City
The City area is home to department stores Nordiska Kompaniet (NK), Åhléns and PUB. NK stands out as the premier Swedish department store, but these days is a franchise store with an enormous range of men and all types of clothing, Swedish and international design, household objects etc. This is where the upper classes of Stockholm go to do their shopping. The area also boasts shopping arcades Gallerian and Sturegallerian and numerous large retail chain stores, including the H&M store on Hamngatan and Zara, the Spanish retailer further down the same street. Drottninggatan meanwhile, carves the City area down the middle and it is choc-a-bloc with small specialist shops, big stores, design stores and just about every type of retailer imaginable. While here look out for Designtorget at Sergelstorg; it sells mostly household design/functional objects created by up and coming Nordic designers that you are unlikely to find anywhere else.
Södermalm
Södermalm will bewitch you with its mix of fashion, design, new and second-hand clothes and accessories and general ‘hey, chill out’ attitude. Come here to see the future of shopping, which is eco and organic products. Check out Ekovaruhuset, in the Old Town, offering clothes, shoes and accessories. Also look out for the Nudie Jeans and Cheap Monday jeans brands. If you want to purchase goods that won’t ping your conscience here is the place to come.Here you’ll find the products of the new elite of Swedish fashion in the area known locally as ‘SoFo’ – south of Folkkungagatan. There are shops, galleries, cafés, restaurants, bar and eateries in abundance and you should look at ‘Beyond Retro’ for quality second hand clothing, ‘Brunogallerian’ and Götgatan 21, both on Götgatan.
Östermalm
Östermalm is Stockholm’s equivalent of Knightsbridge in London and the major luxury goods brands and boutiques are clustered around Birger Jarlsgatan, Biblioteksgatan, Nybrogatan, Östermalmstorg and Stureplan. Global brands Louis Vuitton, Armani, Boss, Guess, Gucci and many others, as well as Swedish brands J Lindberg, Anna Holtblad, Filippa K, Peak and Northface are all here. Stureplan is great fun in summertime as its restaurants and bars go al fresco and you can combine your shopping trip with a spot of lunch or glass of wine. To see the wares of famous Swedish art glass and crystal makers Orrefors and Kosta Boda try Kungsgatan and Birger Jarlsgatan, there are several stores with huge ranges of both. And for a taste of Sweden go to deli markets Östermalmshallen or Hötorgshallen.
Also to look out for in Östermalm is the Swedish, Nordic and international furniture design on offer from Asplund and Nordiska Galleriet. A must-see is Svenskt Tenn on Strandvägen, featuring classic and contemporary Swedish furniture and textiles mainly by Josef Frank, the legendary Austrian-Swedish designer.
Old Town
The oldest part of Stockholm is Gamla Stan (the Old Town) and the tiny adjacent island, of Riddarholmen. It includes the Royal Palace, with museums like Livrustkammaren (the Royal Armoury) and Skattkammaren (the Royal Treasury) and the Changing of the Guards in the Outer Courtyard.
History lovers can take a guided city tour, offered in many different languages. Gamla Stan is also home to Nobelmuseet (the Nobel Museum) and Riddarhuset (the House of Nobility). From Gamla Stan, it’s a beautiful walk to the picturesque street, Fjällgatan, over in the Södermalm district, with stunning views across the city, perhaps rounded off with a coffee at Fåfängan, a historical café and lookout point.
