A trip to Sweden must include a stop in Stockholm, the country's financial and cultural center and a city of bridges and islands, cobblestone streets and Renaissance buildings, skyscrapers and highways. From Stockholm, visitors can make excursions into the countryside, in the archipelago or to the wilderness of the north.

The best time to visit Stockholm is in the summer, when the days are long and warm, and the sun never seems to set. And since the devaluation of the Swedish crown, Sweden has become quite affordable. But for all the city's sights and cultural treasures, the truly amazing experiences can be found for free, visiting Stockholm's incredibly beautiful archipelago.

The city's marketing slogan, "Beauty on Water," makes perfect sense if you spend an evening at a seaside restaurant on one of Stockholm's 14 islands or take a stroll along the quay of the medieval part of the city, Gamla Stan. The surrounding water is so pure you can swim and fish in the heart of town. You'll see kids (or, late at night, kids-at-heart) swimming right in the middle of the city.

In addition to swimming, there are plenty of water activities on the sea inlets, sounds and canals crisscrossing Stockholm and connecting it to the open sea.

Consider a sightseeing trip by boat, such as the two-hour guided tour called "Under the Bridges of Stockholm." Or take a sightseeing tour around the Djurgarden peninsula or Kungsholmen island offered by Stockholm Sightseeing. (See the box on page 10 for details.)

If you have a day, or even half a day, book a ferry trip out in the archipelago. The Stockholm archipelago, with its 24,000 islands and skerries, is easily accessible and incredibly beautiful. The closest are less than a half-hour away from the city center. Only about 150 islands are inhabited year round. Some are dotted with little red houses, but most are wild and uninhabited.

Generations of Stockholmers have vacationed on these islands. Writer August Strindberg spent his summers on Kymmendö in the northern part of the archipelago. That is, until he used the islanders as characters in a book, poorly disguised, and was told he wasn't welcome anymore.

Several cruise companies traffic the archipelago. Strömma Kanalbolaget's 11-hour long "Thousand Island Cruise" brings passengers to the outer islands of the archipelago. Go ashore on a couple of islands, such as Kymmendö or Nämdö. If you only have a few hours to spare, take the boat to Fjäderholmarna, the closest of the islands just 25 minutes from the city center.

At the inner corner of the archipelago is Vaxholm, a small town with old, wooden houses, shops and cafés. Drottningholm Palace, the everyday home of Sweden's Royal Family, on the island of Lovön, is also accessible by boat from the city center. The palace and surrounding courtyard are open to the public during the summer months. Fjäderholmarna, Vaxholm and Drottningholm are served by regular ferry traffic, as well as by cruise liners.

Activities for Landlubbers

There are plenty of things to see in Stockholm for those who would rather stay on firm ground. The Vasa Museum in Stockholm displays the m/s Vasa, the flagship of the Swedish royal fleet that sank on her maiden voyage in 1628. In a vain attempt to impress, King Gustav II Adolf had ordered the ship built with two gun decks rather than one. Not enough weight was put in the ballast to compensate for the weight of the guns, the upper hull, masts and sails of the ship. The 175-foot-tall ship floated a couple of minutes before tipping over in front of hundreds of spectators; it was lost in the mud for 300 years.

Salvaged in 1961and housed in a specially designed museum, the oldest restored warship in the world is amazingly intact. On display are maritime treasures and 17th-century household goods. So impressed was one of the salvage directors by the pristine state of the ship that he decided to try some of the butter found aboard. He was treated at a hospital for impetigo.

Up the street from the Vasa museum is Skansen, the world's first open-air museum. Skansen offers a Sweden in miniature, with farmhouses brought in from around the country and a zoo with indigenous, as well as a few not-so-indigenous, animals. As you stroll along Drottninggatan from the city center to the medieval Gamla Stan, you'll pass the parliament and glimpse the royal palace to your left. The palace, still the official residence of His Majesty King Carl XIV Gustaf and Her Majesty Queen Silvia, is open to the public, and the Royal Treasury in the Southern Archway is worth a visit.

STOCKHOLM HIGHLIGHTS

Where to stay

There are plenty of nice hotels downtown, and the Stockholm Tourist Center will help you find a hotel that fits your price range. A few suggestions are the famous Grand Hotel along the Norrström quay and the Sheraton and Radisson SAS next to the Central Station. All prices quoted are for double rooms, and the lower prices are weekend rates.

Sheraton Stockholm Hotel & Towers, Tegelbacken 6; (46) 8-4123400;$190-$295; breakfast is included during weekend stays, but not on weekdays.

Royal Viking Hotel, Radisson SAS, Vasagatan 1; (46) 8-50654000; $190-$310 for standard rooms; business-class rooms are more expensive.

Grand Hotel Stockholm, S. Blasieholmshamnen 8; (46) 8-6793500; $232-$405.

Getting around

All major car rental companies are represented at Arlanda airport. Sweden also has an efficient public transportation network, and you can easily get anywhere you need to go by train, subway, bus or trolley. A $16 "Stockholm pass" gives you unlimited rides on the Stockholm subway and bus system, as well as discounted entrance to some museums, for 72 hours.

Museums

Drottningholm Palace, on the island of Lovön, is accessible by boat from Stockholm City; (46) 8-4026280.

The Royal Treasury, Royal Palace, Southern Archway; (46) 8-4026130.

The Royal Palace, Gamla Stan; (46) 8-58771000. (For details on all royal palaces, point your browser to http://www.royalcourt.se/eng/palace/index.html.)

Museum of National Antiquities, Narvavägen 13-17; (46) 8-51955600.

Museum of Modern Art, Skeppsholmen; (46) 8-51955200; http://www.modernamuseet.se.

Skansen Open-Air Museum, Djurgårdsslätten 49-51, Djurgården; (46) 8-4428000.

The Vasa Museum, Galärvarvet, Djurgården; (46) 8-51954800.

Cruises

Strömma Kanalbolaget, (46) 8-58714000. The "Thousand Island Cruise" costs between $65 and $85, depending on what menu you choose. Wine and meals are included. The Fjäderholmarna and Vaxholmtrips are $7 and $11 roundtrip, no meals or drinks included.

Regular Ferries

Waxholmsbolaget, (46) 8-6795830; http://www.waxholmsbolaget.se.

Sightseeing

By boat: Sockholm Sightseeing, (46) 8-58714020. "Under the Bridges of Stockholm," a two-hour, guided tour, costs $14. Boating around the Djurgarden peninsula or Kungsholmen island costs $9 for a one-hour trip.

By bus: City Sightseeing, (46) 8-58714030.

General Information

Stockholm Tourist Center, (46) 8-7892415; http://www.stockholmtown.com/pages/271/index.asp.

Swedish Tourist Board, New York; 212-885-9700; http://www.gosweden.org.

March 2001