Östermalm

Östermalm is a pretty chill part of Stockholm. It's considered the 'posher' part of the city, and its got the most expensive streets in all of Stockholm to prove it. Funnily enough, it's also home to one of the bigger club scenes, around Stureplan, so even if it looks nice and quiet during the day, the area comes alive at night. We love ambling around Östermalm whenever we want something a little more laid-back, but still firmly 'i stan' (in town).

Starting point: Karlaplan | Nearest subway station: Karlaplan (red line)

Finishing point: Kafe Kringlan Meny | Nearest subway station: Östermalmstorg (red line), Karlaplan (red line)

Total time: About 1 hour, mostly flat.

Karlaplan

We start things off at Karlplan station, and right outside sits the park gives the station its namesake. During WW1, the park was used to grow vegetables to assist in the war effort. August Strindberg, the playwright, lived on Karlaplan for a few years, and to this day, Karlaplan is one of the most expensive addresses in the city. These days, there’s usually not much going on here, and that’s why it’s a pretty good introduction to this calmer part of Stockholm.

Address: Karlaplan 115 20 Stockholm

Directions: At Karlaplan, take the first exit onto Lützengatan. Turn right onto Tysta gatan.

Tysta Gatan

Illustration of some houses on Tysta Gatan. One red, one orange, and one yellow.

If you like European architecture, you’ll like Tysta gatan. It’s name translates to ‘quiet street’, though we’d argue you could apply that name to the whole of Östermalm, especially if you’re visiting in the summer! If you’re after the old school vibes of Gamla Stan without the crowds, this is the perfect street for taking some pictures of the beautiful architecture in some relative peace and quiet.

Address: Tysta gatan, 115 20 Stockholm

Directions: Return to Lützengatan. At Karlaplan, take the 3rd exit onto Karlavägen. Tössebageriet will be on your right, about 5 minutes walk.

Tössebageriet

  • Photographs and paintings displayed on the wall at Tössebageriet. Some feature weddings and portraits; others some of their baked goods, including their famous semla.
  • The outside of Tössebageriet - an old fashioned stone exterior, with a large, bright blue awning.
  • Some of the småkakor for sale at Tössebageriet, including traditional dammsugare, macarons in various flavours and colours, and biskvier.

This bakery has been on Karlavägen since the 1920s, and there’s something fitting about the classic sweet treats they concentrate on making here. If you happen to visit around ‘Fettisdagen’ in February, Tössebageriet’s semlor frequently hit various ‘Best of’ lists in Stockholm every year. They’re also the inventor of the semmelwrap – a semla reimagined as a kebab wrap!

Address: Tössebageriet, Karlavägen 77, 114 49 Stockholm

Directions: continue up Karlavägen, about eight minutes walk. The park is on the other side of the road, on your left.

Humlegården

A view from Humlegården in Östermalm with shady trees and groups of people picknicking on the grass.

The word ‘humle’ might suggest it’s name has something to do with bumblebees (‘humlor’ in Swedish), but it’s actually a bit of a false friend. Humlegården was once the Royal Fruit garden, and it’s name refers to the hops (‘humle’) that were grown here. Now it’s super popular with the locals. You’ll see office works eating their lunch here, young families taking their kids out for a play, and plenty of dogs sniffing about. It’s one of our favourite spots in all of Stockholm, in any season. Have a picnic or relax on a bench in spring and summer, enjoy walking through a riot of oranges and reds in autumn, and if it’s snowing in winter, take plenty of pictures!

Address: Karlavägen 32, 114 31 Stockholm

Directions: your next stop is Fabrique. Walk through the park down to the Royal Library where Sturegatan on the edge of the park meets Humlegårdsgatan. Turn left onto Humlegårdsgatan. A few minutes down lies Fabrique, on the right.

Fabrique

  • An overhead shot of a pile of cinnamon buns.
  • The display cases of bread, semlor and buns at Fabrique bakery.

You might already be familiar with Fabrique – they’ve got bakeries dotted around Stockholm, as well as a few international locations in New York and London. But, they’re on the list because their bakes are pretty damn good. Anything made from their sourdough is usually worth the effort, and their cardamom buns hold up to other bakeries.

Address: Fabrique, Humlegårdsgatan 9, 114 46 Stockholm

Directions: Continue down Humlegårdsgatan. Turn right onto Nybrogatan.

Östermalms Saluhall

Illustration of Ostermalm's saluhall from the front. A red building with smaller towers, and a green turret on its roof.

Östermalms Saluhall (Market Hall) is something of a crown jewel in the neighbourhood, and has lived on Östermalmstorg since 1888. Many of its traders have been here for generations, and you may even spot a Swedish celebrity or two doing their weekly shop here. If you’re after fika or something more casual, we highly recommend Panisano (their blueberry custard buns are amazing!), or Paula’s (if you’re after something savoury, try their grilled croissants).

Address: Östermalms Saluhall, Östermalmstorg, 114 39 Stockholm

Directions: walk back to Fabrique on Humlegårdsgatan. Turn left onto Greve Turegatan. To get to Strandvägen from Greve Turegatan, continue down the latter, and turn left onto Birger Jarlsgatan. Strandvägen lies at the end, on your left.

Greve Turegatan to Strandvägen

We’ll always struggle to pinpoint a favourite street in Östermalm, and if you have the chance to, we’d highly recommend going off this beaten path (trail?), and explore a little for yourself. Greve Turegatan has a bit more buzz for Östermalm, with plenty of bars, cafés and restaurants.

Birger Jarlsgatan houses the serious designer shops in Stockholm, from Gucci to Louis Vuitton and many more. It’s named after Birger Jarl, the statesman who’s generally named as the man who founded Stockholm back in 1250.

A view over Strandvägen from the water.

Strandvägen is another famous part of Östermalm. This boulevard is one of Stockholm’s most exclusive and expensive addresses, and many Swedish celebrities live in the luxurious buildings that line the street along the water.

Address: Greve Turegatan, Birger Jarlsgatan, Strandvägen, Stockholm

Directions: continue along Strandvägen until you see Grevgatan on your left. Continue up Grevgatan away from the water, until you can turn left onto Storgatan. The Hedvig Eleonora kyrkan will be on your left.

Hedvig Eleonora Kyrkan

Illustration of Hedvig Eleonora's church. An imposing stone yellow building, with arched and circular windows.

Another one of Stockholm’s Wes Anderson-like buildings, the Hedvig Eleonora church takes its name from the Queen of Sweden (1636 – 1715). If the weather’s being kind, we quite like escaping the buzz of the main shopping streets like Biblioteksgatan by coming here and taking a breather in the church grounds.

Address: Storgatan 2, 114 51 Stockholm 41 Stockholm

Directions: continue up Storgatan. Turn right onto Sibyllegatan, and after about 150 metres, turn left onto Linnégatan.

Kafe Kringlan Meny

  • The black and white interior of Kafé Kringlan.
  • A cardamom bun on a white plate.

We’re ending as we started – in a fairly sleepy spot of Östermalm, lies Kafé Kringlan Meny. They’ve been here on Linnégatan since 1923, and you can expect the typical, traditional Swedish goods here, both sweet and savoury. You can never go wrong with a slice of their blueberry pie when it’s available, and we’re definitely coming back here for semla season. Maybe because they grate an obscene amount of mandelmassa into their semlor…Maybe.

Address: Kafe Kringlan Meny, Linnégatan 25-23, 114 47