red sheds, where you can buy crafts, ceramics and caramels while you breathe in the smell of mulled wine. A perfect Christmas market to visit if you want a real Swedish Christmas experience.
Read more at stortorgetsjulmarknad.com/
The best Christmas dinners in Stockholm
Norra Latin, the fomer Gamla Riksarkivet
Gamla Riksarkivet, which translates into the Old National Archives, is located on the island of Riddarholmen. For the season of 2021, Gamla Riksarkivet has moved their Christmas Dinner to the spectacular Norra Latin. Enjoy the impressive building as you try some homemade delicacies, classical Swedish dishes, and some sweet sweet desserts. They have great vegetarian and vegan-friendly options too.
Read more at gamlariksarkivet.se
Villa Källhagen
Besides trying some real traditional Christmas food Swedish-style, you’ll also enjoy the beautiful (and hopefully snow-covered) nature of Djurgården. Try some herring, meatballs and, of course, the yummy desserts as you wash the feast down with some traditional “snaps”. Can’t get much more Swedish than that.
What you can’t miss
Lastly and maybe most importantly, make sure to have some freshly baked saffron buns, also called “lussekatter” and gingerbread while you’re in town. Two of our favourite places are Bröd & Salt in the Old Town and Vetekatten in the City Centre. A tip for the brave ones is to buy some gingerbread and have it with blue cheese; it’s a great (maybe a bit odd) combo, we promise!
We hope these recommendations help you get ready to explore Stockholm this Christmas! Enjoy!
