Came here on a cool September day. Took the 401 bus from Slussen and it arrives right outside of the garden. Aside from beautiful grounds, fun amenities like grills and mini golf, the real attraction for me was the sauna. You can sauna and then walk to the lake and swim in the frigid water. In the winter this is all also available with the caveat that the lake is partially or fully frozen, but I've heard they enable swimming after saunaing even in the summer. You should expect to be nude while saunaing and it's perfectly fine to be nude while swimming. There may be a small amount of culture shock for some Americans but if you just try to enjoy the hot-cold cycles you'll be totally fine. The feeling of swimming in the cold lake is refreshing beyond what you can really imagine elsewhere. The price to sauna is ~60 SEK per person, renting a towel was an additional 30 SEK (non-refundable rental) and they will rent a lock for the locker. It comes out to about $10 to go to the sauna. They have crocs or sandals for you to use in the locker room and even offer water bottles for free (I would highly recommend one). The saunas are gender separated. There's a changing room, shower room and sauna. If you've never sauna'd in Europe before here are tips: shower first before getting in. Sit on your towel in the sauna, stay lower down on the seats if you want to be cooler. Afterwards cool yourself off in the lake, and remember the code to the door so you can get back in! Repeat the sauna / swim as much as you like (and as long as you feel good). I'd definitely recommend this experience as part of a short trip to Stockholm. The experience is really refreshing. read more

Visiting from Los Angeles, CA. This was a wonderful break from the hustle and bustle of downtown Stockholm and Gamla Stan. Take the train to Slussen and go down another level to find the 401 bus. Nice views of the towns outside of the city center. Activities for all. Even a gym with different weighted wooden machines for squats, presses, etc. I opted for the 10k green trail. Some parts were more climbing/hiking but gorgeous throughout the forest and great lake views. The cafe food looked delicious but I only enjoyed a glass of fresh OJ since I want to check out some other restaurants. Family friendly environment and not a tourist in sight. Great way to experience nature the way the Swedes do. read more

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This place is AWESOME. My friend was visiting from Madrid and we wanted to have a very Swedish adventure so we went polar bear swimming in the lake in Feb! It was definitely an ADVENTURE, and very exhilarating! The place itself is cool, they have lots of little huts in the complex, a restaurant, a place to rent ice skates, and then a locker room with separate showers and saunas for men and women (nothing fancy, but clean enough!). Basically, you arrive, change into your swimsuit (or nothing at all, as many people did!) hustle down to the water, hop in for a few seconds, and hustle back to the sauna and spend half an hour getting your body temp back up to normal :) And repeat. My biggest piece of advice is BRING SANDALS! We didn't and our feet are suffering from painful frostnip now. Luckily some girls there were super nice and for our second dip, they lent us their flip flops for the icy walk down to the water. It made a HUGE difference. A bus takes you right from Slussen to Hellasgarden (about a 20 min ride), and it's only 60kr entrance fee for many hours of entertainment- best deal in Stockholm! Only drawback is the guy who is working at the cash register where you pay to enter is a real nightmare. But aside from him, it was sweet :) read more

Hellasgården naturreservat - Polar Bear Swimming! - Lakes Near Me - Nacka, Alberta

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If you're looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city - check out Hellasgarden. Only a 20 minute bus ride from the city, but it felt like we were much farther. Hellasgarden has a lot of things to offer, including hot tubs, hiking, ice skating, and a cafe on site. Our group opted for ice skating, as we had never skated on a lake before. Upon arrival, we noticed that the ice was a little slushy, so we grabbed a bite to eat in the cafe before deciding what to do. The lady at the ice skating rental stand informed us that the ice was safe, just a little wet on top due to the warm weather, so we strapped on our skates and gave it a go. Let me tell you - skating on that lake was one of the more exhilarating things I've done. It was beautiful, yes, but when you went on the slushy portions of the ice I definitely felt myself sinking down an inch or so, which is a pretty disconcerting feeling. However - we made it to the island in the middle, and skated all over the lake, and I am alive and dry to tell the tale. So the moral of the story is - if the lake is open for skating... just do it! read more

Beautiful park and I was just amazed by the lake and wooden workout equipment very unique and something you don't see in the U.S. I will come here again in the summer when in Sweden. Very relaxing and a romantic place also. Good for jogging and spending time with loved ones. read more

A must for an authentic local experience. We went on a Saturday and the crowd was mostly locals enjoying their day off, not touristy at all. The bus ride from Slussen was short, easy, and completely worth it even given the fact we only had one day to spend in Stockholm. Definitely the most relaxing/refreshing experience I had in Stockholm. The water was 4 C and it had snowed the night before, which didn't stop me from going in at least four times. The temperature inside was about 82C so it didn't take long to feel like you needed to cool off. The facilities were all clean and well maintained and the staff was friendly. The price is unbeatable; we considered a (much more expensive) trendier spa-like place in Ostermalm before coming here and we were very glad we made the choice we did! read more