Stockholm/Vasastan and Hagastaden

Vasastan (formally Vasastaden) is a neighbourhood in north-central Stockholm, making up the northern part of the Norrmalm borough. It borders Östermalm to the east at Birger Jarlsgatan, Kungsholmen to the south-west.

Hagastaden is a neighbourhood under construction. The residential buildings of Hagastaden replaced the demolished train station Norra station and belong to Vasastan and Norrmalm borough. Karolinska Institute and Karolinska University Hospital, also a part of Hagastaden, are located in neighbouring Solna municipality.

Understand

The population of Vasastan is around 60,000, and the area is around 3 km². It is less busy than Norrmalm, with the classical city plan mostly preserved. Vasastan was built from the 1880s until the following decade, and exposes the development of art deco and early modernist architecture. Odenplan is an important transportation hub, with commuter rail, metro and buses. A main draw of Vasastan is alternative and second-hand shopping in small stores (with most of Stockholm's remaining shops for vinyl records), as well as art galleries.

Hagastaden is a neighbourhood with trailblazing 21st century architecture, scheduled to be finished around 2030. The dominant institutions are Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institute. The tallest building is Innovationen at 120 metres above ground level. Its twin tower, Helix, reaches 104 metres.

Karlberg is a park in southern Solna, dominated by Karlberg Palace, which hosts the Swedish Military Academy. Most of the area is open to the public, and the waterfront is crowded in summer.

Get around

The area is well served by public transport. Beside the metro stations, there is a commuter rail (pendeltåg) station at Odenplan below ground, opened in 2017 and endowed with contemporary art.

Most places are within walking distance. Car parking lots are available but costly.

Cars must pay congestion tax when they pass the city border between Stockholm and Solna.

Traffic around Hagastaden is re-routed around the construction sites.

See
  • 🌍 Stockholm Public Library (Stadsbiblioteket), Sveavägen 73 (T Rådmansgatan). A 1928 building in art nouveau style with a flair of early functionalism, designed by the famous Swedish architect Erik Gunnar Asplund. The interior of the cylinder-shaped main hall is spectacular, with three floors of bookshelves covering 360 degrees of circular wall. Books (both fiction and non-fiction) are available in many languages, including English and German. This museum does actually lend books, while the equally beautiful National Library of Sweden on Östermalm does not. 
  • 🌍 Bonniers konsthall, Torsgatan 19 (T S:t Eriksplan), ☏ +46 8 736 42 48. Open W 11:00-20:00, Th-Su 11:00-17:00 (closed during the summer). This exhibition hall, opened in 2005 by the Bonnier family, owners of Sweden's largest media empire, showcases Swedish and international contemporary art. Adults 40 kr. 
  • 🌍 Swedish Holocaust Museum, Torsgatan 19. Sweden's first museum dedicated to Holocaust remembrance was founded in 2022, and opened its first exhibition in 2023. 
  • 🌍 Gustaf Vasa kyrka. A neo-Baroque church built in 1906. While far from Stockholm's oldest church, it is one of the largest, with frequent concerts. 
  • 🌍 Astrid Lindgren's home, Dalagatan 46. World famous writer of children's books Astrid Lindgren lived in this Stockholm apartment from 1941 until her death in 2002. Open for visitors since November 2015. Reservations only. See Astrid Lindgren tourism for related venues. 
  • 🌍 Karlberg Palace (Karlbergs slott). The Karlberg Palace was built in 1632. Since 1792 it hosts the Military Academy, and the interior is usually not open to the public. The palace park is a pleasant place for picnics. 

