Welcome to Stockholm, Sweden!
Isn’t it great that we can travel the world without actually going anywhere? What a time to be alive! All you need is a bit of imagination.
If you have been keeping up with the news, you’ll know that the entire world is pretty much shut down due to a pandemic, which means traveling isn’t possible right now and won’t be for some time, but not to worry! I am going to show you how to “vacation” at home.
With my new “Virtual Travel” series, I am going to take you guys to some of my favorite places around the world, and we are starting with Stockholm, Sweden!
I am half Swedish and have been to Stockholm countless times. It’s a city that amazes me, and I am not just talking about the endless amounts of meatballs.
Anywho, all meatballs aside (for now). I chose Stockholm first because it’s one of my favorite cities in Europe. It’s a city comprised of 14 islands connected by 57 bridges and home to fascinating museums, drool-worthy food (chocolate and meatballs, duh!), and a laid back culture that strives for a “work hard but not too hard” lifestyle.
This guide will take you around Stockholm, showing you many of the city’s prominent landmarks, guiding you through a few of the best museums, tasting some traditional Swedish dishes, and much more!
So get your “bags” packed, and let’s start our day wandering the beautiful city of Stockholm!
What to get before “traveling” to Stockholm
To start, we will be making a traditional Swedish breakfast, which includes bread, butter, cheese, and any extra toppings you want, like cucumbers, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, Swedish caviar, cold cuts, and sausages. You can also get muesli with plain yogurt if you would like.
Later in the day, we will have a Fika, a traditional Swedish coffee break, so to be prepared, you should get a few things ready:
- Make sure you have coffee readily available
- bake a batch of Swedish Cinnamon rolls, any cake or cookie recipe, or buy pastries from the store.
And finally, we will be making Swedish meatballs so make sure you have the ingredients you need!
That’s all you need to fully partake in this virtual Stockholm experience!
Are you stuck at home but eager to travel? Not to worry. I have got you covered! Check out these virtual vacation posts or browse them all!
Prepare for your “trip” to Stockholm
Before we start exploring Stockholm, you should set the mood for your “trip,” so it feels like you are there. Here are a few things you can purchase that will help your atmosphere feel a bit more Swedish.
Breakfast in Stockholm
We can’t wander Stockholm on an empty stomach now, can we? Let’s make a traditional Swedish breakfast! Breakfast in Sweden is very simple and usually pretty light. Swedes tend to start their morning with a coffee and a smörgås which is an open faced sandwich with butter or margarine and cheese on top of Rye bread, but other traditional toppings can be added like tomatoes, cucumbers, cold cuts, and sausages. Muesli served with yoghurt is also a popular breakfast and can be eaten with a smörgås
Here is how to make a typical Swedish breakfast:
- Start with a piece of bread and spread margarine or butter on it.
- Add a couple slices of Vasterbotten cheese on top, but if you can’t find it Gruyere, Jarlsberg, or Comte cheese will work just fine.
- Add other toppings like, tomato, cucumber, cold cuts, sausage, ham, hard boiled eggs, or Swedish caviar. Go as simple or as crazy as you want!
- Grab a cup of strong coffee and/or an orange juice.
- Pour a bowl of Muesli and top it with plain yoghurt (filmjölk is used in Sweden which is a sour yoghurt, but any plain yoghurt will work just fine!)
I hope you are filled up and ready to explore Stockholm! You are in for a busy day, so grab some Swedish snacks and let’s get started!
Learn Swedish
Let’s learn some Swedish!
Our first order of business is to learn some common Swedish Phrases. Most people in Stockholm will speak English, but it never hurts to learn some local phrases; people will still appreciate it. We will go over the most common phrases, and then I will give you recommendations on how you can further your Swedish education.
Okay, let’s get this party started!
Hej – Hello
This is the most common greeting and is pronounced “Hay”. Also, “god morgon” (gu -mor -on) is a common greeting which translates to good morning/good day.
Tack – Thank You
Tack (pronounced how it sounds) is used every time you want to say thank you. If you are especially grateful you can say tack så mycket (tack so mee-kah).
