A Week of Green: The best of outdoor Stockholm

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The Katarina lift, built in 1935, takes you up 38 metres from Slussen to the top of Mosebacke hill. Once at the top you can enjoy a magnificent view of the city, from the viewing platform or from within the in-house restaurant Gondolen. The Old Town is right underneath you and the water appears to stretch out as far as the eye can see.

Our Local Expert Says:

The best place on Södermalm for winter sledding. Walk up to the Sofia Church and make your way down.

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This popular park on Södermalm is a real oasis in the midst of the hectic city. Just sit around, read a book or observe the surroundings on a park bench. You can even take a nap or have a picnic on the grass. If you want to release some stress, meditate under a tree. In the summer, Vitabergsparken is one of the city's most popular performance spaces. The Stockholm City Theatre's Park Theatre gives free shows at this open-air venue.

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Chutney serves good vegetarian food in a very pleasant and comfortable environment. Lunch is good and the portions are always big enough to satisfy the hungriest. The quiet and sober atmosphere is complemented by the friendly staff.

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When in Stockholm, do as the Stockholmers do. So go up to Fjällgatan for an ice cream and enjoy the fantastic view. This street on Södermalm, above the docks of the Finland ferries and Slussen, lays the city out at your feet with a great panorama over the Old Town, Djurgården and the island of Skeppsholmen. A walk here from Slussen, via Mosebacke, takes you through the pleasant and old-fashioned heights of Södermalm. Make sure you check out the statue of playwright August Strindberg-a Stockholm treasure. The park of Ivar Lo is just around the corner and Vitabergsparken is also not too far away.

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This is a truly beautiful guided boat tour around scenic Djurgården and all its attractions. The ride goes through the Djurgård canal and around Waldemar's Peninsula. The guides will tell you all about the island's past and present history in seven different languages. Tours operate daily from April to December from Strömkajen and Stadshusbron.

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More than most of Stockholm's restaurants, this is a highly reliable and sought-after staple, thanks to its origins in 1897 as part of Stockholm's World Fair, and thanks to a name that conjures up images of passionate love for most Swedes. (Was she a hooker or was she a madonna? Only Sweden's most famous 18th-c. poet, Bellman, knew for sure, as Ulla was his mistress, to whom he dedicated some of his most evocative poetry.) Because it was acquired by its present management in 1994, this restaurant has impressed even the most jaded of Stockholm's foodies. It occupies a sprawling, stone-built, white-sided pavilion set in an isolated position on the Djurgården. Inside, a series of dining rooms is outfitted like a 19th-century manor house, with unusual paintings and a sense of graceful prosperity. There's also an outdoor terrace lined with flowering plants. The menu focuses on time-tested, somewhat conservative Swedish cuisine, always impeccably prepared. (Patrons who agree with this assessment include members of the Swedish royal family and a bevy of well-known TV, theater, and art-world personalities.) Menu items include at least three different preparations of the inevitable herring;...

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Hemma hos Julia is best known for their homemade, fresh cheese. This started as an experiment at someone's home, in the bathtub. Nowadays, the cheese is sold in lovely little boxes in several delis all over town, as well as at this café. Julia serves light meals, such as salads, sandwiches, soups, and sweet delights like brownies and carrot cake, to go with your coffee. There are wooden tables and chairs, and the place seems very welcoming.

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This guided tour is given in an open, wooden boat. The crew also dresses up in costumes. The boat Stegeholm is a real beauty, and when the weather is good, the tour is even better. Stegeholm sails past different parts of Stockholm and the guides narrate the history of the city in Swedish and in English. The tours operate daily in the summer from Strömkajen and Stadshusbron.

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Humlegården is one of Stockholm's nicest small parks and a real oasis away from the city traffic. Sit and read peacefully on a park bench, or take a nap on the grass. In the summertime, there are also outdoor performances on the park stage by the Stockholm City Theatre's Park Theatre, among others.

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Is there anything better than sipping a cool drink and gazing at the sunset at sea? Mosebacke Etablissement includes a theatre, several stages, a restaurant and a café. The café is outside on a grand veranda and has the most magnificent view over Gamla Stan, Djurgården and the stunning archipelago. Several TV shows have been broadcasted from here. In the summertime, this is a place to go for some live music and dancing.

Our Local Expert Says:

Always full of action - in the winter and summer. In the summer there are often temporary art exhibitions in the park worth seeing. In late spring come for the Taste of Stockholm festival.

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The King's Garden is located in central Stockholm. This park serves dual purposes, as an outdoor concert venue in summer, and an ice-skating rink in winter. It also has an abundance of benches and is surrounded by fountains, restaurants, and cafés. During winter, you can hire a pair of skates and enjoy a few laps around the rink.

Our Local Expert Says:

Excellent boat tour of Stockholm; informative and enjoyable, plus great photo opportunities.

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As you may know, Stockholm is built on a several islands. It is surrounded by water and has many bridges. You must view the city from the water - it is both beautiful and educational. This tour goes around Stockholm, passing underneath 15 bridges on the way, and the guides narrate in seven languages, covering many of the city's most famous buildings. The tours operate daily from Strömkajen and Stadshusbron.

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Örtagården is located above the Östermalmshallen food hall. It offers a daily vegetarian buffet. You can either prepare your own fresh plate of salad, or have a go at the warm dishes that are offered. The salad dressing is home-made and tastes great.

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If you're a nature lover, this is just the thing for you. At Biskopsö ( Bishop's Isle), you can either go for a walk or a boat ride. This part of the archipelago is a nature reserve, and both vegetation and animal life have adapted to the marine environment. Deciduous birch and alder forest, fallow deer and grey seals thrive here. To get to Biskopsö, take buses 433 or 434 from Slussen to Stavsnäs, and then a waterbus out to the island.

Our Local Expert Says:

A true find for those interested in architecture and design. The museum's location on Skeppsholmen also provides for a spectacular view over the Stockholm skyline. The museum even provides free admission on Fridays from 4pm-6pm.

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Sweden's only museum of architecture shares its location with Moderna Museet, so it is recommended to visit both. The museum's two spacious halls provide a conducive atmosphere to study the logic behind some of the world's most famous architectural forms. Despite the impressive international focus, the curators have not forgotten the importance of local developments, and there is an interesting section devoted to ancient and modern Swedish architecture, which includes a wooden model of the city of Gothenburg. For researchers, the museum has an archive with close to one million plans and sketches, and a sizeable collection of photographs. To reach the museum, catch bus no 65.

Our Local Expert Says:

If you are an art lover, you don't want to miss Moderna. Here you will find a striking collection of both international and Swedish artists. After your perusing of the collection, head to the top floor for a cup of Swedish coffee and excellent view over Norrmalm, Ostmalm and Djurgården.

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The Moderna Museum, located across the bridge from Skeppsholmen, is one of the most interesting museums in the city. The building itself is highly acclaimed for its clean aesthetic lines, open spaces and brilliant use of natural light. Many of the exhibitions create a powerful cocktail of provocative, shocking, confusing and fantastic elements, and it is possible that you may feel a bit dizzy in the spacious rooms, especially with works that force the audiences to re-evaluate space and dimensions. On the whole, the museum is a challenging but rewarding place to visit. It houses an excellent collection of both Swedish and international modern art, including many familiar pieces by Warhol, Duchamp, Matisse and Picasso. You can also spend several hours in the photography library, and the comprehensive gift shop.