One of the most beautiful cities in Europe and built over 14 islands, Stockholm is the perfect destination for a city break – especially in the summer months. However, it isn’t exactly renowned for being particularly wallet-friendly, and you need to be quite savvy if you want to visit on a budget. Start saving by searching for cheap flights to Stockholm on Cheapflights.co.uk, then take a look at these cheap and free things to do…
Discover the underground art
Stockholm’s subway system puts most other cities to shame. Decked with sculptures, paintings and mosaics from over 150 artists spanning 110km, the underground network is often hailed as the world’s longest exhibition. Ninety of the 100 stations in the city have artwork to boast, but the T-Centralen station is one of the most iconic, with a huge mural painted onto the rocky underbelly of Stockholm and designed by Per Olof Ultvedt in 1975. You can get a ticket to last 75 minutes for around £2 and for around £9 you can station hop to your heart’s content for 24 hours.
Kick back on the beach
Stockholm has two sandy beaches ideal for lounging around in the summer: Långholmsbadet and Smedsuddsbadet. Each one is located on a tree-lined island, and thanks to the city’s exceptionally clean water they’re the perfect spots to take a dip and soak in the views.
Explore the free museums
Some of the Swedish capital’s museums offer free admission at certain times like the Medieval Museum, Maritime Museum and Architecture Museum. One to definitely check out is the Modern Art Museum (Moderna Museet), which is home to some of the world’s most revered 20th-century artists including Pablo Picasso, Ljubov Popova and Andy Warhol. There’s even a free audio guide app available so you can delve deeper into the artworks on display. If you really want to get to grips with the city’s museum offering, you can invest in a Stockholm Pass Card for £68, which gives you access to over 75 attractions and museums along with use of public transport for four days.
Go wild camping
Sweden has a long history of honouring the relationship between humans and nature through the tradition of allemansrätten or “everyman’s right”. Allowing the right of public access for everyone means that you can roam and wild camp just about anywhere as long as you don’t disturb or destroy the environment when you do. So if you really want to be at one with nature, you can venture out of the city to explore any number of the thousands of islands in the wider Stockholm archipelago or jump on a bus and check out Tyresta National Park.
Take a free walking tour
There are a number of free guided tours in Stockholm, with English speaking tour guides more than willing to impart their knowledge of their hometown. Wander through the old town to discover the city’s medieval history, take in the sights of modern architecture or taste our way through the best local food markets. Although all the tours are free, don’t leave your wallet at home as it is polite to tip the guides if you enjoy the tour.
Hang out in Södermalm
Nearly every city has a hipster hangout and Stockholm is no different. Located in the south of Stockholm and formerly a working class area, Södermalm is a smorgasbord of culture with vintage shops, budget-friendly restaurants and bars, artisan bakers and Scandi-cool apparel shops. The browsing part is free but you may need to exercise a little restraint to avoid picking up some things on the way.
Ready to discover Stockholm? First, you’ve got to get there. Cheapflights.co.uk allows you to search for the best flight, hotel and car hire prices all in one place.
