Open-air historical museum
When it comes to historical museums, it doesn’t get much more impressive than Skansen – the world’s oldest open-air museum on the island of Djurgården and, brick for brick, a full living replica of a typical 19th century Swedish town. Watch tanners, shoemakers, glass blowers and bakers in action before doing a round of the zoo to watch native Swedish wildlife including the brown bear, wolverines, lynx and elk.
Viking village ruins
See Sweden’s first real town? Visit the home of Viking Kings? Storm a fortress at a strolling pace? Then hop on a ‘Birka’ bound boat between May and September, glide through the ridiculously beautiful Stockholm archipelago, and hop off at Birka - a pagan and Christian settlement dating from the 8th century and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spot archaeological finds in the on-site museum.
Modern art
Moderna Museet, (the Museum of Modern Art), on the central island of Skeppsholmen, specialises in 20th and 21st century art and pleases art buffs and novices alike. It’s a visual feast across mediums with modern art works and photography from the 1840s onward. Picasso, Dalí, Matisse and Rauschenberg grace the walls with Swedish greats woven into the collections. Visit the ‘Video Corridor’ for the latest in video art.
Photography
Fotografiska Museet, Stockholm’s Museum of photography, is a massive, modern and brand spanking new 2,500 square metres of impressive photographic exhibition space, opened in 2010. Annie Leibovitz, Vee Speer and Lennart Nilsson have already been shown and a constant stream of international talent is lined up for expo with regular courses, talks and conference space on offer.
Literary tour
The Millennium Tour is a must for fans of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy of books. Take the 2-hour Millennium walking tour and literally walk in the footsteps of the characters from the best-selling crime novel trilogy. The guided tour finishes with an exhibition at the Stockholm City Museum where you can learn a little about intriguing journalist and posthumously published Swedish writer, Stieg Larsson.