WORDS & PICTURES: Abi Prowse
I fell in love with Stockholm slowly. Unlike with other cities, whose beauty is intense, palpable as you take your first breath, Stockholm seeps gently under your skin. A cluster of archipelagos scattered through the Baltic Sea, the city’s neighbourhoods are clearly outlined by sharp slices of water, each decidedly different from the last. Commercial Norrmalm marks the business and transportation hub; tiny Skeppsholmen is home almost exclusively to the expansive Moderna Museet Gallery; Gamla Stan is the pastel-washed, picturesque old town; residential Södermalm is dotted with coffee houses and independent boutiques. Like a jigsaw, these seemingly-disjointed islands meld seamlessly together, creating the iconic Scandi atmosphere that is so beloved by visitors and locals alike.
Begin your journey by crossing the Riksbron bridge from Norrmalm, beneath the shadows of the elegant stonework which makes up the parliament building (the Riksdagshuset), before landing upon the modest northern bank of Gamla Stan. At dusk, the water here begins to glow, the sun’s final rays glinting a brilliant gold from the bright stones. Between the neat, square buildings, inconceivably narrow pathways begin to appear, piercing the perfect riverside façades; these mark the entrance to the colourful labyrinth of the city’s old town.
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Follow Västerlånggatan into the heart of Gamla Stan, as it weaves its way through the deep reds and brazen oranges of the tall, picture-book houses. Between the pointed roofs, glimpses of the graceful Storkyrkan spire are visible; visit iconic Stortorget square, each building somehow brighter and quirkier than its neighbour. Wander the streets and be devoured – yet lulled – by the warmth of its pink hues.
Södermalm is governed by creativity, its local-run businesses pulsing life through the wide streets. Unlike Gamla Stan, Södermalm is quiet, residential, and understated, favoured by Stockholm’s youthful population. Never losing sight of the city’s bold architectural style and well-loved pastel palette, this neighbourhood is home to Stockholm’s most frequented coffee houses and bars; on every corner lies a second-hand bookstore or vintage clothing market, catering to both the outlandish and more studious sides to the city’s personality. Because Stockholm is a patchwork of communities, a tapestry of old and new, of modern and antique, whose charm sits firmly within this very contradiction.
