Things to do in Stockholm County

Stockholm County is mostly water. Roughly 30,000 islands, skerries and rocks spread east from the city into the Baltic. Stockholm itself sits at the inner edge, and the rest of the county lies beyond the last bridge.

The archipelago

Ferries reach the closer islands in under an hour and the outer ones in half a day. Most are summer-house territory. A short cruise shows how fast the city thins into pine, granite and red-painted cabins.

Beyond the water

• Sigtuna. Sweden's oldest still-standing town, founded around the 970s, with rune stones lining its main street.
• Drottningholm. The royal family's residence since 1981, on the island of Lovön, with a palace theatre still used for performances and a UNESCO listing since 1991.
• Uppsala. A separate county in its own right but a common day trip, home to Scandinavia's oldest university, founded in 1477.

Practical

• Weather. Summer highs on the water reach about 21C, winter lows around -4C, with the sea moderating the coldest spells more than inland Sweden. Out on the islands, midsummer light lasts until almost midnight.
• Getting around. Ferries from central Stockholm are the normal way into the archipelago; a car helps for Sigtuna and Drottningholm, both reachable within an hour.
• Season. Most archipelago boat traffic runs May to September; some outer islands cut back sailings sharply in winter.
• Booking ahead. Midsummer weekend fills every boat and cabin in the archipelago; book that weekend well in advance or avoid it.
• Money. Cards are accepted on the ferries and on the islands themselves, cash rarely needed anywhere in the county.