Somewhere for the Weekend: Stockholm

WHY GO NOW?

Because a box of Quality Street just doesn't cut it when there's authentic craftsmanship and altogether more stylish Christmas presents to be found in the markets of Europe's design capital. Stalls are scattered throughout the city, and you can stay in the centre, on the central square in Gamla Stan (the old town), or hop on a boat to empty your pockets at one of the markets in the surrounding archipelago. Alternatively, if it's size that matters, make your way straight to Skansen outdoor museum, the site of Stockholm's biggest seasonal bazaar. You'll be hard-pressed to find any Sven Goran Eriksson compilation CDs on sale here, but who cares when you can wolf down a plateful of pickled herrings and keep warm with a mug or two of mulled wine (glogg) while you shop – all against a backdrop of snow-dusted fir trees and Hansel and Gretel-style houses?

At the pretty end of the city's main harbour, Skansen Christmas market is open from 11am to 4pm this weekend and next (00 46 8442 8000; www.skansen.se). For more information, call the Swedish Travel & Tourism Council on 00 800 3080 3080 (freephone); or call in to the Stockholm Visitors Board at Sweden House (27 Hamnagatan; 00 46 8789 2490; www.stockholmtown.com).

DOWN PAYMENT

The closest international airport to the city centre is Arlanda, 45km to the north. SAS Scandinavian Airlines (0845 60 727727; www.scandinavian.net) flies there from Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester; British Airways (0845 77 333 77; www.ba.com) from Heathrow and Birmingham; and Finnair (0870 241 4411; www.finnair.com) from Manchester. Return fares on those airlines this weekend are likely to be around £150. Alternatively, try Ryanair (0871 246 0000; www.ryanair.com), which flies from Stansted to Skavsta and Vasteras airports, both more than 100km from the centre of Stockholm. Return fares on those routes this weekend are currently going for around £140, but, if you book in advance online and travel on the less popular flights, you can pay as little as £60.

From Arlanda, the Arlanda Express zips to Central Station in about 20 minutes for Skr160 (£11) each way. Or you can take a bus for about half that. From Skavsta or Vasteras, buses take about 70 minutes and cost around Skr100 (£7) one way.

INSTANT BRIEFING

Spun out between 14 different islands, and comprising architectural styles that range from fin de siècle pomp in the harbour and ornate gabling in the old town, to an almost brutal modernism in Sodermalm, Stockholm has the potential to appear aesthetically confused. Instead, it is one of Europe's most efficient urban spaces, its disparate elements knitted together better than any piece of flatpack furniture, to form a well-presented and well-functioning city.

Thankfully, however, it doesn't take itself too seriously, especially in the long, dark, Scandinavian winter. The meteorological gloom is shaken off by determined partying (even the Christmas markets come complete with music and dancing) and, of course, plenty of glogg-quaffing. If you're planning on visiting lots of attractions while you're in town, it's worth investing in a Stockholm Card from the Stockholm Visitors Board. This costs between Skr220 (£15.50) for 24 hours, to Skr540 (£38) for 72 hours, and allows you admission to 70 museums and attractions, as well as travel on public transport.

REST ASSURED

It's not the newest place in a town that's becoming almost overdressed with design hotels, but the Conran-designed Berns Hotel, at 8 Nackstromsgatan (00 468 5663 2200; www.berns.se), overlooking Berzelii Park, is still hard to beat for comfort. Its plush cherrywood and marble rooms are cosy as well as stylish, and the staff are attentive and friendly. Doubles from Skr2,550 (£180), although last-minute offers are sometimes available. For something more traditionally Swedish, try the Lady Hamilton Hotel, 5 Storkyrkobrinken (00 468 5064 0100; www.lady-hamilton.se), in Gamla Stan. Doubles from Skr2,350 (£166).

Cheaper, but on a similar nautical theme, is Af Chapman, Vastra Brobanken, Skeppsholmen (00 468 463 2266), a 19th-century schooner that's been cleverly turned into a youth hostel. Here, you'll pay Skr165 (£12) for a dorm bed, or Skr225 (£16) per person for a double room.

MUST SEE

Winter is probably the best time to appreciate Stockholm's history, ducking out of the cold into high-tech museums, glittering churches and cosy cafés. The best of the lot is the Vasa Museum, Galarvarvet (00 468 5195 4800; www.vasamuseet.se), a celebration of one of the worst miscalculations in the city's 750-year history in the shape of a glorious but fatefully top-heavy warship, the Vasa. Built in 1628 by the best shipbuilders in the land, it sank on its maiden voyage before it had even left the city's harbour. You can see it in its modern-day dock between 10am and 5pm. Entrance costs Skr70 (around £5). Another must-see is Storkyrkan (00 468 723 3016), Stockholm's historic but fairly restrained cathedral – in terms of architecture, at least; inside is an array of spiritual design, from a 15th-century candelabra to a 1970s light globe. The building is currently open from 9am to 4pm, and entrance is free with a Stockholm Card.

MUST BUY

Even when you're not caught up in the pre-Christmas retail frenzy, the shopping is so good that it's hard not to spend money in Stockholm. For funky furniture and other interior items, try Design Torget (00 468 462 3520; www.designtorget.se). The several branches in the city include Gotgatan 31, where, if a designer bed is a bit big to squash in to a suitcase, you'll at least be able to afford a CD postcard of Stockholm street sounds to post to your envious friends back home. A few doors away, at 25 Gotgatan, 10 Gruppen (00 468 643 2504), with its retro-style fabrics made into modern accessories, is ideal present-hunting territory. Svensk Slojd, at 23 Nybrogatan (00 468 663 6650), offers the same, but also stocks serious folk-art.

MUST EAT

Stockholm's current top table is Nouveau Riche, 4 Birger Jarlsgatan (00 468 5450 3560), a foodie's heaven of heavy white tablecloths and modern Scandinavian food, with a swish bar attached. Mains cost around Skr140 (£10). A more laid-back place to eat, although prices are pretty much the same, is Ett Litet Hak ("a small place"), 15 Grevturegatan (00 468 660 1309), which serves modern Swedish classics in a chunky, blond-wood setting. A seasonal alternative for those who don't suffer from seasickness is a buffet-laden boat ride. While the captain steers a route through the neighbouring archipelago, all you have to do is focus on spearing a meatball or swallowing a pickled herring. The steamer S/S Stockholm (00 468 5871 4000; www.strommakanalbolaget.com) does evening tours from Skr575 per person (£40).

INTO THE NIGHT

When you're stuffed with seasonal saffron buns, and you've drunk more than your fair share of glogg, there's only one thing for it – a vodka cocktail in the Ice Bar. Part of the Nordic Sea Hotel, Vasaplan (00 468 5056 3000; www.nordichotels.se), you throw on a fur-lined poncho and head into a room made of ice to experience the feel of an Arctic winter in the comfort of your own home (well, it is if you're staying there). If that sounds just a bit too extreme, you could always dance the night away in the sophisticated surroundings of the revamped Café Opera (00 468 676 5807) on Kungstradgarden instead.