Christmas in Stockholm

ABOVE: Christmas at the Skansen open-air museum in Stockholm. INSET BELOW: Skansen Christmas poster from the 1930s.

Christmas and Stockholm go together like Santa Claus and reindeer--although, in Sweden, the reindeer are more likely to appear on restaurant menus than on rooftops. Stockholmers love their holiday traditions, from glögg (hot spiced wine) to Santa Lucia events in mid-December.

Advent markets are popular with locals and tourists alike. At least four are available within the city limits:

Skansen, on the park island of Djurgården, whose Christmas markets date back to 1903.

Gamla Stan, a.k.a. the Old Town, where the glögg and shoppers flow freely in the Stortorget just south of the Royal Palace.

Rosendal Palace, a bit out of the center on Djurgården, which has holiday stalls in its gardens.

Kungstradgården, a large downtown park near the Tourist Centre and the major department stores.

For more information on Christmas markets and other holiday events in the Stockholm area, see the following pages at Stockholmtown.com, the official Web site of the Stockholm Visitors Board:

Eventful Stockholm
Scroll down for a list of Christmas markets with opening times and Web links. The calendar also has general information on other events in December, including Lucia celebrations.

Traditional Christmas in Stockholm
This short interview with Erik Sandberg-Diment of The New York Times is followed by Christmas-related links--including links to smorgåsbord cruises in Stockholm's archipelago.

Related articles at Europe for Visitors:

Christmas in Sigtuna (Sweden's oldest town)

Stockholm travel articles

Top photo by Marie Andersson for Skansen. Used by permission.

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