A WEEKEND IN STOCKHOLM
How to spend the solstice in the home of Midsommar

The farm-to-table floral extravaganza: Rosendals TrädgårdWhile the flower crowns might come off after Midsommar weekend, bloom appreciation remains in full swing on Djurgården, an island as famed for its museums as for its rich parkland – it’s nicknamed Stockholm’s ‘green lung’. Hot foot it to Rosendals Trädgård, a market garden meets plant nursery, cafe and all-round horticultural hub that’s rooted in sustainable, biodynamic farming methods. Pootle through greenhouses, orchards and fields bursting with colour and life, buy wood fired artisan loaves from the on-site bakery, and, in late summer, snip-your-own wildflower bouquets from a specially-grown flower field. 

Image: Charlotte Westring

The al-fresco art hit: MillesgårdenA real oasis by Lake Värtan in Lidingö island, just a short trip from the city centre, is the home-meets-studio of late powerhouse Swedish sculptor-and-painter couple Carl and Olga Milles. As well as gardens with trickling fountains, reclaimed pillars, steep granite steppes and flourishes of wisteria, giant mythology-inspired bronze sculptures made by Carl – who trained with Auguste Rodin – are displayed throughout the five-acre grounds. There’s also a neoclassical-style gallery packed with antiquities and marble statues, and the shady main plaza’s an ideal spot for a bring-your-own picnic of Knäckebröd, prastost cheese, and pickles.

Image: Elisabeth Toll

The spa escape: YasuragiWith the city proper spread across 14 islands and surrounded by a further 30,000 islands and islets, Stockholm’s natural beauty – shimmering water, pockets of forest – is a tonic for the soul. Take a 40-minute boat ride from the city (via stromma.se) – admiring the archipelago scenery en route – to Hasseludden, where a woodland stroll leads to spa bolthole Yasuragi. Meaning deep, slow exhale, Yasuragi’s traditional bathing rituals deliver on its namesake’s promise with heated pools cascading towards pines backed by the Baltic, and a beautiful Brutalist-meets-Kyoto bathhouse, with warm and chilly pools and a tree-peppered courtyard. Sipping hojicha tea at sunset in a rocking massage chair looking out to sea is meditative stuff, as are sound healing sessions.

Image: Renee Kemps

The table to book: MatsalenPlaying host to an innovative dining scene and cool vintage shops, it’s no secret that Södermalm is Stockholm’s hippest neighbourhood. Right now Matsalen, a chapel turned fine dining restaurant inside Stockholm Stadshotell (one of Söder’s most elegant heritage buildings that’s been recently transformed into a foodie-centric boutique hotel) has everyone talking. In Matsalen’s atmospheric dining space, a restored historic vaulted ceiling, Ionic pilasters and arched windows rub up against candlelit tables dressed in white linens and floral sprigs. Chef Olle Cellton’s seasonal five-course tasting menus, featuring double-fried artichoke with lemon, frittata with morels, and choux craquelin are a triumph, and a convivial ambience, stonking wine list and clever non-alcoholic pairings – like smoky lapsang souchong with ice-clarified cloudberry and hibiscus – make it an even more delicious prospect.

Image: Erik Olsson

The fika hotspot: Cafe PascalSwedes take 'fika', the art of pausing to chat and relax with friends over good coffee and a pastry, as seriously as the Brits do their mid-morning cup of tea. In my mind, if you’re not at least 80 percent coffee and spiced bun by the time you leave Stockholm, you’ve not been doing things right. For a delicious introduction to fika, make for the original outpost of Cafe Pascal in Odenplan; the cult bakery now has several shops across the city. Pop in for the classic, fragrant cinnamon and cardamom buns (one of each, perhaps?) and custom-blend coffee, then linger whilst soaking up the Scandi-industrial-chic surrounds.

Image: @cafepascal

The seaside sauna: Ellery Beach HouseEmbracing Swedish sauna culture’s a Stockholm must, and the place to give it a whirl is at Ellery Beach House, a could-be-in-Ibiza boutique resort at the tip of Lidingö. Don your swimsuit for a bracing dip in the Baltic straight from the private jetty, where swans bob in the distant blue, before warming up in the waterside sauna. Nothing gets the body tingling, and adrenaline boosted, quite like it. Afterwards, explore the rest of the resort’s eternal-summer feel Coco Beach Club, where pool parties are soundtracked by uplifting house music, cabana setups invite poolside lounging, and there’s flavourful Peruvian grub in the Art-Deco-glam restaurant.

Image: via Ellery Beach House

The homely hotel: Ett HemIt’d be easy to miss the wooden door, discreet buzzer and faded turquoise letter slot marked Ett Hem. However, this understated entrance in residential Lärkstan is the boutique hotel equivalent of walking through Narnia’s closet. Inside is a special 25-room home-away-from-home spread across three townhouses – all brick and stained glass wow – connected by lilac-packed courtyard gardens, where Isle Crawford’s inimitable style runs riot. Think lounges furnished with roaring fireplaces, Pierre Paulin butterfly chairs, vintage brass cabinets, contemporary art, and help-yourself chocolate cake. The informal dining rooms host seasonal feasts fizzing with fresh produce, whipped up in open countryside-style kitchens. And soothing bedrooms, decorated with oak and sheepskin touches, are stocked with feel-free-to-use skincare products. Unfailingly authentic, unbuttoned service from a long-standing team of staff adds extra magic.  

Image: Magnus Mårding

Ianthe Butt is an award winning travel writer and editor.