Travel Bucket List: Stunning Stockholm 

Y. Satyanarayana

Stockholm, is more than the capital of Sweden--it has a quaint, romantic flavour to it. Stretching across fourteen islands, with an archipelago, Stockholm is the most populous city in Scandinavia.

With cobblestoned streets and lanes in old Stockholm or Gamla Stan and several bridges, the jewel of the Baltic, as it's popularly known, has a charm of its own.

The Nobel Museum,the 13th-century Storkyrkan Cathedral, Stockholm City Hall and the Kungliga Slottet Royal Palace are important places which no tourist can afford to miss. A World Heritage site, the Drottningholm Palace on the city's outskirts is the private residence of the Swedish royal family.

If you like visiting museums, Stockholm offers a few attractive options. There's the Nobel Museum, focussing on the Nobel Prize, Nobel laureates, and the founder of the prize, Alfred Nobel. Then you have the Stockholm City Museum, and Swedish Museum of Natural History. Two other museums of interest to many tourists are ABBA: The Museum, an interactive centre on the pop-group of yesteryears, and Fotografiska, museum of photography.

It is not without reason that Stockholm is called Venice of the North. Do a tour of the waterways and islands. You get to see a good part of Stockholm on the ferries and sightseeing boats which shuttle passengers between the islands. The Stockholm Archipelago or Skärgård is certainly worth a visit and ferries operate throughout the network of islands. You could go island-hopping on a boat. Don't miss a trip to Lake Mälaren, the third largest lake in Sweden. It is bound to be a ride into Sweden's Viking past.

If you're up to it, you could do a bike tour of Stockholm--the city has dozens of rent-a-bike places.

Plan your holiday well so that you can visit Gothenburg, which is 300 miles away from Stockholm and take a trip down the Bohuslän coast on the western coastline of Sweden.

Places to eat in Stockholm:

Gastabud--While you are in Gamla Stan, don't miss this cute little resturant. Order Swedish Meatballs, among other things.

Lilla Ego is the go to place for Nordic cuisine, but has several other options. A relaxed ambience and personalized attention enhance the quality of service and add to the experience.

The Opera källaren is another excellent place which ticks all the boxes of a great fine dining experience. Again, a great place for Swedish cuisine with several other choices. This beautiful restaurant was created in 1898 as a part of the royal opera house.

Weather: The summer months of June, July and August would be a good time to visit Stockholm. If you're the more adventurous kind, you could plan a trip in December or January, but be prepared for temperatures well below freezing point.