24hrs in Stockholm, the Alternative Guide, Stockholm, Sweden

Sweden’s Stockholm is reputed to be one of Europe’s best, so a visit is a must! Although as introverts, the pair of us are not great city-break lovers. We have though, come to appreciate that travel has many personalities and to avoid the city hubs altogether means we miss out on part of a country’s fabric. So we tend to do a 24 hour bounce in, to capture a little of the city vibe and retreat back to the country to recharge. Just enough time to discover its character without too much exposure to the sounds, the sights and the overwhelming crowds.

The consequences of this approach means that we have a small window of opportunity where time is of the essence. This requires us to be smart! Smart in the research we do, in the places we choose and in the culture we uncover. So armed with our own guide to Stockholm’s best, undiscovered treasures, we set out to explore the alternative side to this city. With grateful thanks for the inspiration from our friends over at Atlas Obscura.

Founded as a city in 1252, Stockholm has plenty of history for us. Starting off with the Vikings’ influence in the building of the original Old Town. With its archipelago position, trade routes soon put Stockholm on the map and by 17th century it was a European powerhouse. Despite this Stockholm reeled from two disasters; the plague of 1710 that killed 36% of its population and a fire that destroyed the Tre Kronor Castle together with many historical documents. So the city had to seriously rebuild, as is so often the case with cities around the world. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).