Långholmen (ostrvo i park)

About

Quick facts: More than a century of prison history lives in the sandstone buildings scattered across this island, and overnight guests now sleep in the same stone cells that held convicts until 1975. Beachgoers come for the shallow swimming cove, while picnickers climb the grassy ridge where cattle once grazed the prison grounds.

Highlights: Under the picnic blankets on the highest ridge lie the remains of people executed here before 1800, a grisly history that gives the grassy summit an odd, solemn weight. Climb the cliff edge at low tide and you will spot fossilized shells pressed into the grey stone, remnants of a seabed far older than the prison itself.

Insider tips

• Pack water shoes, the beach turns pebbly fast and the bottom drops beyond the sandy shelf.
• Scramble up the cliff path behind the cove at golden hour for the best wide shots of the water.
• Claim a flat blanket spot on the main meadow before noon on weekends, when families fill every patch of grass.
• Bring your own drinks and a blanket for a sunset hang on the west-facing cliffs above the water.

More attractions in Stockholm

Gamla Stan (Stockholm Old Town)

Vasa Museum (Vasamuseet)

Skansen Open-Air Museum

The Royal Palace (Kungliga Slottet)