There are shallow sandy beaches, creaking jetties and waterside spots right on the edge of the city. Rocky swimming areas, natural swimming pools and classic outdoor lidos. Splash pools in parks that offer welcome relief for the city’s youngest residents during summer, and places where winding gravel paths lined with twisted pine trees lead down to the water.
Some spots offer more organised facilities, with staff, changing rooms and showers, while others are more basic, meaning you’ll need to sort out changing, storage and toilet breaks yourself.
Even the simplest places are a reminder of the luxury that Stockholm offers in summer. After all, in how many other cities of this size can you combine waterside bars and buzzing nightlife with a refreshing swim in open water just a few metres away?
This guide to Stockholm’s best swimming spots starts within, or just beyond, the city tolls, but it will be updated regularly as our Stockholm editorial team revisits old favourites and discovers new ones, just as we do with all Time Out guides.
One fun detail is that Kungsholmen, which sometimes gets overshadowed by the city’s other neighbourhoods, really shines here: half of the swimming spots on this list are located on the island.
Finally, a word about the water. It’s true that Stockholm’s waters are of a very high standard – so much so that in the 1990s, the city’s then Vice Mayor for Finance invited Olympic delegates to drink straight from Riddarfjärden. Unfortunately, later water tests showed it was anything but drinkable.
Even so, warnings about algal blooms and less welcome bacteria do occasionally appear.
That’s why it’s worth checking the City of Stockholm’s website or the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management’s bathing water map for the latest water quality updates before you dive in.
With that said: put on your sunscreen, swim safely, keep an eye on the kids and enjoy summer by the water.