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Ten ways to enjoy your Stockholm summer like a Stockholmer

Caterina Zita
Caterina Zita - [email protected]
Ten ways to enjoy your Stockholm summer like a Stockholmer
Have a picnic in Ivar Los park, Södermalm. Photo: Tove Freiij/imagebank.sweden.se

We asked Stockholmers for their best summer tips. Warning: a lot of them relate to sun-bathing and ice cream.

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When the sun comes out and the temperatures rise, it seems like nothing can keep the Stockholmers indoors. We took to the streets to ask them about their best summer tips in the Swedish capital.

1. Hang out in the city's parks

"I like to hang around in parks, eating food or ice cream or swim at Årstaviken," says Matilda Josephson, 20.

READ ALSO: Where to get Stockholm's best ice cream

2. Do water sports

"As you can see I have a skateboard, I'm a board guy. I do snowboarding in winter and I do a lot of wakeboarding out of Arlanda in summer." Alexander Sehr, a consultant, recommends the water sports centre at lake Halmsjön, just next to Arlanda Airport north of Stockholm. He describes Swedes as lizards because they enjoy soaking up the sun as soon as summer arrives: "That's what Swedish people do."

3. Just enjoy the sun while it lasts

"We sit at the outdoor sitting, that only open in summer so we stay together with friends. Why do I like it? Because it's such a special thing, it feels special because you only do it now," says Hilda Olofsson, 19.

4. Go for a long walk

"I like to take long walks, I like to swim and run. Summer is warm and sunny, in winter nothing would be the same," says Peter Brandt, 52, a salesman. We ran into him however while he was taking a break from work and those long walks in a temporary pop-up park in Fatbursparken on Södermalm island.

5. Have picnics

"Well, picnics are very popular here in summer, maybe in parks, you eat some good stuff," says Aleksandra, 17, a student. She also likes to go to Stockholm's amusement park Gröna Lund on Djurgården island. "It is enjoyable to be there, as it is a happy place. It's nice, I like my friends and particularly to be there with them."

READ ALSO: Six stunning parks you can't miss in Stockholm

6. Go to Gröna Lund

Speaking of Gröna Lund, it also organizes concerts during the summer. It's got an impressive line-up, with artists such as First Aid Kit, Elton John and The Hives performing this year. A seasonal card gives you entry to the amusement park and all the concerts for 250 kronor. 

"It is affordable and they have a good selection of musicians. You can decide whenever you want and sometime wihout even knowing the artist. It feels almost like free concerts if you buy the seasonal card," says Robin Larsson, 32, a sound engineer. 

He also recommends Artipelag in the archipelago, "a nice museum with both great food and nature all around".

7. Go swimming

Its long summer nights and proximity to water wherever you are in the capital make Stockholm perfect for a summer swim in the evening. Anni Jönsson, 28, who works in a shop says she is usually too busy, but if she has time she goes swimming. "I would just go swimming at Hellasgården," she says.

Annica, Linnea and Karin recommend Långholmen island, as well as a spot near popular summer club Trädgården. "I like to go swimming at night," says Annica. "If you go to Trädgården at night, there's a little platform by the outdoor gym, but it is very shallow. But be careful though, don't swim and drink or drink and swim."

8. Go to Djurgården

Don't just go to Djurgården for all the museums and Gröna Lund. Enjoy a long walk around the island. It is almost hard to believe that you are in central Stockholm. "Walk there, perhaps have a picnic. It is very nice in summer. I like the nature there," says Angelica, 38.

9. Just relax

"I'm not exactly a party guy in summer," says André, 24, a 3D artist and video games developer. He and his girlfriend like to trave, but if they are in Stockholm, they just like to take it easy. "I live close to Tantolunden park, I would go there and enjoy the nice view from the high point."

10. Don't just stay in the city

Do what the Swedes do and take the opportunity to get out of the city in summer. Hannah, 21, a gardener, recommends going for a walk in the forest in the Nacka nature reserve. Check out The Local's list of nine perfect hiking spots on Stockholm's door step.

All photos by Caterina Zita/The Local

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