Stockholm: cosy restaurants, stylish shops and an air of cool

The train from Arlanda airport into the centre of Stockholm immediately confirms some of your pre-conceptions about Sweden: it is spotlessly clean, fabulously fast and punctual and totally cutting edge in terms of its design. And, at a remarkable 260 Krona (around £24) for a single ticket, it is one of the priciest 10-minute train journeys in the world.

Stockholm's reputation for being expensive precedes it. But, while it will never be a cut-price break, the damage can be limited: a Stockholm Card, available at tourist offices and at the airport gives you free entry to a selection of more than 80 museums, as well as free travel on public transport and free sightseeing by boat for under £40 a day.

The Swedish capital is chic and cool, relaxed and cosy, all at the same time. It feels clean too: in 2010, it was the first city to be named a European Green Capital and its air quality is, according to a recent survey, the best in Europe. 

Built across 14 islands, Stockholm is held together by bridges, although an enjoyable way to get around is to jump on a boat. The compact city centre also makes it a great place to explore on foot. Your walking tour could start with Stockholm City Hall, located at the water’s edge, overlooking Riddarfjärden bay. Its famous Blue Hall is transformed once a year into a banqueting space for the annual Nobel Prize award ceremony, and if you want a real taste of the Nobel experience, you can sample the dinner enjoyed by guests and winners at the Town Hall’s Stadshuskallaren restaurant.

From the City Hall, it is an easy walk to the narrow cobbled streets of Gamla Stan, the medieval heart of the city, packed with bars, cafés and shops selling everything from antiques and crafts to fashionable leather clogs. Stockholm Cathedral and the Royal Palace are also here. Built in 1279, the Cathedral's unusual treasures include an extraordinary wooden statue of Saint George and the Dragon. The Royal Palace, said to be the biggest palace in the world still in use by a reigning monarch, will likely have big queues outside – but check the times for the next changing of the Royal Guard, which you can enjoy from outside, for free.

Next up, you could explore the bohemian area of Södermalm, its steep cobbled streets lined with trendy boutiques, artisans' workshops and cool-looking bars and cafés.

For many visitors, Stockholm, and Söder in particular, is now synonymous with Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy. The Stockholm City Museum runs Millennium tours so fans can check out heroine Lisbeth Salander’s apartment and Millennium’s editorial office.

Much of the local cuisine seems designed to offer winter warmth and sustenance. In the afternoon, you can go for hot chocolate and strudel at the 200-year-old Sundbergs Konditori bakery; later, at At Den Glydene Fredene, one of the country's oldest and best-known restaurants, you can enjoy Swedish classics including game pâté, herring and smoked duck. At Restaurang Salt, you can enjoy salted moose with mushroom sauce. If you are looking for an authentic local snack while you're on the move, you might want to join the locals at the Fried Herring wagon at Södermalm Square to enjoy a herring burger or plate of fried herring and mash.

As the cherry trees bloom in Kungsträdgården park, the whole city seems to celebrate the end of the long dark winter. If you’re thinking of visiting Stockholm, this has to be one of the best times to go and help the locals welcome in the spring.