The Swedish capital had been on my wishlist for a long time. I had never been to Scandinavia, but it was certainly lingering in my mind. My image of Sweden was definitely stereotypical: the land of IKEA, lots of nature (read: trees), minimalist furniture and.. meatballs? I have to admit that I didn’t know a whole lot about the country, yet a closer look in my closet showed surprisingly many Swedish brands. Filippa K, CDLP, Axel Arigato, the obvious COS and ARKET. Heck, I was pretty much wearing Sweden! All it took was a bit of research on YouTube, Instagram and Tik Tok to realise that a trip to Stockholm was a good idea.
First of all, the coffee game in Stockholm (or Sweden in general) is fantastic! Anyone who knows me well knows that I dislike weak coffees. Some Dutch cafes tend to serve rather weak coffee (I blame it on their automatic machines), so I was delighted to almost exclusively get proper strong coffee in Stockholm. No matter the place, from supermarket cafes to proper bakeries, the espressos and cappuccinos were fantastic. Yes, they are a tad more expensive than in the Netherlands, but they are worth it. But what else would you expect from a culture that has a word for their coffee breaks, or fika as they say here. It might seem a bit trivial at first, but taking a little break in the sunshine with a proper coffee and a cinnamon bun does feel good, especially on days that clock north of 20.000 steps! A popular chain found around Stockholm is called Fabrique, and they do serve great coffee and pastries to enjoy. I am quite sure they even got a royal plaque, demonstrating that it is the real deal. You can never go wrong with a kanelbullar (cinnamon bun) in Sweden, so grab one, sit down and enjoy.
After plenty of coffee breaks, downtown strolls and (window) shopping, it is time to head to hip and happening Södermalm for the sunset. This trendy neighborhood in the south of Stockholm is home to a large amount of vintage stores and other cute shops. Aside from that, you can find the prettiest view (in my opinion) of Stockholm. Head to Monteliusvagen, a more quiet, semi-residential part of the neighborhood. Here you find a wooden walkway with an amazing view on the city, especially during sunset. The view is entirely free and the streets around the viewing spot are just as pretty, as demonstrated by the picture leading this article! It has gotten more popular over the years, so be aware that you are probably not the only one at this spot. Nevertheless, it is an iconic spot and a great place for some snaps!
