Image by Holger Ellgaard

Exercise and I have never been good friends. Especially during the winter months in Stockholm. It’s pretty bad… However, over the past year I have made an effort to increase the amount of exercise from nonexistent to minimal.

A great place that for a brisk winter walk is by Tantolunden or affectionately known by locals as ‘Tanto’. It’s a park located in Hornstull right by the water, which makes for beautiful scenery for a walk, jog or ‘jolk’.

However, what I really love about Tanto is Hobbit Land, a personal nickname that I gave the hill that’s absolutely jam packed with tiny huts and gardens. Basically in Stockholm, the locals who live in apartments can buy an area of land where they can grow fruits and veggies and erect miniature houses and sit there during the warmer months to enjoy their land. I know, so organic it’s sickening but I love it.

It’s a really fun and interesting walk and quite unique compared to the other walking trails in Stockholm city. As you make your way up the hill you pass by all sorts of miniature cottages, apple trees, rose bushes when finally you reach the top and come to absolutely breathtaking view over Hornstull, the water and over to Liljeholmen. I’m out of breath just writing about it… Whew!

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Tanto | Relaxing
Tantolunden | Södermalm
24 hours daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Stockholm

Image by Natalia Urbanska

This walk gives you a nice and cosy feeling of how Stockholm used to look under the 18th and 19th century. The view over Old Town and Riddarfjärden is amazing!

I recommend you to start at Slussen and walk down Hornsgatan. Turn right at Pustegränd, walk down the stairs and then left at Bastugatan. This district is really beautiful with old houses, steep hills and cobble stoned streets. You should definitely lie down under a tree in Ivar Los Park as well.

At Bastugatan you have an info sign under the big tree which tells you more about this street/district. Continue Bastugatan and then turn right at Monteliusvägen. The path continues, and so should you, but before that; do sit down and enjoy the beautiful view, especially nice during sunrise!

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Monteliusvägen | Relaxing | Free
Starting from Slussen | Södermalm
24 hours daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Stockholm

Image by Vasco Castro

If you are not Swedish, Russian, Norwegian or Finnish, chances are that you have no idea what bandy is about. It’s a sport just like hockey but without the violence and with the same number of players and rules as field hockey. Sounds fun? Yes, it is, but there is one catch: it is played outdoors during the winter.

So, how is it possible that Zinkensdamm is regularly full typically on Friday evenings (or Sunday afternoons)? Simply because the game is not everything! In fact most of the time the fans don’t (and can’t) follow the tiny orange ball. The reason lies in the fact that bandy is more of a social event. Fans are allowed to bring alcohol inside the stadium where everyone is hanging out with their friends or just talking with strangers, laughing and singing.

And when buying the ticket keep it in a safe place, because during the break everyone leaves the stadium into the nearest bar for drinking a beer, more singing and warming up for the second half!

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Bandy at Zinkensdamm | Art & culture, Relaxing | Ticket SEK 120.00
Ringvägen 16 | Södermalm
Fri 19:00 or Sun 13:15

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Stockholm

Image by Vasco Castro

Hammarby Backen has a couple of downhill pistes just inside the city of Stockholm. In fact the hill didn’t exist up to 1990 and is a result of the collection of Stockholm garbage.

From the living room of the apartment where I’m living now I have a great view over the slope. When the night comes and the lights turn on in Hammarby Backen it feels like I’m living in a ski resort, and I just feel like going there.

The piste is neither long or steep, but it takes no time to get there if one just wants to enjoy a couple of hours of easy riding downhill skiing. But when getting to the top of the hill and turning northwest, one has a breathtaking view over Stockholm, which is much more dramatic during the evening.

In case you don’t feel like skiing and since nowadays there are only a few days of good snow on the hill, just join the many Swedes that take the chance to either run or just walk to the top for both exercising and the magnificent view.

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Hammarbybacken | Relaxing | 4 hours SEK 200
Hammarby Allé | Södermalm
13:00 – 20:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Stockholm

Image by Suzanna Schwarz

Stockholm has very few flaws, but if I should pick one it will be the loo situation. Contrary to most other cities in Europe it is more or less impossible to find a place for the most basic needs, unless you carry coins with you.

And, since Stockholm works well with cash cards only, it happens to me fairly often that I find myself without any cash and very much in need of a lav. In Stockholm there is no such thing as free toilets. And most cafés and bars only offer their bathrooms to guests unless you pay them a small fee.

There are however at least two spots where one can go when the need is great. The first one is located right inside the tiny shopping centre where Waynes Coffee, PressStop, Design Torget, Granit and Face Stockholm are located.

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Public toilets | Relaxing | Free
Götgatan 31 | Södermalm
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 19:00, Sat 10:00 – 17:00, Sun 12:00 – 17:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Stockholm

Image by Anna Östman

Like to get wet on your holiday? Like to play around in wave machines and waterslides? Or you might be in desperate need of a gym session? If so, you should visit Eriksdalsbadet.

Eriksdalsbadet is the biggest swimming pool in Stockholm. They have two pools for swimming, one 25 meter and one 50 meter. They also have an adventure area with wave machines, water-slides, Jacuzzis and play areas for kids.

The gym has good, modern machines, treadmills, rowing machines and much more. It can be quite crowded during weekday evenings and weekends. But they have more than one of each machine so you don’t have to wait for that long if the one you want to use is busy.

In the dressing room you have one sauna and one steam room. At least in the ladies dressing room. Can’t say for the men’s but I guess it’s the same. So you can just come here for the relaxation of the jacuzzi and saunas too. And if you feel that Stockholm isn’t providing enough sun, they have sunbeds too.

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Eriksdalsbadet | Relaxing | Swimming SEK 75.00
Hammarby Slussväg 20 | Södermalm | +46850840258
Mon – Thu 06:30 – 21:00, Fri 06:30 – 20:00, Sat 09:00 – 17:00, Sun 09:00 – 18:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Stockholm