Hej Då – Goodbye
Hej då (HAY-dah) is the most common way to say goodbye.
Var är – Where is the…
If you want to ask where something is you would use var är (var- aer.) For instance, var är stranden which would translate to where is the beach. A few more examples would be:
var är katten – where is the cat
var är toilet – where is the toilet
var är min bok – where is my book
var är konstmuseet – where is the art museum
Kan du hjälpa mig – Can you help me?
If you need help with directions or finding something you should use kan du hjälpa mig (kan deu jelp-a may). Here are a few examples of how you can use it.
kan du hjälpa mig hitta mataffären – Can you help me find the grocery store?
kan du hjälpa mig hitta historiemuseet – Can you help me find the history museum
Jag heter – My name is…
If you want to introduce yourself the most common way is to say, Jag heter [your name] (yag hei-tar) and then you can say, trevligt att träffas (trev-leet at tre-fas) which is an informal way to say nice to meet you.
Hur mår du – How are you? .
If you want to ask how someone is doing you should say hur mår du (her moor deu).
Person one: Hur mår du – how are you/how do you feel?
Person two: Hur mår bra – I feel great
Jag är – I am…
Jag är (yag aer) is used if you are telling someone something about you for instance,
jag är trött – I am tired
Jag är nyfiken – I am curious
Jag är inte nöjd – I am not happy
Ursakta – Excuse me
If you accidentally bump into someone you would say ursäkta (ur-shek-ta) to excuse yourself.
Other Swedish Resources
This is my FAVORITE Swedish learning platform. I can’t say enough good things about Swedish Pod 101. For starters, this is the most extensive course on the market and includes modules for those just starting out to those who are pretty much fluent. They cover grammar, vocab, and sentence structure in an easy & understandable way.
Stockholm City Tour
It’s time to explore Stockholm on a city tour! This tour will guide you from the center of Stockholm to the old town. It’s almost like you are there! If you want to listen to music while exploring the city, put the video on mute and play this Spotify playlist, full of songs by Swedish artists.
Coffee Break AKA Fika
If you are going to travel to Stockholm (even virtually), you need to learn about Fika and partake in this Swedish tradition. Essentially, Fika means “coffee and cake break,” but any Swede will tell you it’s much more than that. Fika is a state of mind, ingrained in the Swedish culture. Every Swede will take at least one Fika a day, but sometimes two or three. It’s a part of the Swedish culture so much that every business is required to give employees a Fika break. (offices will even have a Fika room).
You will generally find people enjoying their Fika in a cafe, but since this is a virtual tour and you are doing it from home, you can prepare your own Fika. Most likely, you will have coffee in your house, but tea is perfectly acceptable if you don’t like coffee. Then the pastry! I highly recommend making Swedish Cinnamon buns, and I have an excellent recipe for them! They are a lot easier than they look but do take some time to make, so keep that in mind.
If you don’t want to make cinnamon buns, you can bake a cake, cookies, or buy from the store. Last but not least, video chat with a friend. Tell her or him about Fika and convince them to do it with you. It’s a lot of fun to share the magic of Fika with someone you care about.
Now, there aren’t typically any rules for Fika, but many would argue that it is an art, and there are certain things that need to be done for it to be considered a “Fika”. For example,
- Fika should include a cup of coffee and a pastry.
- Have a Fika with friends or colleagues. It’s a time to catch up with the people in your life you care about and not think about work, so in these times when we can’t go anywhere, try and get a couple of friends together over Skype and have a Fika together!
- You could also do Fika alone. I do it by sipping coffee while reading a book or writing in my journal.
To learn more about Fika, watch the video below!
How to Have a Fika:
- Pour a cup of strong coffee
- Get a slice of cake, a cookie or a cinnamon roll
- call up some friends and chat for 15-30 min
And there you have it! A perfect Fika.
ABBA
You may be familiar with the famous Swedish pop band ABBA! They are famous for several songs including “Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia, and Money Money Money” Plus a broadway play and movie based off their songs. That being said, you probably aren’t surprised that Stockholm has an Abba museum, and our “trip” to Stockholm wouldn’t be complete without a visit.
