Stockholm

Slung across a mini-archipelago of 14 islands, Stockholm is a clean, modern and super-cool capital city showcasing urban Europe at its most innovative.

Like its Scandinavian sister city, Helsinki, the Swedish capital is a hub of cutting-edge design, of art and modern architecture, designer bars and great shopping and boutique hotels – all those enviable qualities that epitomise Scando-cool. It’s a rising star on the global gourmet scene, with an increasing number of Michelin-recognised restaurants and a new culinary style defined by impeccably fresh and locally sourced ingredients. Stockholm has an outdoorsy feel too, with crisp fresh air, abundant green spaces, and a nautical lifestyle with sailing and kayaking every day activities.

It’s the simple pleasures that make Stockholm so enjoyable. Spend your days gently cycling cobbled old town of Gambla Stan with its Gothic cathedral and fondly preserved architecture. Take in the National Museum of Fine Arts, before dining at a chic waterfront restaurant or strolling along the picturesque bridges that link the archipelago. Tour the city’s waterways on a traditional Waxholmsbolaget steamboat, before heading to scenic Bullerö with its iconic red paneled houses, to enjoy warm cinnamon buns while the ferries draw in as the sun sets.

Stockholm is also indebted to its extraordinary natural setting, which allows visitors to hop between untouched islands on a private yachting trip or explore the enchanting fairytale forests of Utö.