Welcome to Stockholm

Stockholm is famed for its iconic city hall, the world’s first open-air museum and the fabulous Abba museum. But there are plenty of little-known facts about this city that even some locals might not be aware of – including an unusual story about Frank Zappa.

World’s First National City Park

The area covering Ulriksdal, Haga, Brunnsviken and Djurgården is the world’s first national city park, and it includes museums, entertainment, four palaces and Stockholm University. What makes it even more special is that it’s right in the heart of the city.

World’s Largest Hemispherical Building

Ericsson Globe, located just south of Stockholm’s Södermalm district, is the world’s largest hemispherical building. It has a diameter of 110 metres, the volume is 605 thousand cubic metres, and the inner height is 85 metres. You can see it from pretty much anywhere in Stockholm.

What’s In A Name?

The first time the name Stockholm appears on record is in 1252, when Swedish statesman Birger Jarl used it in a letter.

Stockholm Syndrome

The term Stockholm Syndrome originated from one of Sweden’s most famous crimes. During this six-day bank siege at Norrmalmstorg in 1973, hostages began to identify with their captors. The enormous charm of career criminal Clark Olofsson is considered a key reason for this happening.

Lots Of Cyclists

More than 70 thousand Stockholmers take to their bikes each day. Even better is that there are dedicated bike lanes throughout the city, and rarely is there a collision between cyclists and cars.

Lots Of Museums

With nearly 100 museums, Stockholm has more museums per capita than almost anywhere else in the world. The National Museum alone has almost 50,000 paintings and objects on display, and many museums are either free or offer ‘free days’.