Stockholm Main Street

The Stockholm Main Street is made up by three pedestrian streets in different districts: Drottninggatan in Vasastan and Norrmalm, Stora Nygatan in Gamla stan, and Götgatan on Södermalm. Together they make up a through Stockholm's most interesting venues for shopping, dining and nightlife, similar to the Axe historique of Paris.

Understand
With the redevelopment of Norrmalm in the 1960s and 70s, pedestrian and bicycle traffic was put on exception in central Stockholm. From the 1990s, pedestrian routes have been restored, and by 2020 an extensive network of bicycle paths has opened.

Get around
The whole route is walkable with no staircases and light slopes, accessible for strollers and wheelchairs. There are a few crossings for road traffic. Car traffic from Sergels torg to Gullmarsplan is diverted to tunnels and highway bridges. While Gamla stan and Södermalm can be traversed by car, parking spaces are few, and driving is altogether impractical.

The green metro (tunnelbana) line runs parallel to the streets. Cycling is a practical option unless it is too cold and rainy. The passage through Slussen has some re-routing due to construction until 2025. Northern Götgatan has a steep slope, which does not deter seasoned cyclists.

Stockholm has a fleet of rental electric bicycles and scooters. They have seen increasing regulation, with speed limits in the inner old town.

Upper Drottninggatan
Drottninggatan is a pedestrianised street from the Observatorielunden park to the Riksbron bridge to Gamla stan. The section north of Kungsgatan is the most interesting, with independent cafés, restaurants and stores.

Vasastan has plenty of restaurants, most in the mid-range bracket, many in ethnic style. They are usually crowded by office workers during lunch break (from noon to 13:00).






 * On the cliff above the Library is the old Stockholm Observatory, which has a fine view of the city to the east. There is also a small café.





Mst of Stockholm’s second-hand record shops are clustered in the area between Odenplan and St Eriksplan. Most are open M-F 11:00-18:00, Sa 11:00-15:00. Some examples (starting from the Odenplan end) are:











Lower Drottninggatan
Between Kungsgatan and Sergels Torg you will find the Åhléns department store, as well as flagship stores for some national and international fashion chains, including several H&M stores.

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











Stora Nygatan
Gamla stan [gamlaˈstɑːn], the Old Town, also known as Staden mellan broarna ("the town between the bridges") is the Old Town in Stockholm, containing genuine cultural heritage, as well as tourist traps. Adjacent islands are Helgeandsholmen, with the Swedish Parliament, and Riddarholmen, with several nobility palaces, today occupied by various government functions. You can seek out the great events through the Stockholm history tour, and the great architecture with Stockholm quay palace tour.

Evening restaurant dining in Gamla stan can be more expensive than in outer districts. Check the evening menu price rather than the boards outside - the prices displayed outside are often lunch offers only. In winter months restaurant kitchens seem to close at around 21:30, so dine early! Drinks in Gamla stan are not cheap. If you like to drink a lot, it's worth heading further afield, and avoiding the tourist bars.



Stora Nygatan (Great New Street) is accessible by bicycle and wheeled vehicles, and has a wide range of art galleries, stores, restaurants, and bars.

Västerlånggatan is the traditional main street, flanked by beautiful historic buildings. The northern part of the street sell overpriced stereotypical souvenirs. In the southern part, there are stores for genuine jewelry and Swedish craft. The restaurants can be a bit overpriced. Västerlånggatan is not part of this route, as visitors are likely to end up on the street anyway.








 * The Royal Guards, Högvakten, used to consist of conscripts. Today, all Swedish soldiers are professional. A ceremonial changing of the guard occurs during June-August, as well as during major holidays, with the Mounted Guards arriving from Östermalm.









Götgatan through Södermalm
The steep hills of northern Södermalm has an eclectic blend of 18th century wooden cottages, industrial buildings and modern homes, and is sometimes compared to Montmartre. See Södermalm heights tour.

Södermalm has earned a reputation of "hipness", making Financial Times' top list of destinations for 2014 and third place on Vogue's list of the world's coolest neighbourhoods.

In the 21st century, Södermalm has gained recognition from the Millennium series by Stieg Larsson.

Södermalm contains many stores for alternative, vintage and second-hand fashion. Södermalm's main nightlife street is Götgatan. People traditionally go for a pub crawl along Götgatan, having one drink at each bar; not even the thirstiest drinker would be able to get through the whole street in one evening. On weekend nights, most bars along the street get crowded. The backstreet bars are calmer.





Götgatsbacken, the northernmost section of Götgatan on Södermalm, is perhaps best known for its nightlife, but also has lots of clothes stores with different profiles, including a new, small shopping centre called Bruno (see section below).











Medborgarplatsen is a major nightlife hub. The outdoor seats are immensely popular during the warm seasons. The backstreets, such as Östgötagatan, are more calm.



Sofo
The district, the cleverly rebranded area south of Folkungagatan, has lots of designer clothes and design shops, as well as cafés and restaurants.











Globen
Johanneshov is a neighbourhood with Slakthusområdet, the meatpacking district, and the stadium cluster around Globen.





Stay safe
Though rather safe compared to other metropolitan centres, there are a few caveats for central Stockholm:
 * Illegal street gambling, and begging, at Drottninggatan and other busy areas.
 * The welfare institutions at Klara Church attract homeless people, as well as people with addiction problems or mental conditions. These might appear aggressive, but rarely cause trouble.
 * 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. Nightlife in Medborgarplatsen usually gets wild, and police presence is irregular. Closing time (01:00 and 03:00) are worst.

Go next

 * The Stockholm environmentalist tour describes Stockholm's sustainable development.
 * Hop on the overnight ferry to Helsinki and walk along Mannerheimintie.