Saturday 27th January 2024 • Promotional Content


T e Travel Guide 5


Oskar, an employee of Stockholm Adventures, at Klara Sjö PHOTOGRAPH: SIMON BAJADA


commuter Ulrika Lööf tells me as we board the number 89 ferry outside the City Hall that afternoon. She’s making her way to her home island of Ekerö, about an hour’s boat ride away, which she moved to almost 30 years ago. For a long time, before the ferry service was launched, she had to travel by car, bus and metro to work in downtown Stockholm. T ere’s no question that this is


the better way to go. Sitting on the top deck, enjoying the panoramic views, with sunshine on our faces, we watch the city centre slip away and the full expanse of Stockholm unveil itself.


All aboard Stockholm’s fi rst ferries were boats rowed by roddarmadam (literally ‘rower madam’) — pairs of local women who ran a kind of water taxi system from the 15th century until the early 20th century. And


while commuting has evolved since then, it’s still developing. Ulrika’s 55-minute journey is set to drop to just 25 minutes when a new electric boat comes into service. As I step off at the city outskirts and bid her goodbye, Ulrika has one last insight for me. “One other benefi t of the ferry is that it’s always on time,” she says. “No traffi c!” Despite their intensely rural


nature, the islands of the Stockholm archipelago are considered an extension of the city, especially in summer months. And there are endless options to choose from. Just 20 minutes’ boat ride from the city, Fjäderholmarna brims with artists’ studios. On small, privately owned Idöborg, an hour from the city, you can sample yoga and sauna. And on Utö, a particularly large and enchanting sweep of forest and beach dotted with red clapboard cottages, you could lose a whole week to the wilderness. I


On the island of Skeppsholmen. Strandvagen can be seen in the background PHOTOGRAPH: SIMON BAJADA “Despite their intensely


rural nature, the islands of the Stockholm archipelago are


considered an extension of the city, especially in summer months”


spend one afternoon here touring the rejuvenated wetlands, hiking through untouched forest, eating in a grand inn and lazing on beaches fringed by granite boulders. On my fi nal evening, I take


the ferry to Skeppsholmen, a tiny isle in the city centre. It’s green and sleepy apart from a few buildings, including a former military barracks that’s now a heritage hotel. As I walk the quiet, leaf-lined circular path, the view across the harbour reveals a highlights reel of Stockholm across the ages: the timeless splendour of Gamla Stan stands alongside bobbing fi shing boats, a castle fort and the rollercoasters of Gröna Lund,


Stockholm’s 19th-century amusement grounds. T ere are couples dining al fresco at a waterside restaurant and families sprawling on the grass. And, sewing it all together, ever a constant, is that glittering expanse of blue.


HOW TO DO IT


British Airways, Ryanair, Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian offer direct fl ights to Stockholm from a variety of UK airports. ba.com ryanair.com fl ysas.com norwegian.com Stockholm’s centre is compact in size, but due to the waterways, it can take a while to travel even short distances. Pick up an SL travel card, which offers unlimited access to the city’s buses, metro and ferries in 24-hour, 72-hour or seven-day periods. sl.se


Where to stay Hotel Skeppsholmen, Skeppsholmen. Doubles from 2,202 SEK (£160), B&B. hotelskeppsholmen.se Berns, central Stockholm. Doubles from 1,700 SEK (£123), B&B. berns.se Featured in National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine November 2023 nationalgeographic.com/travel


SUBSCRIPTION OFFER


+


S EE THE WORLD! £3 FOR 4 MAGAZINES


SCAN THE QR CODE OR QUOTE DRJAN2 4 AT SUB SCRI P TIONS .NATGEOTRAVE L L ER .CO.UK


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48