Gay Stockholm

A guide to Gay Stockholm

Stockholm is truly a beautiful city. Spread over 14 islands, connected by over 50 bridges, over 30% of the city area is made up of water and another 30% of green spaces. The Swedish capital has some of the most interesting new Scandinavian architecture, side-by-side with some of the most charming middle-age buildings. Founded in 1250, it is one of the oldest towns in Sweden, and due to its strategic location, between lake Maelaren and the Baltic Sea, it soon became a national centre. It has a population of over 860,000 inhabitants, and is the cultural, political, economic and media centre of Sweden.

Our top sightseeing tips for Stockholm

• Vasa Museum - A very impressive museum displaying the historical 17th century Vasa warship.
  
• Gamla Stan - The name for Stockholm’s historical centre. Here you will find the Swedish parliament “Riksdag" - and the Royal Palace.
  
• Boat Sightseeing - Very few capitals offer the opportunity to be seen from their waterways. There are a number of water tours on offer but the best are: “Under the bridges of Stockholm“, ”Royal Canal Tour“ and the “Historical Canal Tour“.
  
• The Royal Palace - This enormous baroque building is the King’s official residence and with 600 rooms, it is one of Europe’s largest palaces. It is also the King’s workplace and houses an interesting museum displaying the Treasury, the Royal Apartments and King Gustav III’s antiques.
  
• Skansen Open-Air Museum - A unique museum that encompasses Stockholm’s Zoo, a display of living history, and an exhibition on traditional Swedish festivities.
  
• Abba Museum, Need we say more? A huge hit with gay visitors, and lots of fun.
  
• Millesgarden - Built by the sculptor Carl Milles and located on the island of Lidingo, it displays a magnificent range of his work.
  
• The Stockholm City Museum - Located in a 17th century palace, the museum covers the history of Stockholm.
  
• The Hallwyl Museum - Discover the elegant and fascinating home of collector Wilhelmina von Hallwyl.
  
• The Royal Armoury - Located in the cellar of the Royal Palace, it displays costumes and glittering carriages, telling the stories or royal coronations, weddings and funerals.

Getting There

Situated in the centre of Scandinavia, Stockholm is easily reached by road, rail, air and boat. It has four international airports: Arlanda, Bromma, Skavsta and Vaesteras. Arlanda is one of Europe’s best airports and is just 20 min by train from the centre of the city. Bromma is also very close to the downtown area. Skavsta and Vaesteras are 1hr 20 min from the city centre by bus.

Should you be planning to travel by Ferry, Stockholm’s harbours have several connections to and from Finland, the Baltic states, and Poland. They all dock close to the city centre – and close to most gay hotels. If you are arriving by cruise-liner – around 350 visit the city every year – click here for more information.

Getting Around

Public transport is Stockholm are comfortable, efficient and safe. The Stockholm Card is certainly one of the most convenient ways of getting around, giving you free admission to 80 museums, free sightseeing and a free guide book.

If you prefer to use taxis, be aware that taxi fares in Sweden are NOT regulated and that fares vary significantly between companies. Only hire approved taxis with yellow number plates and always ask for the price in advance. Here are some cab companies recommended by the city tourism office: Taxi Stockholm, Sverige Taxi, Taxi 020.

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Gay Stockholm

It is no surprise that Scandinavian countries are gay-friendly - their cultures have always been relatively liberal and accepting. Stockholm has contributed a lot to moving the gay agenda forward in Sweden and northern Europe in general - and can now be said to be one of the top 'gay capitals' of Europe, along with London, Madrid, Barcelona and Berlin.

The huge Europride event has actually been hosted twice in the Swedish capital - both times very successfully. The city government has been assertively promoting and welcoming gays and lesbians for a while now, helped by the new ABBA Museum of course. The gay scene is very friendly and relaxed here, with some really lovely gay bars and restaurants offering classy spaces to see and be seen in. Stockholm Pride, held each summer, attracts over half a million spectators.

Our picks of the top gay and gay-friendly events in Stockholm are listed to the right.

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If you’re looking for Gay hotels Stockholm, or want to know what to do and see in the city, you’ve come to the right page. Stockholm's gay hotels and B&Bs are listed to the right, along with the city's 'actively gay-friendly' (i.e. they actively market to gay travellers) and other gay-friendly hotels and accommodation.

Should you want to search for gay hotels in Stockholm using a map and more criteria, we recommend using our main Gay Hotels search page - where you'll see a pin marking the 'gay centre' of the city, and also see airports marked.

Sweden is one of Europe’s most gay-friendly countries, so nearly all of its hotels and B&Bs are very welcoming to gays and lesbians. We recommend finding a hotel or apartment in the centre of the city – so that you’re close to all the best shops, bars, restaurants and sightseeing.

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Links to the best Gay Stockholm links

We have chosen not to list Stockholm's gay bars, restaurants and saunas - simply because the gay scene there (as in all European cities) changes so often. So any listings we had would probably be out of date. Rather than trying to replicate the listings of other specialist websites, we've listed below those websites we recommend you use to view the most up-to-date information on events, where to eat, what to do and see etc.