It was a slightly drizzly day on our arrival in Sweden but we were in a new country! We had a 1hr 30min drive from the port of Nynashamn to Stockholm. There were a lot more cliffs and boulders than I had expected as well as lots of horse ranches and the typical red and white wooden slatted farms and houses that are very Scandinavian. Getting into Stockholm we passed several lakes and gorgeous suburban areas that happened to be the Nacka area- close to where we were staying. Whilst in Stockholm we were house-sitting so we found the flat block for our house sit and a place to park our bike for the week.
Danilo, our host, greeted us and showed us the flat and our room and we got to meet Lupita-a playful romanian rescue who was very excitable. Once Danilo had finished a work meeting he went through with us everything we needed to know about the house and taking care of Lupita and we went out for a short walk with them so he could show us the local places that he walks. He was kind enough to share with us lots of local tips for places to go too which helped us plan our time in Stockholm. Thankfully there was lots of nature and hikes around which meant we could hopefully stay there on a budget! Him and his wife Camila were lovely and we got to know each other a bit over some supper before they left for their flight to London in the early evening. As Lupita was a bit unsure what was happening we spent some time with her having cuddles on the sofa- she was a very affectionate dog, before heading out to the grocery store across the road- Willy’s.
As we were very much trying to do Stockholm and Sweden on a budget we bought groceries for all meals for the 6 days we were there as that was significantly cheaper than eating out- we managed to spend about 35 pounds for the week on groceries which gave us a variety of meals. Once back at the flat we took Lupita down the road to the local park to burn off some energy playing ball- that dog can run and has endless energy! We also got a glimpse at the lake the park was on but it was still a bit grey. We had a very chilled evening after this just letting Lupita get used to us and giving us time to settle in to the flat.
We lucked out with the weather whilst we were in Stockholm with the rest of our time there being very sunny, although still requiring hats and down jackets at points in between wearing shorts. This was great for us as it meant that we were able to walk everywhere, and didn’t spend any money on public transport. The days we were there consisted of taking Lupita out for a short morning walk, having a relaxed breakfast and coffee before heading out for a long walk/ to explore an area late morning. We would take a picnic with us so we could have lunch out, including Lupita who had her lunch with us. Often we needed a bit to chill in the afternoon interspersed with playing tug of war or ball with Lupita when she wanted to or needed to burn off more energy. Even if we had been on a massive hike she would want to come back and play for 20 mins before crashing out. In the evening we would sometimes take her out to play ball and then just before bed take her for a short walk before we all got into bed- she would often come for cuddles throughout the night.
Photos: Lupita playing tug of war/ having cuddles
Here is where we explored over the week we were there:
Day 1- Hike through Nacka nature reserve to Bad Söderbysjön
We decided to go and see what nature was walkable from our housesit and we were not disappointed! The first part of the walk took us through the gorgeous suburbs of nacka with all the quaint colourful wooden houses as well as passing lakes with lots of houses and boats docked by them. Then we headed up through Nacka nature reserve- we had been warned by Danilo you could get lost and that they were hikes. Initially we followed a path alongside the water hoping for a clear trail to cut up through the park. After this didn’t emerge we ended up cutting up on something that looked like a trail and working our way through the forest in the general right direction. The scenery was stunning with mossy cliffs, sun streaming through trees and Lupita scaling tall rocky paths as I scrambled up behind her.
Eventually we found our way out of the forest and to the edge of the lake we wanted to walk alongside. It was beautiful and we followed a kind of path alongside the watersedge until we eventually made it to Bad Soderbysjon- a picnic area by the water. As it was Good Friday lots of people were having picnics, or barbeques using the pits provided. It was nice to see that enjoying nature is part of the way of life in Sweden. After a nice picnic we took the standard way back on the actual path and road as it had been a much longer walk than initially expected and we were done!
