Swedish winters may bring extreme cold and as little as six hours of daylight, but Stockholm turns the darker months into a season of candlelit streets, fireplaces and winter activities. For many Swedes, this is their favorite time of year, when the contrast between crisp outdoor air and warm interiors becomes part of the experience.
That feeling has a name: mys. In Swedish, it describes the comfort of curling up under a soft blanket, relaxing beside a fireplace with a hot drink or heading outside in thick knitwear for a snowy walk. Although it has some similarities to the Danish concept of hygge, mys is presented less as a lifestyle aesthetic and more as a state of mind.
The idea also includes more invigorating rituals. Hanna Oscarsson, creative director at Stockholm cocktail bar Röda Huset, describes winter as a time for cooking, listening to records, using the sauna and taking cold-water plunges. She says winter dips offer a way to reset from the pace of modern life.
Where to stay
Lydmar Hotel combines accommodation with an art gallery and houses a substantial privately owned collection of fine-art photography. Its 46 rooms feature individual combinations of photography, artwork and bespoke furniture, with some offering views across the waterfront toward the Royal Palace. The property also includes quiet corners suited to reading and relaxing.
Bank occupies a former bank and includes the Bonnie’s dining room and the wood-panelled Papillon cocktail lounge. Guests can visit the nearby Sturebadet bathhouse and sauna complex, with access included for suite guests and preferential rates available to others. The hotel’s rooms also provide soft slippers for colder evenings.
On Lidingö, Ellery Beach House occupies a former IBM conference centre redesigned as a Palm Springs-inspired seaside property. It has four heated pools and two saunas, including one beside the Baltic Sea. Guests can combine sauna sessions and sea dips with activities such as padel, cornhole and boules, or relax under blankets beside the firepit.
Where to eat and drink
At Ekstedt, chef Niklas Ekstedt prepares a Michelin-starred tasting menu using natural heat, soot, ash, smoke and fire. The meal includes Swedish caviar, cast-iron flatbread and North Sea langoustine with rose and lingonberries, with some courses served in the flame-heated kitchen.
For a more casual mys experience, the café set in the castle-like building created for the 1897 Stockholm World’s Fair is suited to tea, freshly baked cinnamon rolls and time beside a crackling fireplace. It can be paired with a walk along the Djurgården shoreline and a stop at the Kärleksudden observation deck.
Bakfickan, a 28-seat restaurant beside the Stockholm Opera House, specialises in Swedish comfort food, or husmanskost. Its popular meatballs are served with creamy gravy, potato purée, lingonberries and pickled cucumber.
Röda Huset occupies the upper floor of a red building overlooking Sergels Torg. Its cocktail lounge serves drinks made with Scandinavian ingredients, including a Manhattan with heather honey from Gotland and a Dry Martini flavoured with green tomato.
What to do
Södermalm, often shortened to Söder, is known for its relaxed atmosphere, bars and independent shops. Visitors can begin around Nytorget and explore the SoFo district, passing Christmas lights and Nordic Classicism architecture before continuing to Mariatorget. From there, Monteliusgatan offers views over the frozen waters of Riddarfjärden toward Stockholm City Hall.
The area is also a destination for shopping. Stores include the 6/5/4 clothing and concept shop, menswear brand A Day’s March and interior design store Tambur, where wool throws and charcoal-scented candles fit the mys mood. Hornsgatan’s Slow Fashion District brings together around 20 shops focused on vintage, second-hand, upcycled and sustainable fashion, skincare and homewares.
When Stockholm’s waterways freeze, they become routes for open-water ice skating, from family outings to long-distance skating. Those seeking a more controlled setting can use the public rink at Kungsträdgården. In milder winters, winter kayaking provides another way to experience the city’s waterways.
Saunas are another central part of Stockholm’s winter culture. Bastun Tanto, described as the city’s first public sauna, is a green floating pontoon on the Hornstull waterfront. It offers sauna sessions and icy plunges throughout winter, with bookings available up to 30 days in advance.
Sources: Vogue.