Below you will find a playlist of popular ABBA songs and a museum tour. I would recommend playing the playlist as you are “walking” through the museum – just mute the museum video and enjoy!
Listen to the Abba Playlist
Let’s start our Abba tour by listening to some of their top songs on this playlist while we “wander” the museum. Get on your best 70s outfit and jam to some Abba music!
Abba Museum
While listening to the soundtrack above, mute this video while “exploring” the Abba museum. You may not be able to visit now, but this is the next best thing!
Vikings: The original Swedes
Back when Sweden was an ice-filled wasteland, Vikings roamed the country, pillaging villages and murdering those who got in their way. I’ll admit, the Vikings were horrible people, but their history is incredibly interesting. The Vasa museum is one of the most popular museums in Stockholm and the most visited in Scandinavia. It holds hundreds of artifacts from the Viking era, including their main attraction: the Vasa Ship built in the 17th century.
The story of the Vasa ship goes: When the ship was built and ready to sail, it only made it out 1300 meters before a light gust of wind swept the ship to its side (so sad!), tragically sinking it, killing 53 passengers. The ship was long forgotten for over 300 years until it was found in 1956 by a marine technician and finally salvaged in 1959 -61.
For this portion of our tour, we are going to explore the Vasa museum via their website. They have their entire audio tour and exhibit descriptions online. You can listen to each audio guide in conjunction with each exhibit. The audio guide comes in several languages.
Swedish Meatballs
It’s time for dinner! You have had a crazy long day exploring Stockholm, and I hope you have had fun. For dinner, we are going to be making Swedish meatballs with gravy. Traditional Swedish meatballs are typically served with roasted or baked potatoes, lingonberry jam, and without gravy, but because gravy is delicious and adds so much flavor, we are going make some to put on top of our meatballs.
Instead of potatoes, you can serve them with egg noodles or macaroni, but I recommend opting for the potatoes. I have never eaten them any other way. Here is my favorite Swedish meatball recipe without further ado, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Where do Swedish Meatballs come from?
Did you know Swedish meatballs aren’t originally from Sweden? They are derived from Turkish meatballs called Koftka and were first introduced to King Charles XII, who brought the recipe back to Sweden in the early 18th century. Over the years, Swedish grandmothers have adapted the recipe to the meatballs we know and love today.
Watch a Concert from The Concert Hall in Stockholm
It’s been a loooooong day, and it’s almost over! Our last activity is watching a pre-recorded concert from Stockholms concert hall (Koncerhuset). It’s famously the home of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and where the Nobel Prize Ceremonies are held. During the year, hundreds of concerts are hosted, including orchestra, chamber music, jazz, and world music.
All the online concerts are free and about an hour-long, so sit back, relax, and let the music take you away.
A few concerts you may enjoy are:
- National Day Concert (Philharmonic Orchestra)
- Ida Sand Trio (Jazz)
- Music Through the Centuries (Chamber Music)
Swedish Culture
Now that our day in Stockholm is complete, you can choose to learn more about Stockholm and Sweden by checking out these movies, TV shows, and books. Plus, other Swedish items you may like.
Movies
Ove’s neighbors don’t like him. They call him, “the neighbor from hell” due to his strict, no-nonsense routine, and short fuse. One day an eccentric family moves in next door, and Ove finds himself in over his head, but little does he know, an unlikely friendship is about to form. This movie is heartwarming, funny, and relatable (we all have a bit of Ove in us!).
TV Shows
Welcome to Sweden is a funny sitcom about a Banker named Bruce who moves to Sweden with his Swedish girlfriend, Emma. He has trouble adjusting to the culture shock of moving halfway around the world and finds it difficult to get along with Emmas strange (and very Swedish) family. This show is an excellent look into Swedish family culture and had my family, and I was in stitches the entire time.
Thicker Than Water is a drama set in the beautiful Swedish-speaking island of Åland in Finland (where my family is from!). A terminally ill mother invites her estranged children back to their family B&B. The children are given an ultimatum once their mother passes regarding the B&B. They can either manage it together for a whole summer and inherit it, or the it will be donated to charity. Working together for an entire summer will cause tensions to rise and dark family secrets to emerge, which could have deadly consequences.
