Did you know? · Stockholm
Stockholm fun facts
Things you might not know about Stockholm. Every fact comes from an official or primary source, named alongside it.
Updated October 2026
The world’s oldest open-air museum
Skansen, on Djurgården, was founded in 1891 by Artur Hazelius and is the world’s oldest open-air museum, in its own words (skansen.se).
The first Lucia procession
Skansen arranged the first Lucia procession in 1893, it says, and helped to establish the custom of 13 December (skansen.se).
Sweden’s oldest Christmas market
The Christmas market on Stortorget in Gamla Stan was first held in 1837, and is Sweden’s oldest, according to Visit Sweden (visitsweden.com).
A city of 30,000 islands
The Stockholm archipelago, the largest in Sweden, has more than 30,000 islands and begins just 20 minutes from the city, says Visit Stockholm (visitstockholm.com).
An opera founded by a king
The Royal Swedish Opera was founded by Gustav III in 1773; its Royal Swedish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world, in the opera’s own words (operan.se).
A ship that sank on her maiden voyage
The warship Vasa sank on her maiden voyage in 1628 and lay on the seabed for hundreds of years; today she is the heart of the Vasa Museum (vasamuseet.se).
A day for the cinnamon bun
Sweden celebrates the cinnamon bun on 4 October. The kanelbulle was first created after the First World War, but became popular only in the 1950s, says Visit Sweden (visitsweden.com).
Questions and answers
What is the oldest open-air museum in the world?
Skansen, in Stockholm, founded in 1891.
How many islands are in the Stockholm archipelago?
More than 30,000, says Visit Stockholm.