National Day of Sweden – What to do in Stockholm?

National Day of Sweden is on June 6th, but how do the Swedes celebrate their National Day? What is there to do in Stockholm? The story of the National Day of Sweden, June 6th, dates all the way back to 1523, but wasn’t the official National Day until 1983 and was made a public holiday in 2005. Here’s the story!

June 6th

June 6th is a date that is significant to Sweden. On June 6th 1523, Gustav Vasa was crowned king and thus laid the foundation of Sweden as an independent state. The date also has a connection to the year 1809 when on June 6th a new, important constitution was adopted. It’s believed that the day was celebrated as early as in the 1800s and was named “the Swedish Flag’s Day” in 1916, up until 1983 when it became the official National Day of Sweden. In 2005 June 6th was made a public holiday after a parliament vote in 2004.

What to do in Stockholm?

There are several ways to enjoy the day off and celebrate the National Day, here are our top picks:

The Royal Palace 10-17.00 – The west gates will opened by the Royal Family for the public to enter, free of charge.

Skansen 11-19.30 – On the National Day of Sweden, there are lots of activities for children all over Skansen. The Royal Family will also get escorted from the Royal Palace to Solliden, Skansen to deliver a speech at 17.55. Ticket prices HERE:

Gärdet 11.30-16.30 – Nationaldagsgaloppen will organize a folk-fest at Gärdet with activities for children as well as the annual National Day horse racing. Free of Charge.

Mosquito Beach Party 13-19.00 – A picnic-party will fill the grass of Rålambshovsparken with music and a good mood. Free of charge.

Ballet in Hagaparken 11-16.00 – A Ballet show, picnic, music and more. Here you can relax in the park and enjoy your day. Free of charge.

The Top Photo Spots in Stockholm, Sweden – Your Guide

The Top Photo Spots in Stockholm, Sweden. Simple as that. Whether you like shooting people, architecture, views, nature, graffiti, bridges or even underground art – Stockholm has got it all! This is your guide to the top photo locations in, and surrounding, Stockholm. It’s time to get those Instagram bangers!

Shooting photos in Stockholm is fun and rewarding. You can get all kinds of pictures. The limit is your imagination. For the best results with good, even light though, we recommend shooting at dusk or dawn. All the mentioned locations below are links to Google Maps, so you can easily find your way there!

Views

There are many spots where you can get a nice view of the city, but these are our favorites:

• Skinnarviksberget – A fantastic view over the city looking North
• Västerbron (West Bridge) – A great view of the capital from the west side
• Fjällgatan – This spot is where the middle image was shot at
• Hammarbybacken – See the beautiful Hammarby Sjöstad, Ericsson Globe, and Södermalm – all from the same place
• Kaknästornet – Entry fee required, but it’s worth the view on a clear day!

Architecture

These are our favorite spots to shoot architecture in Stockholm, but keep in mind that there are lots of other choices as well:

• Gamla Stan – This particular spot is where the left image of this post was captured
• City Hall – There are many possible angles of this beautiful building, my tip is to shoot it from across the water though!
• The Royal Palace – This can be shot form a lot of angles but if you’re trying to capture the whole thing, work from across the water
• Fjällgatan – Old, traditional houses in central Stockholm
• Hammarby Sjöstad – Modern, contemporary neighborhood right by the water

Nature

Stockholm has got many parks where you can shoot, but some are better than others, according to us:

• Djurgården – the most photo-friendly island of Stockholm when it comes to nature and, to some extent, wildlife
• Hagaparken – Just outside the city center. Here you can find beautiful walking trails along the water and a decent chance of wildlife
• Tantolunden – A lovely park on Södermalm where you can find one of the largest owls in Europe if you’re lucky!
• Drottningholm Palace – where the Royal family resides. They have a breathtaking garden and lovely nature surrounding the area
• Ulriksdals Palace – A beautiful palace outside the city center with a garden, untouched forests, wildlife and walking trails along the shoreline

Art

There’s lots of art to be seen throughout Stockholm; we focus on the art visible to the public in this case. Check out these spots:

• Os Gemeos Graffiti – This is where the photo on the right was shot.
• Subway Stations – There are several subway stations, tunnelbana (T), that offer unique art. Our top choices are Solna, Solna Strand, Rådhuset, T-Centralen, Tekniska högskolan, and Stadion.
• Legal Graffiti Walls – There are several walls built for graffiti artists all over Stockholm. The most accessible ones are on Södermalm: Tantolunden, Björns trädgård, and Skanstull

Austin Food Works – Southern-Style American Food in Stockholm

Austin Food Works – Southern-Style American Food in Stockholm. Are you in Stockholm and crave some food straight from the deep south of the States? You’re in the right place! At Austin Food Works you can get southern-fried chicken, proper tacos, and glorious dips. Read through this guide and start drooling!

The Concept

It’s fairly simple. Southern-style American food, in a relaxed environment in Stockholm. This quote was taken straight from their website and sums it up quite nicely:

“We’ve incorporated the best dishes of the multi culti food scene from the deep south of the United States. All in a relaxed country style atmosphere.
A true food experience, Open for dinner, Friday BBQ party lunch and saturday brunch”

The Food

The food has got all kinds of delicious flavors and textures at the same time, stringy cheese, salty bacon, tender meat. There are lots of dishes to choose from along with sides to complete the meal. The price is fairly standard, around 250kr per dish at dinner time, but if you want to experience the taste cheaper you can always go there during lunchtime. All and all, I’d recommend this to anyone, it’s a great food experience!

