Stockholm’s crisp, yet trendy, atmosphere is incredibly beautiful. Colorful historic buildings line many of its 14 islands, creating a magnificent nordic metropolis that shines even in its frigid winter months. The city seems incredibly spread out, yet in many ways it’s essentially compact due to the 57 bridges that connect its islands. Due to its unique landscape, a beautiful way to see Stockholm is from above.  

As an very forward thinking city, I was excited to began to explore. After all, Swedes are among the happiest people in the world. I needed to discover why that was. I met my friend Nadya from Visit Stockholm for “fika” – what the locals call “conversation over coffee” – and she shared ton’s of information about one-of-a-kind experiences in Stockholm. One of the tours she mentioned that stood out to me the most was a rooftop tour of Stockholm with takvandring.com.

MY EXPERIENCE ON THE ROOFTOP

I’ve been on hundreds of city tours, yet none have traversed across buildings. I had to do it. Now.

On a breezy Sunday, I met the crew from takvandring.com and they put harnesses on me then began the tour. If you’re not afraid of heights (it is 141 feet or 43 meters above the ground) then this tour is an epic way to see Stockholm. I was locked into my harness, and the harness was locked into a security system that covered all of the roofs we walked on. It was as safe as possible.

LEARN THE HISTORY OF STOCKHOLM IN A UNIQUE ATMOSPHERE

Throughout the hour long tour, our guides brought the group up and down the roof of the old Parliament building on Riddarholmen. She shared anecdotes and the history of Stockholm as a city and Sweden as a country. As if the views weren’t astonishing enough; the stories were shocking. One of the most surprising tales was that hundreds of years ago they used to make a beer called bishops finger. Can you guess why?

Back in the day, it was believed that drinking beer that had been brewed with the finger (yes, an actual body part) of a bishop would make the drinker strong. This was eventually stopped when Germans arrived in Stockholm and taught new brewing methods. Thank goodness!

THERE IS MORE TO STOCKHOLM THAN ITS HISTORY

Our guide also pointed out modern buildings and share details about living in Stockholm today. The city has a world-class culinary scene, unbeatable museums, great shopping, pretty parks and loads of atmosphere. It was such a treat to see it from the above!

If you’re visiting Stockholm soon, I recommend surfing through VisitStockholm.com’s many articles and suggestions on experiencing the city. I’ve been on their site every day since I arrived! They have fantastic tips!

I was a guest on this experience, however, the opinions are my own. The rooftop tour is one hour and costs $74 per person. To book this experience visit takvandring.com.