Stockholm Christmas Markets

Cold, dark, northern winter? The Swedes don’t let it get them down. Europe’s coolest capital cosies up with candlelight, hot and spicy glögg and bustling markets. Come December, Stockholm is aflicker with candles, and advent stars twinkle in every window. Among Gamla Stan’s mazy mediaeval streets, stalls selling cakes, crafts and gifts circle a brightly festooned fir; at Skansen open-air museum, you can warm your cockles by the fire, browse Market Street, or watch your kids join in dancing games round the tree. Such nostalgic cheerfulness is our favourite sort of run-up to Christmas – and once little elves are tucked up in bed, the city’s grown-up forms of merriment provide plenty more festive cheer.

Highlights

St Lucia’s Day, on 13 December, lights up one of the darkest days of the year, with white-clad children wearing lights or candlewreaths in their hair. In Stockholm, a chosen girl is the centre of a candlelit procession at Skansen at 18h. Here, she is crowned with candles and the chill night is lit up with fireworks.

Stockholm Christmas Markets Highlight Image

In The Know

Head Count

Approximately 25,000 people visit the Christmas market in Skansen every weekend.

Meeting Point

In Gamla Stan, aka the Old Town, meet up at the water fountain in the centre of Stortorget square, or the foyer of the Nobel Museum on the north side of the square. At Skansen, wait either at the main entrance or at the bright-red post office building by the central square and the information office.

Best View

The best view over Gamla Stan is from the restaurant or bar of Eriks Gondolen on Stadsgården.

Packing Tips

It can be very cold in Stockholm in December. Warm clothes are essential. The markets sell hand-knitted mittens and hats if you need supplies.

Escape

Go to the top of Slottsbacken, next to the palace in Gamla Stan, and you’ll find the Finnish church. In the peaceful courtyard behind the church is the tiny ‘Iron Boy’ statue. (Nuns at the nearby convent knit hats and scarves to keep him warm in the winter.)

Dos and don'ts

• Suspend your disbelief and believe in Father Christmas – just for a couple of days!
• Leave space in your suitcase to stock up on traditional Scandinavian gifts for friends and family; wooden toys and tree decorations are good things to bring home.
• Carry a handful of SEK5 coins to allow you to use the public toilets in Gamla Stan and in department stores.
• You don’t have to stick to traditional wares: sample some of Stockholm’s contemporary culture, too. The city is home to a tempting array of fashion-forward clothing and cutting-edge interior design (and we’re not just talking H&M or Ikea). Our favourite foraging forums are Svenskt Tenn on Strandvägen, an awe-inspiring interiors emporium you’ll want to import in its entirety (+66 (0)8 670 1600); and lifestyle boutique c/o Stockholm on Götgatan, where you’ll find below-the-radar brands, need-it-now make-up and tomorrow’s hottest labels.

Need To Know

Children

Naturally enough, the whole season is perfect for children, and there’s great scope for a family break. Skansen organises activities, including making Christmas decorations and traditional yuletide games.

Parking

Parking is difficult in the narrow streets of Gamla Stan; look elsewhere for a spot. There is a limited amount of 24-hour parking at Skeppsbron, on the eastern side of the island next to the ferry wharf. The amplest city-centre parking can be found at the Fältöversten shopping centre on Värtavägen in Ostermalm.

Disability Access

There is good disability access to Stortorget square; the rest of Gamla Stan isn’t so easy, since the streets are cobbled, and icy in winter. Using the main thoroughfare Västerlanggatan, you avoid the steeper streets. Skansen has disability access throughout, although many of the interiors of its historic buildings don’t have wheelchair access.

Food & Drink

Delicious Christmas food is one of the main attractions of Swedish Jul. Soak up the glögg with saffron-enhanced lussekatter or St Lucia buns. Julsinka, or Christmas ham, has its origins in a pre-Christian pig sacrifice to a Norse god and, more importantly, is mighty tasty. Julgröt is a seasonal rice pudding with cinnamon – Swedes say that whoever finds the almond hidden within it will be married in the next year.

Sleep

Book a room at the glorious old Berns Hotel, which houses a legendary complex of restaurants, bars and dance-floors, or head 15 minutes out of the centre to Hotel J, on Nacka Strand, and get a room with a view across the marina. For more details and to book, ring 0845 034 0701 or go to www.mrandmrssmith.com.

VIP

Not applicable at this event.