The Menu

The menu is contemporary and updated regularly. This means that you might not be able to order the dish you had last time, but you shouldn’t be sad. The dishes are very well put together and I’d happily try anything on the menu without concern. They have a range of starters, main dishes, sides and desserts that should tingle your taste buds.

The Place

Absolutely love the relaxed, rustic vibe that they’ve created here. You can tell that everything has been properly thought through and the interior and music match the style of the food, which creates for an even better, fuller, experience.

The Location

Austin Food Works started off with one restaurant at Norrtullsgatan 24, and opened up their second restaurant at Hantverkargatan 63 recently. Both locations are great!

For more information, visit their website here

Stockholm in May 2018 – Activities & what to do

Spring is in full bloom in Stockholm, and we thank April for the sunny days. But now, May is around the corner and along with it comes a plethora of activities and events for everyone living in, or visiting, Stockholm. Here are our top picks to do in Stockholm in May 2018:

Tours with us – New Segway tours!

Starting in Stockholm in May 2018, we will have tours departing on a daily basis, for more info: see our tours here. But the fun doesn’t end there. For the first time, we’re excited to say that we’re offering Segway tours in Stockholm! Zoom through the city on a Segway and experience the city in a new, fun way! Check out our Segway tours here!

Department 2018 – Episode 2 Block Party 26/5

Do you love electronic music? – Then this is the festival for you! Episode 1 was done properly at Berns in April, and now it’s time for the second one in Stockholm in May 2018! It takes place on the 26th of May at Slakthusområdet. More information regarding the event and tickets can be found here on their website.

Out of Office After Work

Once a month Out of Office After Work spice up the vibe in Stockholm. Bring your colleagues and friends out to the perfect After Work party and boost that Friday feeling! This month it’ll be held at Mister French on the 25th of May at 17.00 – 21.00. You can find more information about this event can here.

Outdoor Live

Do you appreciate nature? Have an active lifestyle or perhaps want to but don’t have the time? A new event called Outdoor Live is popping up at Kungsträdgården in Stockholm in May 2018, the 19th & 20th. If you are focused on outdoor activities, such as fishing, climbing, hiking and more, this is the perfect time and place to gather information and get your questions answered. Maybe you want to go white water rafting this summer but don’t know where to start, or perhaps you need the gear for your first hiking trip but need to talk to someone with more expertise within the subject – then this is the event for you! You can find more information here.

Scandinavian fashion is getting quite famous all across the world. We have brands like Filippa K, Acne but also worldwide famous H&M. If you’re urging to getting to know the city by shopping in it, here’s where to go shopping in Stockholm.

As a capital, naturally, Stockholm has lots of shopping opportunities. Whether you prefer vintage over luxury brands, Stockholm has it. Like other cities, much of the same thing is found at the same place.

Vintage on Södermalm
In the bohemian streets of Södermalm (locally known as Söder), you have one second-hand store after another in every corner. Myrorna (Götgatan 29 & Hornsgatan 96) and Stadsmissionen (Hornsgatan 58, Skånegatan 75, Fatburs Brunnsgata 26) are two “chains” of stores with cheap vintage clothing and accessories. On Hornsgatan 77 (close to Mariatorget), you have a Filippa K Second-hand store and Judits on Hornsgatan 75 also offers more selected clothing.

Luxury brands on Östermalm
The area that makes Biblioteksstan is the mecca for shopping luxury brands. Biblioteksstan is the nick-name for the blocks between the squares Stureplan and Norrmalmstorg, around the main street Biblioteksgatan. Here you’ll find brands such as Chanel, By Malene Birger, Gant, Hugo Boss, Louis Vuitton and much more. All stores can be found on Biblioteksstans website.

Budget brands on Norrmalm
In the city center of Stockholm, also known as Norrmalm, the budget brands jostle with each other. The main street for budget brands is the pedestrian street Drottninggatan. Here you’ll find not one but three H&M’s, Weekday, Lindex and other Scandinavian chains.

If you want someone to take you shopping and tell you about Swedish and Scandinavian fashion, check out our tour Passion for Fashion.

The long Winter is finally coming to an end, and we are so grateful for April finally being here. If you’re coming to Stockholm in April, here’s a few things you should tick off your bucket-list.

Stockholm Culture Night
For one night and one night only, Stockholm turns purple and stuffed to the max with cultural events. Museums, art institutions, performances, and concerts are all offered for free and restaurants offer a discount. This year, Stockholm Culture Night takes place on the 21st of April. We at OURWAY offer two of our Stockholm tours for free; Gamla stan in English and Östermalm in Swedish. First-come-first tickets are found at Stockholm Visitor Centre, Kulturhuset throughout the 21st.

Department 2018
For everyone who loves electronic music, Department 2018 will be a festival of their kind. It takes place two times this Spring: club-night at the 6th of April at Berns, and with a block party the 26th of May at Slakthusområdet. Tickets and information about who’s playing can be found on their website.

Stockholm Liquorice Festival
Do you have a sweet tooth for licorice? From 14th to 15th of April, a 2000 square meter big licorice festival takes place in Annexet, Stockholm. Indulge in tastings, inspiration and licorice filled entertainment! Tickets can be bought here.

Celebrate Valpurgis Night
Valpurgis, or as we say in Swedish – Valborg – is the official celebration of Spring. We say goodbye to Winter and welcome the Spring with everything it has to offer. This is celebrated through lightning bonfires across the city. Our favorite? The one out on Riddarholmen, that’s usually lit around 20.30.

Go on a tour with us
Springtime is the perfect opportunity to go on a walking tour with us. It’s not too cold and it’s not too warm, and the city isn’t flooded with visitors. Djurgården is just about to be blooming, so why not try our Delightful Djurgården? All of our public, walking tours in Stockholm can be found here.