Galleries around Hudiksvallsgatan

Several trendsetting galleries for contemporary art have opened around Hudiksvallsgatan in Vasastan (T St Eriksplan). Among them are:

Do
  • 🌍 Vanadisbadet, Sveavägen 142. 07:00-20:00, May 1-Sept 15. An outdoor bath with a swimming pool, an exercise pool, and a toddlers' pool. 90 kr for adults, 70 kr for children, students and seniors. 
  • Stockholm SPA & Hälsostudio, Rörstrandsgatan 24 (Walk from the subway station St:Eriksplan or take one of the many buses who stops nearby), ☏ +46 8 31 41 46, . Stockholm SPA & Hälsostudio is a private day spa, and offer affordable treatments such as various massages, spa treatments, facials and much more. You can also book a duo package for you and your friend/partner. (updated Aug 2023)

Buy

Records

For some odd reason, most of Stockholm’s second hand record shops are clustered in the area between Odenplan and St Eriksplan. Most are open M-F 11:00-18:00, Sa 11:00-15:00. Some examples are:

Around Odengatan:
  • 🌍 Stockholms Serie & Skivhandel, Sveavägen 104 (Opposite Observatorielunden), ☏ +46 861 297 95, . Tu-Th: 12-18, F: 11-18, Sa: 11-16. Stock is split three ways between amounts of Swedish comic books, CDs and vinyl. SS&S is a fairly small shop though, so don't expect to get lost indoors. (updated Jun 2023)
  • 🌍 Stockholms Skivbörs / Cosmos Factory, Upplandsgatan 47. W-F: 11-18, Sa: 11-16. (updated Jun 2023)
  • 🌍 Wasa Skivbörs, Hälsingegatan 2, ☏ +46 8 34 79 66. M, W, F: 11-18. (updated Jun 2023)
  • 🌍 Runtrunt, Odengatan 90. M-F: 12-18, Sa: 11-16. Medium-sized record shop with most notably, a quite extensive soul section. (updated Jun 2023)
North of S:t Eriksplan:
  • 🌍 Nostalgipalatset, St Eriksgatan 101. M-F: 11-19, Sa: 11-16. Vinyl records, posters, franchise toys, and other 20th century memorabilia. Nostalgipalatset is by all means the biggest record store in this list, and regardless of your taste, you are almost guaranteed to find something that piques your interest. (updated Jun 2023)
  • 🌍 Golden Oldies, S:t Eriksgatan 96, ☏ +46 8 32 22 40. Tu, F: 12-18, Sat: 12-15. Sells some albums, but mostly singles. A lot of Golden Oldies' stock tends to be near mint. Not everything in stock is out in the shop though, so if you're looking for something specific, you're best off just asking. (updated Jun 2023)
  • 🌍 House of Oldies, Torsgatan 63, ☏ +46 8 31 17 15. W-F: 14-18, Sa: 11-15. (updated Jun 2023)
Along Sankt Eriksgatan:
  • 🌍 Beat Goes On Records, St Eriksgatan 67. M-F: 12-18, Sa: 12-16. (updated Jun 2023)
  • 🌍 Record Hunter, St Eriksgatan 70. M-F: 12-18, Sa: 11-16, Su: 12-16. (updated Jun 2023)
  • 🌍 Skivbörsen, St Eriksgatan 71. M-F: 15-18, Sa: 13-16. Packed full of records, but has a bit of an appearance as if a hoarder did the interior decorations. Skivbörsen isn't for everyone, but definitely offers an interesting experience while digging. (updated Jun 2023)
  • 🌍 Hurricane Records, St Eriksgatan 78, ☏ +46 735 414 508. All week: 11-18. Not a huge shop, but has an interesting and varied stock, as well as friendly staff that's happy to have a chat. (updated Jun 2023)
  • 🌍 Mad Records, S:t Eriksgatan 79, ☏ +46 76 323 10 22. M-F 12-18, Weekends 12-16. (updated Jun 2023)

Second-hand stores
  • 🌍 Nu och då, Norrtullsgatan 31. Second-hand store. (updated Aug 2015)
  • 🌍 Stockholms Stadsmission Odenplan, Hagagatan 3, ☏ +46 868 423 401. M-F: 10-18:30, Sa: 11-17, Su: 12-16. Sells what most second hand stores sell: Clothing, media, books, textiles, paintings, furniture, accessories, but additionally also has a decent assortment of vinyl records, as well as a small café. (updated Jun 2023)

Eat

Vasastan has plenty of restaurants, most in the mid-range bracket, many in ethnic style. They are usually crowded by office workers during lunch break (from noon to 13:00).

