At the start of 2009 I visited Stockholm with a friend. The only reason we chose Stockholm was because of the cheap Ryan Air flight. We didn’t think about the cold weather in January, and to be honest I think it’s good that we didn’t because we saw amazing sights of Stockholm that people visiting in summer would never see. The city is gorgeous in winter, the waters are icy and the sky is blue. 

Ice Bar

This might sound super cliche, but one of the best things to do in Stockholm in winter is to visit the Icebar. At the entrance they hand you a warm jacket and at the bar you can get your drink in an ice glass!! The prices were outrageous, you pay to get in and you pay to get a drink, and you’re only allowed to stay for 1 hour (or maybe that’s because we didn’t book). One benefit to that is that you couldn’t take more than one drink.

Check out those guys in suits in the second picture! Imagine going to this bar after work just to have a “casual” drink!

If you don’t like those kind of bars, but you do want to get a drink for in the hotel (because you’re trying to save money like we did). You have to take note that you can’t find alcohol in supermarkets and shops. You can only buy it in a shop called “System Bolaget” which has weird opening times. In the evenings it’s closed and on Sunday it is closed too.

Skansen

The second thing to do in winter in Stockholm is to visit Skansen.Normally Skansen is probably pretty crowded (unless business is not going so well), but when I visited I hardly saw anyone at this open-air museum and zoo. The reason I really wanted to go is because the zoo houses wolverines! I like going seeing animals in different countries (not in Shanghai zoo but let’s let that one slide), so whenever I visit a country I try to do something animal related.

** Updated in 2020: I wouldn’t really go to a zoo anytime soon now, unless I know that all’s well in there.

The park itself is beautiful. The tiny cottages and the cobbled streets are lovely and the bare trees during winter give it something extra that you wouldn’t see in summer.

Gamla Stan

The third great thing to do in winter is to just walk around the city, especially if the sky is as blue as it was for us.

Gamla Stan is a must-visit. It’s the old town of Stockholm located on an island. It has cobbled streets and cute architecture. Just look at the cafe in the second picture! The Nobel Museum is also located in Gamla Stan. I visited it but I don’t recall whether I enjoyed the visit or not. You have that sometimes when you have visited a place so long ago, some places just get lost in your memory.

It goes without saying that winter is perfect for visiting other museums as well. I visited the Vasa Museum for example which has the enormous Swedish Warship inside the museum.

A special mention, to nighttime ice skating, which is a great thing to do here in the middle of the night.

Conclusion

Now let me please tell you my favourite thing in winter in Stockholm. The sunsets! Looking over the water at the sun setting in the middle of the city is an absolutely amazing sight. I have not yet seen sunsets this pretty.