There is no denying it, Stockholm can get very cold in winter. Luckily not quite as cold as further north in Sweden in the arctic circle. Keeping warm on a cold day does not have to be hard as the city has plenty of indoor activities to explore.

Museums

Spread out over the city's 14 main islands, Stockholm is home to over 100 museums. Something for everyone.

The Vasa Museum is Scandinavia's most visited museum. It is home to a ship, the Vasa, which sank in 1628 and spend 333 years at the bottom of the sea. The museum not only tells you more about this warship's history, it also shows you what life was like in the 17th century.

Another popular museum in the city is the ABBA museum. It is often said that a visit to Stockholm is not complete without visiting this museum. This interactive exhibition allows you to virtually try on ABBA's costumes, sing, play, mix original music and become the fifth member of ABBA by performing together with Björn, Benny, Frida and Agnetha.

Other popular museums include the Sprit museum, dedicated to all things alcohol, Fotografiska, which has a great restaurant on the top-floor, the Nobel Prize Museum, and the Nationalmuseum, the country's national gallery.

Butterfly House

Leave the cold behind and step into this tropical rainforest. The Butterfly House Haga Ocean is so much more than just a butterfly house. Not only are there at least 700 different varieties of butterflies in the 3000 m2 tropical environment, there is also an aquarium with sharks, colourful tropical fish and coral reefs.

The Royal Palace

Sweden's Royal Palace is one of the largest in Europe with over 600 rooms. The Palace is the official residence of the King of Sweden and was mostly build in the 18th century, on the spot where the Tre Kronor castle had burned down in 1697. The combination of royal residence, workplace and historical monument open year round makes this place unique amongst Europe's royal residences.

The palace is styled like a Roman palace with a baroque style, its 600 rooms are divided over 11 floors. As it is the residence of the King, not all rooms can be visited. You will, however, be able to visit such rooms as the reception rooms, the Rikssalen (Hall of State) with Queen Kristina's silver throne, and Ordenssalarna (Halls of the Orders of Chilvary).

Churches

Right next door to the Palace is Stockholm's oldest churches, Storkyrkan, also called Stockholm Cathedral. Building of this church started in the 13th century, inside you will find the ornate Royal pews, the oldest known image of Stockholm and an impressive wooden statue of Saint George and the Dragon.

Over on the island of Riddarholmen, the Riddarholmskyrkan rivals Storkyrkan in age. Also build in the 13th century, the Riddarholmen Church is Stockholm's only remaining medieval abbey. It is the last resting place of Swedish monarchs and aristocracy, including Gustav II Adolf, Karl XII, Gustav V and their consorts.

Fun and Games

If you are looking for something a little more active and perhaps child friendly, Stockholm will not disappoint with plenty of indoor entertaining centres. On Kungsholmen you can visit Ballbreaker with everything from bowling to virtual reality experiences.

In the Tele2 Arena, you can find O'Learys, a sports bar with lots of other activities to try out. Such as crazy golf, curling, karaoke and arcade games. While up in Bromma, you can test your wings in the former Pripps brewery. At Bodyflight, an indoor wind tunnel, you can experience the sensation of flying.