Stockholm Archipelago

Stockholm's vivid natural surroundings

A short distance from the capital, Stockholm, is Sweden’s largest archipelago, consisting of nearly 30,000 islands and islets. The Stockholm Archipelago today is a popular holiday destination, particularly for Stockholmers, who own some 50,000 summer homes throughout the maze of islands.

Historically, the archipelago was inhabited by fishermen and farmers from the 1400s through to the second World War. As Swedes born during or shortly after the war opted to build their lives in larger cities, farming and fishing has all but disappeared from the archipelago.

The beauty of the Stockholm Archipelago has been a muse for many poets and artists , among them August Strindberg, Ture Nerman, Roland Svensson, Ernst Didring and Aleister Crowley. ABBA fans should appreciate that Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson penned the majority of their hits from a cabin in the archipelago.