Books
In Sweden, Christmas traditions involve family, lots of food, singing, dancing, and tomte (Swedish Santa Clause), but where do these traditions come from? This book includes history, stories, recipes, and lovely pictures. You’ll learn how the Swedes celebrate Christmas and maybe start some of these traditions in your own family.
This book is near and dear to me. If you aren’t familiar with Fika, you will be soon enough! Fika is a cultural norm in Sweden. It’s a coffee break consisting of a strong coffee, a pastry, and a good conversation. Many people don’t know this, but there is an art to doing Fika, and this book breaks it all down.
If you aren’t familiar with the saying Lagom, you should be! Lagom doesn’t have a translation, but it means “just the right amount.” It’s the Swedish word for having a balanced life, and Lagom takes some time to understand. This book is an excellent read if you want to understand what Lagom is and possibly incorporate some Lagom into your daily life.
Other Swedish items you may like
Swedish gnomes are a typical Christmas decoration all over Sweden. He is commonly known as tomte, who lives in houses and barns all over Scandinavia. If treated well, he protects the family from misfortune (as the legend goes). These tomtes are beautifully crafted by Swedish artists and will add festive joy to any household.
Are you stuck at home but eager to travel? Not to worry. I have got you covered! Check out these virtual vacation posts or browse them all!
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I’d love to visit Sweden. My friends went and wouldn’t stop talking about the ABBA museum. I kept asking what else she saw and it kept coming back to ABBA so at least I learned something else from your post lol. The viking history definitely interests me as a history buff, but it also just looks like a beautiful place
I love this virtual tour! Also, I never knew Swedish meatballs were not from Sweden! I loved Swedish meatballs as a child.
Right?!? I am half Swedish and I never knew either. It makes sense though. They are pretty similar to Koftka.
Shockingly I still need to visit Stockholm. This was a great read with lots of helpful tips, so I’ll be saving it for future reference!
I am so glad you found this post helpful!
This is such a cute idea! And wait … and ABBA museum?! Now I really can’t wait to go! :)
Right?! I loved the ABBA museums!
Now I must convince a friend to have fika with!
You can also do it alone if you would like. If I don’t have a friend to do it with I read a book or write in my journal for 15-30 minutes. There is always a way to do Fika!
I have been to Stockholm a couple of times and enjoy it each time. The ABBA Museum is so much fun and the food – it is unique and yummy. Thanks for a great post.
Both great reasons to visit Stockholm!
OMG I’m going for the ABBA museum! Great guide and love the pics
YES!!! The ABBA museum is a must!
Such a good read. Loved the concept of Fika break. I guess we all need them everyday. Thanks for sharing.
Yeah, I wish Fika was more widely known. I am glad you liked the post!
Love Swedish Meatballs, watched Pippi Longstocking when I was a child and have watched The Bridge on Netflix. This is a fun and great post to read.
I am so happy you liked the post! I admittedly am still a Pippi fan.
I LOVE THIS GUIDE! I feel like I just travelled to Sweden and back without ever having to leave my apartment :P Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Meghan! I am so happy you enjoyed it!
I love this virtual tour! This is a great post to read – thank you!!
Thanks, Jasmina! Glad you enjoyed it!
I love this kind of guide! It’s great that you combined all those different resources! My favourite part is the Swedish language part!
Sweden is one of the top places I want to visit, so thank you for bringing it to me <3 Definitely checking these out!
Sweden is just beautiful! I am glad this post helped in bringing a bit of Sweden to you.
This was such a great trip around Sweden! Those ginger snap cookies look delish too! Thanks for the tips!
Being Swedish I must comment on the fika stuff.
Coffee and coffee breaks are super important here. Both at home to sit down and talk with family, or when visiting friends and family we consume a lot of coffee but the important thing here is to sit and talk.
Same at work, we stop for 15-20 minutes to actually sit and small talk to both get a proper break and learn more from your coworkers.
I never have coffee “on the way” like commuting back and to work, or while walking to kindergarten to pick up the kid etc
I totally agree. My favorite part of Fika is being able to share good conversation with friends & family.
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