3 Best Sights in Side Trips from Stockholm, Sweden

It takes a five-minute ferry crossing to reach tiny, secluded Fårö from Gotland, to the south. A popular summer retreat for Scandinavians, the island has just 600 year-round residents. Legendary Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman once called this island home; every June, film fanatics head over to celebrate Bergman Week. And in September, the island celebrates Fårönatta—a night when its shops, restaurants, and attractions stay open all night and the church holds a midnight mass. Head to the Digerhuvud area to find some impressive natural "sea stacks," weather rock formations that are known as raukar. They often take on human profiles, fueling local myths and legends. Note that basic services, including police, medical services, and banks, are virtually nonexistent on Fårö itself. If you really want to retreat from the world, Fårö is it.

In the 19th century these four secluded islands were the last chance for archipelago residents to take a break before rowing into Stockholm to sell their produce. After more than 60 years as a military zone, the islands were opened to the public in the early 1980s. Today they are crammed with arts-and-crafts studios, shops, several restaurants and cafés, a traditional boat exhibit, an ingenious "shipwreck" playground, and a smoked-fish shop. It takes a 25-minute ferry ride to get here from Stockholm; boats depart from Slussen and Strandvägen, May to early September.

The island of Grinda has been popular with Stockholmers for a long time. Walking paths cut through the woods and open fields, making exploring easy. It takes just 15 minutes to walk from one end of the island to the other. If you want to stay longer, there’s an inn, Grinda Wärdshus, that dates from the turn of the 20th century and also has a noted restaurant, as well as kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and Jet Skis for rent. The trip from Stockholm to Grinda takes about two hours.