Although Stockholm includes a deserved reputation among Europe's pricier capitals, some of your most magical moments within this green, waterside city is going to be totally free. Boasting abundant forest paths, clifftop views and lakeside beaches, it is a dream place to go for nature lovers. A lot of its world-class museums and galleries have scrapped admission fees in recent years. Plus there's lots of diverse architecture to admire, from glass-fronted eco-friendly apartments to iconic medieval townhouses. Here's our pick of Stockholm's top free and economical experiences.
Get lost in the Old Town's backstreets
The cobbled streets of Stockholm's mesmerizing Old Town are begging to get lost in. So once you've ticked from the bustling tourist store thoroughfares, V”asterlanggatan and Stora Nygatan, stop to breathe in and out in the area's peaceful squares and cute narrow alleys. The sand-and-spice colored buildings look especially spectacular in the evening sun, or if they are illuminated by lanterns lined up within the snow. This is one of the best preserved medieval city centers in Europe, so if you're keen to get underneath the skin of its history, you may also enroll in a guided walk with Free Tour Stockholm.
Watch the sunset from a cliff top
It's 10pm, still sufficiently warm to put on shorts, and you're sipping a chilly beverage watching the sun go down over a shimmering lake. Stockholm's long summer nights sadly only last a few short weeks, so if you're around in June or July, make sure to look for a prime destination to take full advantage of them. Skinnarviksberget, a rocky mountain on S”odermalm's north side and the city's highest natural viewpoint is a prime waterview spot. Monteliusv”agen, a wooden walkway slightly further east, is a more accessible option, where you can capture the Old Town's spires and black rooftops. Away from center, try “Ornsberg's clifftops, which catch the sun's rays until late, and lead directly to a jump-off-jetty into Lake M”alaren. During cooler months join the city's hardy locals in swapping your beer for any coffee flask and your beach towel for multiple blankets.
Explore the free museums and galleries
Art, science and social challenges meet at Accelerator, the city's newest free exhibition space, inside a former experimental physics laboratory on Stockholm University's campus. It joins a roster of museums and art galleries that have scrapped entry fees recently. Moderna Museet is another must-see, where you can find works from world-renowned artists including Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí before relaxing in its shady inner courtyard cafe. Next door, ArcDes showcases Sweden's romance with architecture and design, with rotating exhibitions designed to be both admired and debated.
Circle Kungsholmen island
Kungsholmen has a reputation as one of Stockholm's blander inner city neighborhoods, but what it really lacks in culinary or cultural riches it more than comprises for using its picture-postcard coastline, referred to as Kungsholmenrunt to locals. This 6-mile-long (10km) island loop ranges from tranquil rocky trails flanked by sailing boats and kayakers, towards the tree-lined boulevard Norr M”alarstrand, bookended by City Hall's glistening golden spire and Ralambshovs Park, which throngs with picnickers when the sun's out. Sporty Swedes will speed past yourself on this circuit on weekend mornings. There are also several free wooden outdoor gyms on the way.
Hop on a commuter ferry
Experiencing Stockholm in the water doesn't need to involve spending money on a pricey boat trip to the archipelago; there is a bounty of beauty to be seen from the breezy top deck of the city's commuter ferries. Journeys cost the same as just one bus or metro trip, and you may make use of an SL travel card or pay with a charge card. From Klara Malarstrand, next to City Hall, route 89 to Eker”o island is basically a 50-minute tour of Swedish capital's prime real estate, from quirky waterfront apartment blocks to historic wooden villas nestled on hillsides. Route 80 swings by a number of recently revitalised industrial neighbourhoods in addition to some of Liding”o island's top swimming spots. Or, simply shuttle between Slussen and Djurgarden on route 82 that takes just a couple minutes, yet offers among the finest panoramas you will find of the historic Old Town.
Hike and dip in Hellasgarden
A glistening lake, color-coded jogging and trails between pine trees and wildflowers, plus cliff-top lookouts aplenty – it's all regulated available free of charge at Hellasgarden, a recreation area inside Nacka nature reserve. Only a 17-minute bus ride from Stockholm city center (route 401 from Slussen), this is an outer-city oasis loved by locals year-round. If you're able to spare 80-100 kronor, don't miss the standard Swedish wooden sauna here, where you're likely to be naked (it's often divided into gender-segregated zones).
Go browsing in SoFo
Abuzz with independent boutiques, contemporary design outlets and retro record shops, SoFo (the area south of Folkungagatan) is a superb spot to get inspired by Stockholmers' impeccable style, even though you not have the budget or luggage space to take much home. Having said that, you might snap up a bargain inside a secondhand store like Stockholms Stadsmission on Skanegatan, which raises money for vulnerable people in the city by selling off vintage and modern fashion donations delivered by the neighborhood's stylish locals. There's also regular pop-up local flea markets and farmers markets during fine weather, starting in the junction between Katarina Bangata and “Ostg”otagatan.
Bouldering and climbing
Stockholm's rugged coastline provides reams of ridges beloved by bouldering enthusiasts. Beginners should head to Ralamhovs Park in Kungsholmen where there are two rock walls with color-coded grips for feet and hands. If you are seeking a softer landing, there are many beachside climbing walls dotted around the city, which you'll swim as much as from the shore. The one at Tantolunden beach on S”odermalm is typically encircled by tanned and toned twenty-somethings. Try S”atra beach in the the west from the city for any calmer and more family-oriented atmosphere.
Watch the Changing from the Guard
Pomp and ceremony enthusiasts won't wish to miss watching the daily Changing of the Guard outside Stockholm's Royal Palace. It's currently suspended and due to resume in 2022, when you are able expect an impressive spectacle with the military uniforms and brass instruments which go with such a historic tradition; the Royal Guards have been protecting the Swedish Royal Family since 1523. Each ceremony takes around 40 minutes, starting at 12.15pm on weekdays and 1.15pm every sunday. Check the official calendar for more information.
Embrace the snow
While Stockholmers in many cases are quick to lament that the capital's winters are milder compared to what they used to be, there's still a strong possibility of snow between November and March, which transforms the Swedish capital into a winter playground. Local families race for the nearest hills to sledge down; some toddlers are even transported to college on sleds. Many of the city's lakes also freeze with enough contentration for ice skating and cross-country skiing. You can join in the enjoyment even if you do not have your personal gear, because of Fritidsbanken, a non-profit organisation that loans winter sports equipment for free for approximately Fourteen days. Don't head out around the ice if you don't have previous experience.
Hike up Hammarbybacken
A five-slope downhill ski center during wintertime, Hammarbybacken is really a Stockholm landmark that you can also hike free of charge once the snow melts. It was built on top of a rubbish dump within the 1980s inside a former industrial area which has been changed into a slick, eco-friendly suburb over the last three decades, called Hammarbysj”ostad. From the the surface of the hill, some 295ft (90m) above sea-level, you'll earn yourself panoramic views over the reed-trimmed waterfront neighborhood. Other sights include the Avicii Arena (previously known as the Globe Arena or Globen), the domes and spires of S”odermalm's most stunning churches, Sofia kyrka and Katarina kyrka, and also the pine tree-lined trails of Nacka nature reserve. There are many routes up Hammarbybacken, most abundant in popular (and flattest) starting in the carpark to the left from the ticketed winter entrance.
