Stockholm After Sunset: A Night Walk Through the City

Sunset gets me every time. The colours, the short twilight, the sky changing its mind, and then the moon. I have a growing collection of sunset photographs, and I remain convinced that the hour before dark is when a city shows you something it keeps hidden at noon. That was the thought I carried into Stockholm.

I had just come back from a day trip to Linköping that had lasted nearly twelve hours, exploring old Sweden. Tired or not, I was not going to waste the light. I picked up my camera and left my centrally located HTL hotel, 600 metres from Stockholm Central station, to walk until I ran out of evening.

Swedish summer is generous: the sun sets late, so there was time to watch the sky move through its shades.

Hötorget and the Nobel hall

The Stockholm Concert Hall at Hötorget had been top of my list since the day before, because the Nobel Prize ceremony is held there every year. It is a few metres from the hotel, which made it the first stop. The building was designed to house the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and stages a great many concerts. During the day you can go in and take a tour for 80 SEK.

Sergels Torg

Next came Sergels Torg, a public square that is busy by day and by night. The tourist information office is here, along with restaurants and shops.

From the square I turned left, walked past NK, the well-known department store, and arrived at Smålandsgatan, a handsome shopping street in Norrmalmstorg.

A bank, a hostage drama and a name

Norrmalmstorg is known now for high-end shops and restaurants, but it carries a darker story. More than forty years ago a bank stood on this square and a robbery was attempted. Olsson, a convict on leave from prison, took four people hostage and demanded the release of a friend, a repeat offender. He also wanted cash, a fast car and bulletproof jackets. What followed was a six-day standoff, covered live on television, the first time such a crime had been broadcast that way, until the robbers gave themselves up. When the hostages were later questioned, they said they had felt safer with Olsson and seemed to sympathise with him. That is where the term Stockholm Syndrome comes from. I learned the story on a Modern Murder Mystery tour.

People were enjoying the night at Vau De Ville, a French bistro with the smallest cocktail bar at Norrmalmstorg. The robbery took place in 1973 just behind it.

Dramaten and Strandvägen

Leaving crime history aside, anyone who likes architecture should keep walking to the Royal Dramatic Theatre, known as Dramaten, Sweden's national theatre.

Cross the road and you are on Strandvägen, a boulevard in Östermalm where I could happily have spent the whole evening. In the distance the lights of the Grona Lund amusement park sparkle.

Wings, and a myth

What caught my eye was the outdoor art, in particular a statue called Wings by Carl Milles near the Nationalmuseum, facing the Strömkajen waterfront. It shows the Greek god Zeus, who turned himself into an eagle to carry off the Trojan prince Ganymede. Zeus was infatuated with him, and Ganymede later worked for the gods on Mount Olympus. The Romans called Zeus Jupiter, and one of Jupiter's moons is named Ganymede. All of which made me want to write a Mythical Mondays post about it.

Moonlight and the way home

Stockholm on a moonlit night earns its poetry. "Slowly, silently, now the moon / Walks the night in her silver shoon," wrote Walter de la Mare, and the city looked as though it had been arranged for the line.

I lost track of time completely and eventually walked back through Kungsträdgården, the King's Garden. That last stretch became the best part of the night: strangers turned into friends, the conversation wandered, and I found myself thinking about life and feeling grateful for it.

The hotel

At the end of it all I was glad to find my way back to HTL, get something to eat and drink from the bar, and find people still relaxing in the lounge.

HTL Kungsgatan was central, chic and convenient. It was my first stay in a smart hotel, and I was impressed by how much thought had gone into a traveller's digital needs: multiple USB and ordinary power outlets, an EU adapter for international devices, clever furniture and bright colours, the kind of smart design ideas I would love at home. Your phone can be your room key, the website has ready-made Spotify playlists, and reception is staffed day and night. All of it at a reasonable price.

If you go, stay central and walk after sunset. And if you do, tell me what you find. For more photography help, see these photography tips for beginners from Wanderwings, and for more to do in the city, this post on things to do in Stockholm.