Budget
  • 🌍 Cafe Ritorno, Odengatan 78 (T Odenplan). Nice café with personal service. Small outdoor service in the summer. 
  • 🌍 Mellqvist Bar, Rörstrandsgatan 4 (T St Eriksplan). Thought by some to serve the best coffee in Stockholm. Expect to drink while standing in this very small coffee bar. 
  • 🌍 Non Solo Bar, Odengatan 34 (T Odenplan). An Italian café whose baristas have won the Swedish barista championships multiple times. Amazing espressos and cappuccinos and a quite nice assortment of sandwiches. 
  • 🌍 Espresso Sosta, Sveavägen 84. An Italian-style café. 
  • 🌍 Konditori Valand, Surbrunnsgatan 48 (T Rådmansgatan), ☏ +46 8 30 04 76. This is an old-style Swedish "konditori" with its 1954 interior almost completely intact. Still owned and operated by the wife of the original designer, this place is a piece of living Swedish history. 
  • 🌍 Orontes Kebab, Odengatan 60. A fast-service kebab diner, mostly rather busy. 
  • 🌍 Green Rabbit, Tegnérgatan 17. Bakery and café specializing in rye bread and organic products. (updated Jun 2016)
  • 🌍 Max, Hagaesplanaden 46. Swedish hamburger bar. 
  • 🌍 Kimchistan, Tegnérgatan 13. Korean restaurant with a taste of Central Asia. 

Mid-range
  • 🌍 Tennstopet, Dalagatan 50 (T Odenplan), ☏ +46 8 32 25 18. Open M-F 16:00-01:00, Sa-Su 13:00-01:00. More traditional Swedish cooking. On one evening in August each year they will serve the Swedish culinary delicacy Surströmming (fermented herring). Mains 130-265 kr, slightly lower prices at the bar. 
  • 🌍 Peppar, Torsgatan 34 (T-S:t Eriksplan), ☏ +46 8 34 20 52. Awesome Cajun and Creole food at decent prices. Some have argued that they make the best burger in the city. The place is especially known for having excessive decorations at all major holidays like Christmas and Halloween. They also make really good jalapeño bread. 
  • 🌍 Byn Creperie & Ciderie, Rödabergsgatan 11A (T St Eriksplan). Galettes, crêpes, moules and cider in an authentic atmosphere with chansons on the stereo. Mains 89-169 kr. 
  • 🌍 Döden i grytan, Norrtullsgatan 61 (T Odenplan). Like a neighbourhood Italian restaurant, but with great chefs that really know what they are doing. The winner of Dagens Nyheter's Gulddraken award 2006 in the medium-priced restaurant category. Mains 95-295 kr. 
  • 🌍 Lao Wai, Luntmakargatan 74 (T Rådmansgatan), ☏ +46 8 673 78 00. A vegan restaurant with spicy, tasty Chinese dishes, mainly from the genuine Sichuanese and Taiwanese cuisines. Authentic high quality ingredients, and excellent cooking that will appeal to non-vegetarians as well. Mains 125-185 kr. Lunch 80 kr. 
  • 🌍 Sushi by Kyoto, Sankt Eriksgatan 108. A small sushi bar. 
  • 🌍 Ki-Mama, Observatoriegatan 13. Sushi bar. 
  • 🌍 Phi Phi Island, Birger Jarlsgatan 121 (T Tekniska Högskolan), ☏ +46 8 612 03 01. Authentic Thai restaurant with great food. The location is a little strange, but that's an opportunity to get off the beaten path and see the real Stockholm. Mains 110-195 kr. 
  • 🌍 Haga Bottega, Eugeniavägen 6. An Italian restaurant in Hagastaden. (updated Mar 2018)
  • 🌍 Khachapuri Bar, Sankt Eriksgatan 108. A small Georgian restaurant. (updated May 2019)
  • 🌍 Blique by Nobis, Gävlegatan 18. The design hotel has a lobby restaurant, as well as a rooftop bar with a full-circle view of Stockholm and Solna. 

