Stockholm/Norrmalm

Norrmalm [nɔrˈmalm], also known as City, is the central borough of Stockholm, bordering to Östermalm to the east at Birger Jarlsgatan, the Old Town to the south, Kungsholmen to the south-west, and Vasastan north-west of Tegnérgatan. The small Skeppsholmen island can be reached across a bridge.

Here you find Stockholm Central Station, Scandinavia's busiest station for railway, metro and buses. Norrmalm also contains the central business district and several government functions, and many famous museums, stage venues and restaurants.

Understand
For most of its history, Norrmalm was a suburb of Stockholm proper; Gamla Stan. Norrmalm used to be divided by a north-south ridge, Brunkebergsåsen, which remains in form of the elevated streets Malmskillnadsgatan [ˈmalmˌʃɪlnadzˈgɑːtan] and Regeringsgatan. The Central Station opened in 1871, and industries and working-class homes grew along the railway. Southern Norrmalm became a central business district, known as City, through two major redevelopments: first in the 1880s, and again in the 1960s. Since the 1990s, a new wave of renovation has been under way to add residential blocks and pedestrian areas, decrease crime, and reduce traffic noise. Sergels torg and its surroundings re-opened in 2018.

Skeppsholmen was a base for the Swedish Navy until the mid-20th century. Most buildings are still owned by the government, transformed into museums and other venues. Very few people live on the island today.

A political centre, Norrmalm has been the stage of many historical events. Three major assassinations (King Gustavus III in 1792, Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986, and Foreign Minister Anna Lindh in 2003) have happened here, as well as a hostage crisis at Norrmalmstorg in 1973, which coined the term Stockholm Syndrome. The name City is said to be derived from City of London, as Swedish people interpreted the English word city as central district.

Get in

 * See Stockholm County for advice on public transport.

Stockholm Central Station is adjacent to Cityterminalen [ˈsitʏˌtærmɪˈnɑːlən] (the bus terminal) and T-Centralen [ˈteːsentrˈɑːlən] (the subway terminal).

Stockholm Central Station
80 per cent of all passenger rail rides in Sweden pass Stockholm Central Station. The last redevelopment was finished during 2013, and most facilities are state-of-the-art.

Tracks (spår) #1-9 are terminal tracks for trains heading north. These can be reached at street level. Track #10, mostly used by trains to Gothenburg, runs just outside the main hall. Tracks #11-19 are connected to the Central Station through an underground passage, and an overhead passage to Klarabergsviadukten.


 * There are more than 60 stores and fast food places at the station, most of them around the main hall. The northern hall has a food court.
 * The station has a taxi stand at Vasagatan, with a surcharge of 21 kr. Only reliable taxi companies are allowed to dock, because of the great variation of cab fares. You can hire any cab at the stand, or hail one in the street; be sure to look up the yellow price tag in the window!
 * Free Wifi network, named All Station Guests.
 * Tourist Information in the main hall.
 * Baggage boxes can be paid with a credit card or cash. They cost 60-70 kr per 24-hour period. There are cheaper baggage boxes at nearby department store Åhléns, as well.
 * The toilets cost 10 kr. If you want to save money, try to ask for the toilets at one of the several hotels nearby.
 * Stockholm City is a station far beneath ground level (below the metro) for commuter trains, pendeltåg, opened in 2017, with modern art in the spirit of Stockholm Metro, simulated daylight and platform walls, it is one of the most pleasant rail stations in northern Europe.

Get around
The area is well served by public transport, and everything is within walking distance. Some streets (Malmskillnadsgatan and Regeringsgatan) are elevated, but there are staircases at most intersections. Car parking lots are available but costly, in most cases above 50 kr an hour during daytime.

As of 2018, many construction projects take place in Norrmalm, forcing cars, bicycles and pedestrians to take detours.

Spårväg City is a tram line which connects the Central Station to Östermalm and Djurgården.



