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Stockholm in Winter – 2019 Backpacking Trip
Stockholm New Years
Thinking of visiting Stockholm around New Years? Let me start off by saying – winter in Stockholm is cold. Really cold and really fun! But it’s also a good way of acclimating to something very different. The sun is only out for 4 hours a day, most events are obviously indoors, and fika is a real thing.
My fellow travelers, Mark and Matt, joined me in ringing in a Stockholm New Years. However, I’ll have to be honest. New Years itself was not top on the list of “best things we did in Stockholm.” Being explorative and creative was a great way to stumble upon some niche activities. So for this post, I’ll focus on one day in particular that I believe the three of us agree was worth going to Stockholm for.
However, because our experience will probably NOT give you a reason to travel across the planet to a freezing environment, here is a list of other cool stuff we did and where we stayed while in Stockholm. The city definitely has a lot to offer!
Click HERE to skip to.
- Gamla Stan
- Vasa Museum
- New Year
- Kungsträdgården
- Crafoord Place
- Jumbo stay
Getting Situated and Couchsurfing Groups
There was a time when we got to Stockholm where our bodies were not in shambles. That didn’t last long. We all first met at our hostel, Crafoord Place, which was in the commercial district of Norrmalm. Upon entry, we met our roommates – two French girls I’ll dub French duo #1. French duo #1 did not like our operations from the get go. French duo #2 was way cooler. They happened to be two other ladies who worked at Crafoord and hung out with us. At times, we got caught up in the inter-French drama in SWEDEN. Go figure. In other news, I started reaching out to the local Couchsurfing groups in Stockholm to see what was up and what people were doing.
Stockholm Couchsurfing Group
Do not overlook this group! There are a bunch of awesome people who are very active on the app. We met up for fika (coffee, snack and chat) and I really owe it to this group for making our experience what it was!
After a short walk onto a bridge connected island, we were roaming around Gamla Stan (Old Town). Things were taking shape. Couchsurfing responses soon followed, plans were initiated, and afterburners were engaged. Due to the velocity at which things were developing, we decided it was best to proactively stock up at the local supermarket, too. There were more restrictions on liquor than we were used to, but I did find some dangerous-looking steroid Santa drink. The cashier assured me, it was only a seasonal offering. Nice.
Liquor Laws
Read up on the liquor monopoly and laws – all is handled through Systembolaget.
Falcon Activacion at Anchor Pub
We regrouped back at our hostel where our two French girl roommates were not having any of our banter. Such a shame. It was time to take Stockholm by storm and meet up with some couchsurfers. Pub Anchor, our prime real estate spot for the night, became our favorite bar with the legendary Falcon beer. Look, this stuff was flowing in abundance.
In the bar, we met up with the couchsurfers at some tables upstairs and had a full night of story sharing and joking around with each other. It really is amazing how travel can become common ground for each person to open up interesting conversations.
Downstairs, Pub Anchor was truly a heavy rock bar, full of rock history and memorabilia. The menus were even vinyl records! That night we also got to see a live band play and they absolutely killed it. The music was the tone setter and catalyst for the madness to come.
Swedish Surfing!
Following Falcon activacion, everything started becoming a great idea. That’s how we discovered Stockholm’s ancient sport of Swedish surfing. At the top of the hill in Observatorielunden park ground, we revived this legacy. Observatorielunden may have been a relaxing stroll kinda park, but we turned it into a ground of concentrated midnight mayhem and recklessness.
The entire ordeal started when we found a long patch of ice going down a walking path for a few hundred feet. At first, we slid a few feet. Fun. Then, it escalated. Who could slide further? Before we knew it, we were sliding the entire strip of ice. This level of entertainment came at a cost. A bodily cost. There were HUGE concussion worthy impacts. We hit the guard rails, racked our backs and Matt takes the throne with a split chin. I can’t say I recommend doing this in a foreign country at 2am, but Falcon beer. We literally spent hours here, in our own little world, just sliding down an ice patch in a park. It was pure living in the moment and freedom at its finest.
The night eventually came to a close, and so did 2018. We made it back to the hostel with bodies in questionable shape, proud that we singlehandedly mastered Swedish surfing in the course of a night.
Other Stockholm Things
Gamla Stan – This is the Old Town section in Stockholm. The cobblestone streets are narrow and bring in a lot of tourists. You can find plenty of restaurants and bars here, a medieval museum and the royal palace. Most of the architecture is 17th and 18th century.
Vasa Museum – Any post about Stockholm will surely mention Vasa. The ancient ship was meticulously designed and the pure size is a feat in itself for that time. Too bad it didn’t float.
Kungsträdgården – Because we didn’t wreck ourselves enough on ice, this park has an ice skating rink which we took full advantage of.
New Years – 2019 was rung in at Gamla Stan, where Stockholm put on a firework display. The highlight for me was meeting some fellow Polish people, who graciously shared their vodka and kielbasa amid fireworks galore.
Crafoord Place & Jumbo Stay – Crafoord was inexpensive and pretty well located. Jumbo was in a freaking jet. You decide.
The Shenanigans Continue
Stockholm was just the beginning of 2019. Next, we were ready to meet up with the rest of the crew in VIenna and carry onward.
As always, the Mc D nugs in this Scandanavian country are noticeably fishy tasting. Interesting. To be continued!
-ML
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Michael Lakus
IT professional, athlete, musician, ponderer of many things... Born and raised in Florida, I began traveling internationally after college. I created this site primarily to remind myself of where I've been and to share my experiences on traveling with a quirky, stress-free, travel attitude.
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