Splurge
  • 🌍 Claes på hörnet, Surbrunnsgatan 20 (T Tekniska Högskolan), ☏ +46 816 51 36. Tracing its history back to 1731, the inn Claes på Hörnet (in literal translation "Claes on the Corner") serves traditional Swedish food in more or less modern forms. The 18th century-inspired dining environment adds to the enjoyment. The inn also has 10 hotel rooms in 18th century style. Mains 145-265 kr. 


Drink
  • 🌍 Pub Anchor, Sveavägen 90 (T Rådmansgatan). A hard rock club open till 03:00, with a broad selection of beers. Happy hour before 22:00. Live acts or karaoke most nights. Cover charge 40 kr. 
  • 🌍 Musslan, Dalagatan 46 (T Odenplan). Tu-Th 18:00-01:00, F-Sa 18:00-02:00. The "back pocket" of seafood restaurant Wasahof next door, cosy and relaxed Musslan offers the same menu, a nice bar and DJs every night. 
  • 🌍 Olssons Skor, Odengatan 41 (T Odenplan). No cover charge. Clean and relaxed. Room for spontaneous dancing. 
  • 🌍 Tranan, Karlbergsvägen 14 (T Odenplan). A good brasserie-style restaurant that opened in 1929, with a dark downstairs bar that is a popular Vasastan hangout, with a mixed crowd. Occasional live music. 
  • 🌍 Storstad, Odengatan 41 (T Odenplan). A rather large bar with a modern, minimalist interior, Storstad is a popular meeting point in the Vasastan district. 
  • 🌍 Bishop's Arms, S:t Eriksgatan 115 (T Odenplan). You know what you get. 
  • 🌍 Cane Rum Society, Ninni Kronbergs Gata 1. With of Stockholm's widest selections of rum. (updated Dec 2023)

Sleep

Budget

Mid-range
  • 🌍 Rex Hotel, Luntmakargatan 73 (T Rådmansgatan), ☏ +46 8 16 00 40, . North of the city center, the Rex Hotel has a trendy designer feel to it, rooms have vintage photographs and gilt mirrors against concrete walls and the bathrooms are tiled in slate. Free internet is available and staff are extremely helpful, even posting out letters and offering advice if needed. Weekend rates from 790 kr, weeknight rates from 1590 kr. 
  • 🌍 Ibis Styles Stockholm Odenplan, Västmannagatan 61, ☏ +46 8 120 903 00. This ibis Styles is in a converted historic building with a sloping roof, which resulted in quite small rooms with sometimes bewildering (and challenging) layouts. From 795 kr. 
  • Hotel Tegnerlunden, Tegnérlunden 8, ☏ +46 8 545 455 50, . This comfortable hotel is located in a quiet neighbourhood near a metro station and about 15 minutes walk from the centre of Stockholm (updated Nov 2015)
  • 🌍 Lilla Rådmannen, Rådmansgatan 67, ☏ +46 8 506 215 00, . A nice, quaint hotel in the residential district of Vasastan, located right next to the Tegnérluden park. The hotel is actually located in an apartment building, where the middle two floors consist of private apartments, and the hotel rooms are on the top two floors. The hotel greets guests with a teddy bear, which you can play with for free, or take home with you for a modest price (around 300 kr). Rooms starting at 900 kr. (updated Jul 2016)
  • 🌍 Blique by Nobis, Gävlegatan 18. A design hotel next door to the art galleries. The rooftop bar provides a full-circle view of Stockholm and Solna. 

Splurge

Stay healthy
  • 🌍 Karolinska University Hospital (Karolinska universitetssjukhuset), Karolinska vägen. The Karolinska is one of the most prominent medical institutions in northern Europe. The hospital was relocated to new buildings during the 2010s. 
  • 🌍 Karolinska Institute (Karolinska institutet). A medical university founded in 1810, famous for electing the Nobel laureates for medicine; see Nobel tourism. 

Stay safe

Vasastan is among Stockholm's safest districts, but not devoid of crime. As always in Stockholm, look out for speeding cars, pickpockets and drunk brawls.

Go next
Routes through Vasastan and Hagastaden
Uppsala ← Arlanda Airport ← Solna ←  N  S  → Kungsholmen → Söderort → Gothenburg


Vasastan, Stockholm
Hagastaden

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