Stockholm is one of those cities you want to visit during the summer months, when the evenings never get dark, you can buy ice cream at 3 in the morning and people are walking their dogs any time of day or night.
For Design, Culture & Art:
The Swedes are known around the world for their design; you can take a design tour at Svenskt Tenn, which opened in 1924 or visit the furniture store Asplund. Fashionistas can check out H&M just to say they’ve been to the one in Stockholm.
There are incredible sculptures by Alexander Calder this summer as well as other more classical greats at the modern art museum. You can see Picasso’s and Duchamp’s impact on modernism.
The Fotografiska Museum is beautifully located on the waterfront and is in an art nouveau building, all dedicated to photography.
City Hall is an interesting structure. An elegant brick building on the outside, it is equally decadent on the inside and where the Nobel Prize banquet is held every year. You will find the Blue and Golden halls stunning on the inside and from the outside, the views overlooking the city.
For Shopping & Seeing:
Well, there’s H&M of course, as well as denim label Acne. Bohemian Sodermalm, the blocks south of Folkungagatan (SoFo) are crowded with funky and creative boutiques. check out Grandpa for designer threads, Konst-ig for books on art and Appartement for housewares.
There’s a boat tour that takes you around the city’s 14 islands called Under the Bridges boat tour. The tour takes you underneath 15 bridges and through two locks.
Gamla Stan & Bistro Nobel is where you can take in the city’s old town, which include quaint alleyways and cobblestone streets.
Rosendal’s Garden is a lovely stroll. You can get there via a short 5 minute ferry ride from Skeppsholmen to the island of Djurgarden. Here you can take in beautiful apple orchards and greenhouses.
For Food & Drinking:
Spritmuseum is a spirits museum where you can sample flights of liquors and view the Absolut art collection.
ICEBAR Stockholm is a bar made from Lapland ice and obviously a cool thing to do you wouldn’t be able to do if you’re from a warmer climate.
Urban Deli is where to go for a wide selection of cheese and charcuterie.
Den Gyldene Freden is a great place for dinner. This old tavern has been around since 1722 and its Nordic menu includes meatballs with mashed potatoes, cucumber and lingonberries.
Ostermalms Saluhall dates back to 1888. If you’re hungry, this food hall is a great place to spend a few hours, where you can take in everything from cloudberry jam, salmon, cheese, fruits, vegetables and meats. You can get fried herring at Lisa Elmqvist Fisk.
F12 is a Michelin-starred restaurant which started off in the Academy of Art cafeteria. It serves interesting dessert dishes, including goat cheese ice cream.
Fabrique Bakery & Mellqvist Kaffebar is the place to go for muffins, rolls and apricot and chocolate chip cookies.
The Cadier Bar is a great place to go for a late nightcap. Try the Imperial Bond made with rum, orange bitters and ginger beer. 
Hotels et al for Sleeping:
Nobis Hotel is stone on the outside and has a cathedral-like lobby lounge. The rooms are covered in marble and muted tones and is modern in style with lots of great light. (pictured right)
Hotel Skeppsholmen is located on a small leafy island near the city center. It’s modern and sleek and the property boasts 81 rooms. You can also eat dinner here on the patio if its a warm evening.
The Grand Hotel is a happening place and has a great bar for late night hanging, the Cadier Bar.
Story Hotel has very funky photomurals, unfinished walls and Chinese porcelin sink bowls in the bathroom that makes you feel like you’re staying in an art creation.
Victory Hotel is a nautical-themed boutique hotel that is loaded with antiques, model ships, navigational instruments and faded portraits of Swedish navy captains. There’s also a love letter from English admiral Lord Nelson to his mistress at the reception desk.
Photo credits upper left: AfricansPotential. Nobis Hotel Photo: Stylepark.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
