Stockholm's a pretty place. If you've ever been there, you've probably noticed that there's a lot of water and bridges everywhere - Stockholm is on an island, well a couple islands. Simple enough? Well, in reality, it's something more like 30,000 islands!
Starting some 150 km west of Sweden's capital, the Stockholm archipelago slowly widens and splinters into the tiny (or mini!) islands and islets as you head closer and closer to the Baltic Sea. Actually in Swedish, 'Holm' even means 'Islet'! (And Stock means log... so Log Islet?!)
All this is to say, beyond the highlights of the islets with Gamla Stan and Södermalm, there's literally thousands of other places to check out just a quick-ish ferry-ride away from the heart of the city where you can quickly find yourself surrounded by a mix of huge palaces, quaint little villages, and beautiful, green natural landscapes.
One such place you can get to in a little over an hour is Vaxholm (sometimes Waxholm), which offers you a little bit of all of the above, being one of the largest and most accessible of the Swedish islands. You can take the ferry from Strandvägen, one of the two major ferry terminals in central Stockholm. Some of the ferries are direct, taking about 50 minutes port-to-port, while others bounce around some of the other islands a bit, and consequently take about 15-20 mins longer. The longer ferries are the one's operated by Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL, marked with their distinctive logo) and you can use your public transportation day, week (etc.) tickets at no additional cost. If you don't have one - you can board simply board and pay, then sit back and enjoy the ride!
(If you don't want to wait around for a boat in either direction, SL also operates regular buses to Vaxholm, the ferries can also get full pretty quickly in the warm days of Summer)
So you've arrived on Vaxholm. What now? Well, you probably noticed on your way in the fancy castle! The Vaxholms Kastell is an open-air museum, a short water taxi ride from the place you're likely to arrive at the ferry terminal.
For the adventurous, Vaxholm is a place where you can find some nice hiking trails. Circumnavigating the island will take you about 3 hours, at a leisurely place. You'll climb walk along the shoreline, up some pine-covered, rocky hills, pass through cute villages with brightly-colored houses, shops and cafes offering Swedish favorites, like cardamom buns. On a clear day climbing to the top of some of the hills will reward you stunning vistas of the Stockholm Archipelago, perfectly blending the blues sea with the greens of the forest that cover all the tiny islands.
On your walk, you'll spot the Turistbyrå, the tourist information office, where they can offer you maps and advice for free, as well as point you point you towards any interesting events going on in Vaxholm or one of its many neighbours. The turistbyrå is also located inside the old town hall of Vaxholm if you feel like getting a little bit more of a history lesson of the region. You might also noticed a bright-pink home, close to the ferry port. Maybe not, but there is an interesting story behind this place: it's color was chosen in honor of Pippi Longstocking, as Vaxholm was the location in which the 1970 film Pippi in Taka Tuka Land was filmed. The house is private, but its an interesting piece of local history!
Of course, there's plenty more to do here: If you're into water sports then there are opportunities for kayaking, boating and swimming. You can also choose to take it easy and relax in the cafes, restaurants that dot the island. Or just hang out on small, but quiet beaches.
Vaxholm is the perfect day trip, what are you waiting for?