Stockholm Cruise – Something to Do at Every Time of Year

If you’re on a relaxing or romantic Stockholm cruise, you will probably be interested in finding out more about this great city, the capital of Sweden. With a long and rich history, Stockholm is a city bursting with life, traditions, things to do and sights to see. Here are just a few of them and a few tips to help you better enjoy your stay.

Stockholm is a city of seasons

Just like the rest of Sweden, Stockholm’s rhythm of life is defined by the seasons.

January is deep winter. You’ll find that, unlike in the rest of Europe, the Christmas Market in Stockholm keeps going until the middle of the month.

April is when the snows will have mostly melted and when life begins to emerge out on the streets. The 30th of April is the King’s Birthday. That evening, Swedes celebrate Walpurgis Night by jumping over bonfires and having a few drinks.

May is when the “street season” really starts, with various street markets, neighborhood festivities, and other events bringing Stockholm to life.

If you choose to visit Stockholm in summer, you have two great choices – visiting for Midsummer or for the Culture Festival in August. Midsummer is an age-old celebration of nature, the longest day of the year, fertility, and in the Christian tradition, it is the feast day of Saint John. If your Stockholm cruise timetable allows it, you should definitely try to join a public or private celebration and experience the rich Midsummer traditions.

The Culture Festival takes place every year in the middle of August and fills the streets with all kinds of great events for five days in a row. August is also the traditional time of “crayfish parties”, where Swedes get together, sing songs, cook and eat large amounts of crayfish (and often consume significant amounts of alcohol), and have a good time.

October is a beautiful time in Stockholm as you can appreciate the beautiful display of tree leaves changing color to vibrant shades of gold, red, orange, yellow, and brown throughout the city. Why not use your free time on your Stockholm cruise to continue the aquatic theme and take a little boat ride around Stockholm’s archipelago of beautiful islands?

In November, you can experience the first real winter month in Stockholm and warm up by watching one of the many films on offer at the yearly International Film Festival.

Finally, in December, you can visit for the Christmas Market, Yule, and St. Lucy’s day, celebrated on the 13th of December.

Don’t hesitate to take advantage of everything that Stockholm has to offer – both its local and national traditions and events. It’s a beautiful and welcoming city and has been for hundreds of years!