Stockholm shimmers by the sea Stockholm sparkles in every season. In the long winter, light strikes off snow; in the spring,
green buds glisten in the city's parks; on long summer days, the sun glints on water. But autumn – when sunlight shines on cobbled
streets and old stones – is the perfect time to visit Sweden's sea-swathed capital city: the summer crowds are gone and the city hasn't yet curled in on itself for winter.

Stockholm is built on 14 islands lapped by Lake Malaren and stretching into the Baltic Sea. The islands are stitched together with bridges and you'll stroll from one to the other almost without noticing it.The heart of the city is the Old Town with its narrow cobbled streets leading to Stortorget Square.The upper floor
of the Borshuset, the former Stock Exchange, is the seat of the Swedish Royal Academy where members assemble to select the
winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature.The Nobel Prize-giving dinner is held in the magnificent City Hall.The Royal Palace
dominating the Old Town is where Sweden's Royal family lived until 1981 when they moved with their small children to Drottningholms
Castle.The entire Gamla Stan area is picturesque, perfect for roaming, crowded with welcoming restaurants, and loaded with
interesting boutiques.

Dedicated shoppers can choose between the high-fashion mall and shops around Stureplan in the Ostermalm district and“SoFo,” the area South of Folkungagatan and east of Gotgatan in the Sodermalm area.This is Stockholm's trendiest district, where young
artists and designers show off their wares. You'll find everything here, from designer fashion to sneakers, vintage clothing to 1960s
furniture.

If you want to sample the legendary Stockholm clubs, set out before midnight.To avoid the queues, show up dressed in your
best around 11 pm. But for the coolest bar, you need to book ahead: the Absolut Ice Bar is the igloo-like retreat in the Nordic Sea
Hotel (next to the Central Railway station)
where the temperature is always -5 degrees
Celsius.Your 140 Kroner entrance fee includes
the use of a fur-trimmed cape with attached
mittens, and your first drink (served in a glass
made of ice). Seating is on reindeer skins
spread over blocks of ice. It's always packed
out, so ring to reserve your 45-minute visit as
soon as you have a date in mind! Telephone:
+46 8 5056 3000