What to see in Stockholm in 6 hours?

I try to sail to Stockholm once every two years. I particularly enjoy sailing there by ferry from Finland, walking around for 6 hours, and returning. Such a trip doesn't take much time – three days, and there are plenty of adventures for such a short period.

In this article, I will tell you what you can manage to see in Stockholm in these 6 hours. It's especially suitable for those who have never been there or haven't been for a very long time and have forgotten everything. And as a bonus: what to do if you miss your return ferry.

Leaving the ferry

So, the Viking Line ferry arrives in Stockholm at around 10 AM. From the ferry to Gamla Stan square in the old town is a 30-minute walk. Luckily, interesting locations await us for all these 30 minutes!

Walk straight along the water towards the old town. The first place worth stopping is the photography museum Fotografiska. Inside, both photographers and those far from technical intricacies but who simply love beautiful images will enjoy it. There's a shop right at the entrance, galleries further in.

Admission to the museum costs 170 Swedish kronor for adults, and 140 for students and youth (up to 26 years old) – 16 and 13 euros respectively.

Another 800 meters will bring you to the free observation deck Katarina Elevator. The view is interesting: looking into the distance, you can see the old town and the city hall, and looking down, there's a real anthill of people.

Going into the city

Just across the bridge, which you'll see from the observation deck, is the old town; it's like it's on a separate island. As soon as you enter, you'll find yourself near the narrowest street in the city – Mårten Trotzigs gränd – it's only 90 cm wide.

On the way to the main square, you'll likely pass by the German Church. If you're there on a weekend, take a look inside – the interior decoration is stunningly beautiful! But admission costs 3 euros.

Gamla Stan

And here is Gamla Stan – that very square with colorful houses! This is where seasonal fairs and festivities are held. However, the history of these houses is very sad. Your attention will be drawn to the brightest one – the red house with white stones. It was formerly known as the 'Blood House' due to events that took place in the square in 1520.

The fact is that the Danish King Christian II very much wanted to become the King of Sweden. And when he succeeded, he executed men in the square for three days and sent women to Denmark. It is said that the white stones around the windows are the souls of those who were executed at his doorstep during those days. Count them, and you will be horrified!

Just a stone's throw from the main square is another church – St. Nicholas. It's free and also very beautiful! And around the corner, you'll find the Royal Palace. A majestic building, though somewhat uniform. The changing of the guard happens every day at 12:15 PM, and on Sundays at 1:15 PM. I also recommend getting a little lost in the nearby streets and peeking into open courtyards – they are incredibly cozy.

From the Royal Palace, three bridges lead to another island. If you walk along the short street Riksgatan, you'll cross a bridge to Drottninggatan street. This street is full of shops and cafes. They say a woman walks this street in a day, and a man in an hour. But we don't have a day, so we'll pop into souvenir shops if needed and move on.

Metro

There's a pleasant park in Kungsträdgården square, with the metro nearby. People always say about Stockholm's metro: 'It's beautiful!' I suggest you see for yourself.

A 75-minute ticket will be enough for you; it costs 37 kronor (3.50 euros). This means you can enter and exit at any station within 75 minutes.

You can reach Stockholm's City Hall by metro (the nearest station is Rådhuset). Nobel Prizes are awarded there every year on December 10th.

It's also convenient to take the metro back; the closest station to the ferry is Slussen – about a 20-minute walk.

What to do if you miss the ferry

An unpleasant bonus, I hope this doesn't happen to you! No one suspected, but our ferry departed 20 minutes earlier than scheduled. Consequently, our belongings sailed to Helsinki without us.

Option: ferry to Turku

This was a first for me; I had to improvise. So, we were lucky that another ferry was departing that same evening, but to Turku. There was no choice; we needed to be in Helsinki the next day, as our bus to St. Petersburg was leaving at 2 PM. And it wouldn't hurt to pick up our belongings!

Belongings

Another important point. All items forgotten on the ferry are handed over by Viking Line to the city's lost and found office (Stockholm or Helsinki, depending on the final destination). But in the Finnish capital, the lost and found office is quite far away, in the Pasila district. To avoid having to pick up your items from there, ask a company employee to notify their colleagues on the ferry about your forgotten belongings. This way, they won't transfer them to the office, and you can collect them upon arrival.

It's very important to retrieve your belongings as quickly as possible, as new passengers board the ferry after some time, and it departs. Our missed ferry arrived in Helsinki at 10 AM, and we rushed to it directly from the bus at 11 AM. So, we managed to get to the cabin and collect our items without any problems. Always check how long your ferry will stay in port. If you can't pick up your items within an hour of its arrival, they will likely end up at the lost and found office.

Bus to Helsinki

In the end, we bought ferry tickets to Turku, and from there, bus tickets to Helsinki.

There's a small bus station near the port in Turku; if you're looking for bus tickets, specify this one at the port, not the main bus station. We traveled with Onnibus for 7 euros; the bus arrived half an hour after the ferry, and it took us to Helsinki in two hours.

Tips for ferry travelers:

• If you leave luggage in the cabin, be sure to take your passport, money, and basic toiletries with you into the city. Just in case you also miss the return ferry for some reason. If you only have a small backpack, you can take it with you entirely.
• Arrive at the port half an hour before the ferry's departure, so you definitely won't miss it.
• Keep your cabin key in case you miss the ferry.

And everything will be fine!