The Stockholm archipelago (skärgården) is one of the world’s most spectacular. Stretching 80 kilometres east of the city, the archipelago comprises 24 000 islands, islets and rocks. Explore islands with restaurants, youth hostels and country stores, or entirely deserted islands - no matter what, the experience will be entirely unique. If you visit Stockholm in the summertime, make sure you take a boat trip to see the archipelago. You can find several boat excursions to the archipelago. Most of them are operated by and depart from Strömkajen, opposite the Royal Palace. During the summer you can also use with faster and more modern ships, departing from Nybrokajen (by Strandvägen). Many will pass the picturesque town of Vaxholm, on the mainland to the northeast of the city, well worth a stopover if you have the time. The islands offer a wide variety of nature, from the lush green of the inner archipelago to the bare cliffs of the more distant outposts. If you want to go on a day trip, Grinda is a good alternative; the ride lasts from 75 minutes to nearly 3 hours depending on your choice of boat. During part of the summer, Strömma Kanalbolaget offers a day cruise (11 hours, SEK 775 including lunch, dinner and guided tours) as well as a shorter, 2.5 hour boat excursion (SEK 190), both departing from Nybrokajen. The latter does not go far out, and you will miss the 'real' archipelago. Möja, Sandhamn and Utö are popular destinations further out. If you plan to go island-hopping there is a 16-day card entitling you to free travel (SEK 490).

, built between 1697 and 1754 and located on the east side of the Old Town, is open to the public. The Royal Apartments, the Tre Kronor Museum, the Treasury, and Gustav III's Museum of Antiquities cost 70 SEK each, with the sumptuous Apartments being the main draw; if royal regalia is your thing, you'll probably want to pay 110 SEK for a combination ticket and visit the Treasury as well. Open 10-4 daily in the summer, 12-4 and closed Mondays in the winter.

The at Sveavägen 73 (T Rådmansgatan) was built in 1928 and designed by the most famous Swedish architect Erik Gunnar Asplund. The interior of the cupola-shaped building is spectacular, with three floors of bookshelves covering 360 degrees of circular wall, capped by a high dome. Books (both fiction and non-fiction) are available in many different languages, including English and German. On the cliff overlooking it is the old Observatory, which has a fine view of the city to the east. There is a small cafe.

The Stockholm School of Economics A time honored institution that has seen some of the most famous people in sweden come and go in its halls. The stockholm school of economics is an imposing building located on sveavägen close to the Royal Library. Hang around for a while and see the future rulers of the country frolick in their sunday bests. The cafe located downstairs has got some excellent coffee as well.

The , where the Nobel Prize Banquet takes place every year, is an imposing brick building in the city centre. Guided tours are held daily, and allow you to see the impressive halls used for the Nobel festivities, the Blue Hall and the Golden Hall. (Hantverkargatan 1, Tunnelbana T-Centralen or Rådhuset, buses 3 and 62).

Although the Royal Palace is situated in the center of the city, the royal family actually lives at on the Lovö island in Lake Mälaren, about forty minutes from the city centre by public transport. The 18th century palace is beautiful, and much of it is open to the public. The surroundings are well worth a walk as well. Take the subway (T-bana) to Brommaplan, change to bus 301 or 323, or 177 or 178 to Drottningholm. In the summertime, there is also regular boat service from Stadshuskajen (the City Hall Quay) to Drottningholm operated by (SEK 110 for a return ticket).

There is a hill near Zinkensdamm subway station providing a beautiful panorama of Gamla Stan and the city centre. When exiting the station turn back and head to the north. Walk up a small street to the right and climb the hill.

Museums

Nordic Museum.

features Vasa, an original warship from 1628 which sank just after being launched. Retrieved from the water in 1961, the ship is almost wholly preserved and unique in the world. A must-see, especially since it is uncertain whether current methods of preservation will be able to maintain her condition in years to come.

The House of Culture - with exhibitions, several theatre stages, restaurants, an art bookshop and much more. On ground level there is an Internet café (called Access IT).

(The Museum of Modern Art) is headed by Lars Nittve, formerly of London's Tate Modern. Although its Stockholm counterpart might not have as vast a collection, there is still enough to satisfy both the modern art buff as well as the curious amateur. Entrance is free. Also, the building, by Spanish architect Rafael Moneo, is a sight in itself.

For those more interested in classical art, (The National Museum) offers pieces by Rembrandt, Rubens, Goya, Renoir, Degas and Gauguin, as well as well-known Swedish artists such as Carl Larsson, Ernst Josephson, C F Hill and Anders Zorn. The museum also has a collection of applied art, design, and industrial design. The museum is situated in a beautiful 19th century building and has a nice café in its atrium.
A very nice museum is the , Museum of Science and Technology, also recommended for smaller children. (Bus 69.)
has lots of material on the Nobel Prize, including videotaped speeches by laureates. Located in Börshuset (old Stock Exchange house), Stortorget, Gamla Stan. Open till 17:00, Tuesdays till 20:00. NB: some of their material claims that they are open until 18:00, but that is incorrect.
The first open-air museum in the world, as well as a zoological garden specializing in Nordic fauna, such as moose, reindeer, bear, wolf, lynx and wolverine. Located on the island of Djurgården it features over 150 historic buildings from previous centuries. Hosts and hostesses in historic costumes are a further attraction, and domestic occupations such as weaving, spinning, and glass blowing are demonstrated. Usually open 10 AM to 4 PM, with longer hours until 10 PM in the summer; pricing is equally variable but figure on SEK 70 in summer and SEK 50 in the winter. Get there on bus 44/47, or a ferry from Slussen.
If you're interested in older Scandinavian history, from the Stone Age to the Vikings, you might want to visit (The Museum of History) at Narvavägen 13-17 (buses 44 and 56 to Historiska museet, buses 47, 69, 76 to Djurgårdsbron/Historiska museet). In the Gold Room, you'll find gold treasures from the Bronze Age to the 16th century.
For the real Viking buff, there's also , the site of a former Viking city of about 1,000 inhabitants situated on Björkö, an island in Lake Mälaren. Today, however, traces of the settlement are hard to spot and the small museum (+46-8-56051445, closed during winter) is really only worth the ride if you are genuinely interested in the subject. Boats to Björkö are operated by .
Maybe not for everyone, but still entertaining: or Transport Museum, which is a museum of Stockholm's public transportation. Walking through historical buses and subway cars is quite fun but not enough is in English for many travelers.

(Naturhistoriska riksmuseet) - One of the two major museums of natural history (the other one is located in Gothenburg). The museum's collection is well-known around the globe and consists of animals, plants, swamps, minerals and fossils. The exhibits have been collected from the poles to the equator, and some were aquired during the voyages of James Cook. The museum is adjacent to Cosmonova, the world's largest IMAX/Omnimax-theatre.

Do

Walk around, have a drink at Gondolen with an excellent view of the old town. Stockholm is a very easy city to enjoy by foot with no steep streets. Particularly in the summer months (which can be a very short time), the city shows itself at its best.

Go swimming. You are never far from water in Stockholm. The area of Långholmen has many nice spots for swimming.

Stay informed. You can find internet cafés and terminals at many locations with prices between 15 and 20 SEK for an hour.

Watch a movie. There are many Cinemas in Stockholm. Most movies aren't dubbed but subtitled, so if your English is good enough this is a good way to pass some time. Go nightclubbing and enjoy the fun of Swedish pop music.

Buy