Stockholm, Venice of the North on 14 Islands

Stockholm, capital of Sweden, has 975,000 inhabitants (metro: 2.4 million) and spreads across 14 islands connected by 57 bridges. Nicknamed the Venice of the North, Stockholm blends medieval architecture of Gamla Stan (Old Town), baroque royal palaces and modern Scandinavian design. The city hosts the annual Nobel Prize ceremony at City Hall and houses the famous Vasa Museum, a 17th-century warship miraculously preserved. Stockholm is surrounded by an archipelago of 30,000 islands.

Gamla Stan, medieval Old Town on Stadsholmen island, preserves cobblestone streets, colorful ochre and red facades, and Storkyrkan (15th-century cathedral). The Royal Palace (1760), one of Europe's largest with 600 rooms, is the king's official residence. The City Hall (1923), a 106-metre red-brick tower, hosts the Nobel banquet every 10th of December. The Vasa Museum presents the Vasa warship sunk in 1628 and raised in 1961 (95% original). Djurgården, the green island, houses Skansen (open-air museum), the ABBA Museum and Gröna Lund amusement park. Stockholm's metro is considered the world's longest art gallery, with murals and sculptures across 100 stations.

Gamla Stan and royal heritage

Gamla Stan, medieval heart founded in the 13th century, is one of the best-preserved medieval city centres in Europe. Stortorget, the colourful central square, was the site of the Stockholm Bloodbath (1520). The Royal Palace, residence of King Carl XVI Gustaf, opens its state apartments, royal treasury, armoury and Three Crowns Museum to visitors. Riddarholmen (Knights' Island) houses the church where Swedish kings have been buried since the 17th century. Sergels Torg, the iconic modern central square with its glass obelisk. Stureplan, the heart of trendy, upscale Stockholm. The Stockholm archipelago spans 30,000 islands accessible by ferry from the city centre. Drottningholm, 17th-century royal palace on an island (UNESCO World Heritage Site), is the private residence of the royal family.

• Gamla Stan medieval 13th century
• Royal Palace 600 rooms
• City Hall Nobel banquet 106m
• Vasa Museum warship 1628
• Storkyrkan cathedral 15th c.
• Djurgården green island
• ABBA Museum & Skansen
• Metro world's longest art gallery
• Stureplan vibrant square
• Sergels Torg glass obelisk
• Archipelago 30K islands
• Drottningholm UNESCO

Stockholm webcams live streaming

Check Stockholm's webcams in real time to admire the colourful facades of Gamla Stan, observe the activity at Stureplan and Sergels Torg, contemplate the 14 connected islands and follow Scandinavian weather before your visit.

Stockholm's webcams showcase the colourful facades of Gamla Stan (ochre, red, yellow), urban life at Stureplan and Sergels Torg, the 14 connected islands, and live Scandinavian weather conditions. The cameras also capture breathtaking sunsets over the archipelago and the nighttime illumination of the medieval Old Town.

Access & practical info: Stockholm is 1h from Oslo by plane, 3h from Copenhagen by train (Öresund Bridge), 5h from Helsinki by ferry. Stockholm Arlanda Airport is 40 km from the city centre, connected by the Arlanda Express train (20 min). Excellent metro network (Tunnelbana, 100 stations), buses, trams and ferries to the archipelago. Nearby: Uppsala (cathedral, university), Drottningholm Palace (UNESCO), Sigtuna (Sweden's oldest town), Stockholm archipelago (30,000 islands, cruises), Gotland (medieval Visby UNESCO World Heritage), Lake Mälaren. Stockholm capital since 1523. Temperatures: winter −3°C, summer +22°C. White nights in June (18h daylight), short days in December (6h daylight). Swedish specialities: köttbullar (meatballs), gravlax, smörgåsbord, kanelbullar (cinnamon buns), surströmming, prinsesstårtа.