ounded in the 13th century on the islet of Gamla Stan, Stockholm controlled the passage between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic. Capital of a power that dominated northern Europe in the 17th century, it has kept the royal palace, churches and colourful lanes of its old town.
A city of design, pop music and innovation, Stockholm moves with the seasons: long summer evenings on the archipelago’s rocks, winters lit by candles and Christmas markets. The City Hall hosts the Nobel Prize banquet every year.