Stockholm, Sweden 1

September 23, 2025

Stockholm, Sweden 1

We visited Stockholm, Sweden at the end of this summer. It was cool but not cold yet there. We left our luggage at our hotel and looked for a place for brunch. We missed breakfast due to early morning flight and it had already passed 10 am. The warm orange-yellow colored buildings around our hotel were very welcoming.

Our hotel was located on the island of Södermalm, often considered as the south central part of Stockholm. The city of Stockholm is built on 14 main islands, consisting of a part of the largest archipelago in Sweden with 30,000 islands. We crossed bridges between islands everyday and enjoyed a lovely water view each time.

We were crossing a bridge to the island of Stadsholmen that Gamla Stan or the Stockholm's old town is mainly situated on. The water is Riddarfjärden, the easternmost bay of Lake Mälaren flowing into the Baltic Sea.

We accidentally landed on the islet of Riddarholmen, which was attached to Stadsholmen island and also a part of Gamla Stan. The large church was a centerpiece of Riddarholmen, which we visited another day.

Crossing a bridge again to go back to the Stadsholmen island...

We ran into St. George and The Dragon Statue while we were looking for brunch. The photo doesn't show but the Old Town was packed with so many tourists.

Escaping from the crowds, we found a Swedish-style open sandwich restaurant at a quieter spot of the old town. All tables were reserved, but luckily we were able to occupy the counter. We both chose two kinds of sandwich. Mine were Smoked Salmon with poached egg, homemade mayo and chives, and Herring from Christiansø (a Danish island). Both were tasty. J had marinated salmon "Gravlax" with mustard sauce and "Gubbröra" made with Grebbestads anchovies. Gubbröra is a traditional Swedish appetizer, commonly made with anchovies, hard-boiled eggs, onions, sour cream, chives, dill, and white pepper. Grebbestads anchovies are actually not anchovies but small sprats. The tender filets are marinated with sugar, salt, vinegar, spices (including mace and cinnamon), etc. I think J liked them.

The day's special was roast beef, which looked nice, too.

After we were lightly and nicely filled, we headed Norrmalm, the city center of Stockholm on the mainland, located north of Stadsholmen island. A bridge after a bridge...

We walked across Kungsträdgården, or "King's Garden" near water. The historic park was used in the 15th century as the royal kitchen garden.

Then, we walked around Sergels torg, a large public square at the heart of the busy commercial area.

We arrived at Hötorgshallen, an indoor market/food court. Our brunch wasn't done yet. The open sandwiches were just an appetizer. We wanted to try Restaurant Kajsas Fisk's famous fish soup, but there was a very long waiting line! I thought J would say no, but surprisingly he didn't. He joined the queue to get fish soup while I managed to secure a table. Most of customers there were having fish soup, which was clearly their best-seller.

Eventually J came to our table with two bowls of fish soup. Thanks for his patience! The tomato-based broth was loaded with a generous amount of seafood. We both skipped Aioli (garlic mayonnaise), which is usually served with. The soup was tasty and comfy.

Now it was dessert time. We walked up to Le Violon Dingue, a small bakery that was located not far from Hötorgshallen and tried our first kanelbullar, or cinnamon bun in Stockholm. The most beloved treat in Sweden!

It was lovely. Although I thought the dough was a bit dry, I wasn't sure whether an authentic kanelbullar was supposed to be like that. Anyway, I liked it.

Then it was time to walk more. We explored north part of the city center, passing by Adolf Fredrik Church, an 18th century church in the Gustavian architectural style, which is a Swedish interpretation of Neoclassicism.

We walked through a hilly park, topped with an 18th century observatory building.

The view from the hilltop was nice! Stockholm offers not only beautiful waterfront but also a lot of greenery spaces.

There were many churches in the city, too. I have never been in a city with so many church towers with clocks as Stockholm, which I became somehow interested in.