Kungsholmen
Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm’s island of Kungsholmen is primarily residential and offers a laid-back escape from the tourist path and a chance to mix with locals. Here you’ll find lots of great restaurants, bars, and cafés, as well as opportunities for long strolls along the waterfront. Kungsholmen is home to Stockholm’s most prominent building, City Hall.
The basics
Kungsholmen’s star attraction, City Hall (Stadshuset), hosts the Nobel Prize banquet on December 10 every year. If you didn’t get an invite, you can still tour the building, though only with one of the daily guided tours. During the summer you also can take in the views from City Hall’s 348-foot (106-meter) bell tower. Other highlights around Kungsholmen include the scenic waterfront promenade of Norr Mälarstrand, which stretches all the way to Rålambshovs Park; the central Scheelegatan, crammed with bars and restaurants; and the harbor by City Hall, where boat cruises depart to explore the Stockholm archipelago.
Stockholm is a cycle-friendly city, so a bicycle tour is a great way to cover a lot of ground in a short time—and access places tour buses can’t reach. Multiple tour operators provide biking trips around the city, typically traveling through the districts of Kungsholmen, Södermalm, and Old Town (Gamla Stan).
Things to know before you go
- City Hall guided tours are held daily in Swedish and English.
- City Hall tours can be canceled with short notice due to events. Check the schedule before arriving.
- Wear good walking shoes to walk all the way around the 5.5-mile (8.9-kilometer) waterfront.
How to get there
From the Old Town it is around a 20-minute walk west to Kungsholmen. You also can take the Stockholm Metro’s Line 10 two stops from Kungsträdgården in Norrmalm to Rådhuset in Kungsholmen.
When to get there
Summer is the best time to visit Kungsholmen. The long daylight hours of northern Europe offer the chance to lounge in a park, take a refreshing dip in a lake, or linger at waterside restaurants, many of which host live musicians in summer.
Outdoor swimming
In the summertime you can join the locals by taking an open-air swim. Rålambshov Park features a small beach and wooded trails, as well as a lake suitable for swimming. On the western side of the island, Fredhällsbadet is another popular swimming spot—but only for experienced swimmers, as you reach the deep water directly via stairs from the rocks. The area has a large wooden deck for sunbathing, as well as a small summer café.
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