See
Redeveloped several times, Norrmalm has very diverse architecture: The eastern waterfront is full of palatial buildings from around 1900. The 1960s buildings, around Sergels Torg have a flat, modernist appearance with naked concrete, while recent developments paint much of the district in plain white or black surfaces.









Skeppsholmen
If visiting the museums on Djurgården it's a short ferry ride across to Skeppsholmen where there are several more:



Do




Buy
Norrmalm is Stockholm's main shopping district. Norrmalmstorg, Biblioteksgatan and the southern end of Birger Jarlsgatan, together with crossing streets and the Sturegallerian shopping centre on Stureplan, form the most upscale shopping area in the city, with brands like Emporio Armani (Biblioteksgatan 3, +46 8 678 79 80), Gucci (Birger Jarlsgatan 1, +46 8 545 005 44), Hugo Boss (Birger Jarlsgatan 28, +46 8 611 42 40), Karen Millen (Biblioteksgatan 7, +46 8 611 57 06) and Louis Vuitton (Birger Jarlsgatan 17 A, +46 8 611 92 00).

Drottninggatan is a pedestrianised street starting at the Riksbron bridge to Gamla Stan and continuing north up to the Observatorielunden park. The section south of the Sergels torg square is a typical tourist trap, dominated by stores selling tourist souvenirs and cheap clothes, and bland and bleak restaurants. Between Sergels Torg and Kungsgatan you will find the Åhléns and PUB department stores, as well as flagship stores for some national and international clothing chains. North of Kungsgatan, there are more cafés, restaurants and smaller stores.

Department stores and shopping centres




Fashion
The area around Sergels Torg is dominated by mainstream fashion shopping, with seven different H&M stores. Alternative clothing stores can be found further north.



Glassware and furnishing




Other




Eat
Restaurants in Norrmalm are usually crowded by office workers during lunch break (from 12:00 to 13:00). Á la carte dining can be rather costly; expect to pay more than 120 kr for a hot lunch, and more than 250 kr for a dinner.

Mid-range





 * Operabaren and Bakfickan,, Kungsträdgården (T Kungsträdgården). Two restaurants in the Royal Opera house, sharing the same menu. Much more laidback, and considerably less expensive than the formal fine dining restaurant Operakällaren and the celebrity-obsessed nightclub Café Opera in the same building. Operabaren and Bakfickan specialise in traditional Swedish cuisine. The rustique "back pocket" Bakfickan is slightly cheaper, but does not allow reservations. Mains: Bakfickan 130-260 kr, Operabaren 150-300 kr.

Splurge




Drink
Most hotels in the area have a hotel bar. Most are costly even by Swedish standards; a beer is around 70 kr.

Eastern Norrmalm
The eastern district is dominated by high-cost establishments. The nightlife hub Stureplan is divided between Norrmalm and Östermalm. Dress code, vårdad klädsel, usually applies at late night. Getting inside the most fashionable clubs can be difficult: arrive early, don't drink too much, and behave well.



Sleep
As Norrmalm is Stockholm's central business district, most hotels are at 4- or 5-star level, and priced accordingly; 1000 kr or more for a single room. The bars of these establishments are lively during evenings.

Budget
The hostels in Norrmalm are few and popular. Advance booking is strongly recommended, especially during summer.



Mid-range






Stay safe
Though rather safe compared to other metropolitan centres, there are a few caveats for central Stockholm:
 * Begging in busy areas.
 * Illegal street gambling, especially along Drottninggatan.
 * The welfare institutions at Klara Church attract homeless people, and people with addiction problems or mental conditions. They rarely cause trouble to bypassers, though.
 * Pickpocketing, especially at the Central Station, and in the metro.
 * The T-Centralen subway entrance to Sergels Torg ("Plattan") is a well-known hangout for drug-dealers at night, however, this should not be an issue unless you are actively seeking trouble.
 * Drunk violence at evenings, especially around nightclub lines.
 * Soliciting of sexual services at night. Hiring a prostitute is illegal in Sweden.