Kayaking, Open-Water Swimming and Lake Walks in Stockholm

Because fresh water from Lake Mälaren flows continuously eastward through the centre of Stockholm into the Baltic, the water right beneath the bridges of City Hall and Gamla Stan is clean enough not only to swim in every summer day, but also for salmon fishermen to cast lines in front of the Parliament building. Experiencing Stockholm from water level on a kayak or from a sun-warmed granite bathing rock shows why locals rarely leave the city in July.

Where to rent a kayak in central Stockholm

Even first-time paddlers find Stockholm's inner canals calm and sheltered. Keep to the edges of the channels well away from white commuter ferry lanes, and choose one of three classic routes:

• Paddling around Långholmen and Reimersholme (best for beginners): rent a stable single or tandem sea kayak along the quiet green canal of Pålsundet (between Södermalm and the leafy former prison island of Långholmen) or at Tantolunden on Årstaviken. A gentle 90-minute loop takes you under weeping willows past wooden 18th-century boat clubs and out into Riddarfjärden for a water-level view of Stockholm City Hall.
• Circumnavigating Kungsholmen (10 km, 2.5 hours): starting from Kristineberg, Karlbergskanalen or Rålambshovsparken, follow the tree-lined northern canal past Karlberg Palace all the way around to City Hall and back along Riddarfjärden.
• Djurgårdsbrunnskanalen (eastern royal park): paddle from near Djurgårdsbron bridge straight through the hand-dug 1834 royal canal on Djurgården.

Top 4 Open-Water Swimming Spots (Badplatser)

1. Långholmens klippbad and strandbad (Södermalm): a grassy beach and adjacent smooth granite rocks looking straight across the bay at Kungsholmen, backed by the historic 18th-century Stora Henriksvik garden café.
2. Fredhällsbadet (western Kungsholmen): beloved by locals for its dramatic sun-baked granite cliffs (klippor) where swimmers climb down wooden ladders straight into deep, clear Lake Mälaren water.
3. Tanto strandbad (Årstaviken on Södermalm): a sandy beach, diving towers and wooden jetties lined with tiny painted hillside allotment cottages (kolonilotter), where winter cold-water swimmers also gather for weekend sauna dips.
4. Brunnsviksbadet and Haga Park: north of Vasastan on the royal shores of Brunnsviken bay, pairing a swim with a walk to Gustav III's Copper Tents.