Djurgården – From royal hunting ground to public park and food paradise

Most Stockholmers and visitors associate Djurgården with major attractions such as Skansen, Gröna Lund, and the Vasa Museum. And of course they are worth visiting – but the island offers so much more than the obvious. Djurgården has a history that stretches back several hundred years, long before it became a people's park and a gastronomic hub.

Djurgården var från början kunglig jaktmark. Här strövade hjortar och annat vilt, och området var strikt reserverat för hovet och de kungliga. Det var först senare som marken öppnades upp, och blev en plats där människor kunde promenera, roa sig och mötas. Den förvandlingen, från exklusiv jaktmark till en öppen och levande folkpark, är en av de saker som gör Djurgården så unik.

Many visitors wander along the large, well-known paths. But Djurgården also contains small streets and alleys that few know about. An example is Breda gatan – a street that often surprises even Stockholmers. It is not grand, but all the more picturesque. Here, the red and yellow wooden houses are lined with hollyhocks that climb towards the facades and give the street a rural, almost small-town feeling in the middle of Stockholm. That is precisely why it is one of the most beloved little secrets on the island.

Idag är Djurgården också ett matparadis. Här samsas klassiska krogar med små kaféer, glassbarer och restauranger som lagar mat med både historia och hållbarhet i fokus. Från en stilla fika med utsikt över vattnet till en helkväll i pampiga lokaler – här finns något för alla smaker.

There's something special about Djurgården: you never really finish with it. I notice it myself with my guests – some come back to take the same tour again, just to discover new details and get new stories. Because on Djurgården there is always more to see, more to taste, more to discover.

So the next time you're on your way to one of the big attractions – stop for a moment, turn off the main roads, and let yourself be surprised by a street, an avenue or a building you didn't know existed. Then you will see that other side of Djurgården – the one that still carries both royal splendour and popular charm.

Tips! If you want to experience Djurgården in a slightly different way, you can join my culinary walk. Two dates remain this autumn: 13 September and 18 October. Then I mix food, history and hidden places – and maybe you'll see that street you didn't know existed. Read more and book

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