Day 2- Exploring Gamla Stan- the Old Town
The following day we wanted to explore Gamla Stan and some of the new main town. As we were trying to avoid spending money we didn’t get the bus but instead walked the hour to this area and back as it was a lovely sunny day. This took us through some of the local residential areas and passed the big ferry and cruise ship liners docked on the waters edge. It did give us great views over the water though of the Djurgården island and all the commuter ferries hoping from the Old town to various different islands in the archipelago (a good way to do a cruise on a budget). Gamla Stan itself was very busy as it was Easter Saturday- lots of people having Fika (pastries and coffee) which is a Swedish pasttime. It was a compact but pretty area. From seeing the palace we walked onto the small Ridderholmen island. This was much quieter and equally gorgeous. On the Evert Taubes Terrass we had lunch in the sun with a gorgeous view over the water and looking out over other sections of the city.
Photos: Cruise ships, views to djugarden, gamla stan, terrace where we had lunch
After lunch we decided to check out the newer town so walked up the notable shopping street of Drottninggatan and through the fancier Ostermalm area via Kungsträdgården to the watersedge. Here we had great views of the front of the palace and of the other islands stretching out. We were getting tired at this point though so decided to head back as we still had an hour back to the flat. We got slower and slower as we went too but the Old Town is definitely a nice area to walk around if you are in the vicinity. On the way back we did grab cheap Kanelbulle (cinammon buns) though so we could treat ourselves with our own budget Fika!
Day 3- Nacka Strand Boardwalk
After 2 very long days of walking we were exhausted. So we had much quieter mornings/ shorter walks with the dogs and playing ball in the park. Once we had recooperated a bit we had a longer evening walk along Nacka Strand boardwalk. This took us past fancy boats all tucked up still waiting for summer and very expensive looking house boats- although more floating houses than traditional house boats. The wooden board walk then clung to the cliff edge and gave fantastic views out onto other islands. We made our way through a cool area with various restaurants and street food and settled on the end of the pier watching the sunset as the local ferries went back and forth. It was beautiful but got quiet cold so before we lost the light we headed back along the boardwalk to the flat watching the colours change in the sky.
Day 4- Hellasgarden circular hike
Keen to explore more of Stockholms beautiful nature we walked back through the Nacka suburbs to Hellasgarden lake. This stunning lake was filled with people picnicing all around it on cliff edges, islands but all finding their own slice of nature to enjoy Easter Sunday in. After a 45 minute walk we walked around the flat side of the lake and made our way to a small outcrop in the lake for our own picnic. It was even complete with some people sunbathing naked so we found a bit that was looking out onto the lake instead! The trail around the lake then took us passed a small beach area, with a bathing entrance to the lake. It was 17 degrees out so obviously there were people taking a dip, even though parts of the lake were still frozen in places. A few weeks ago it had been completely frozen over and people had been skating on it. Then the trail became cliffs that we had to fully scramble up in places but they gave fantastic views out over the lake. In places we lost the trail markings where we had followed some paths and had to wiggle back up the cliffs again to find our way and the last part of the walk took us through the forest and passed the main entrance/bathing and picnic area of the lake. A very enjoyable hike, with incredible scenary, only a few minutes drive from the city centre! As it was Easter when we got back we tried one of the local Swedish easter drinks called Paskmust which was delicious- almost like a chocolatey coke- very refreshing after a long walk.
Day 5- Hammarby harbour walk
Our last full day in Stockholm we headed out for a nice easy walk around Hammarby harbour. This area was only a short distance from our housesit but the walk around the harbour in total was about an 8km walk still. This area is lovely, the harbour being surrounded by nice flats, various different restaurants, parks, terraces to sit and enjoy the sunshine and even restaurants on some boats. There were lots of ferries dotting about in the waterways too, it was very scenic for a nice easy stroll. On the way back we treated ourselves to a coffee in Black Honey roasters. This coffee shop and roastery was fantastically designed, a motorcycle in the shop, serving all sorts of nice coffee and playing jazz. They were very welcoming of Lupita too. If we could own a coffee shop we would want it to be like that one.
In the early hours the next morning our hosts returned back and there was a very excitable Lupita. We really enjoyed our time in Stockholm, looking after Lupita and exploring the nature of Stockholm. We could both see why it is a desired place to live and we have plenty more to see like Djurgården island and hoping on the ferries to explore the archipelago.
But for now we were off to a small place in the countryside to find ourselves a sauna!
Thanks
Alex
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