Summertime isn't complete without a picnic or BBQ at Vitabergs. The morning is beautiful with the…read moresunrise over a sleepy city, the evening is splendid with all the people as the sun sets over the night. Only downside, bring your own blanket, lots of snus and cigarette butts on the ground. :-(

Vitabergsparken. Also known as Vita Bergen, Vitan - and the best park in Stockholm…read more That's my humble opinion, and I've been to quite a few! Yes, Hagaparken is fantastic and massive, and definitely takes second place. But there's something so personal, so special, about Vita Bergen. While Hagaparken feels modern, there's something classic and romantic about Vitabergsparken. Perhaps it's the name, White Mountains. Perhaps it's the decadent and impressive Sofia Church, more than 100 years old, which towers upon the hill. Perhaps it's the history - this part of Södermalm has had its name since the early 1800s. It was once one of the poorest parts of Stockholm, and Swedish playwright August Strindberg featured the area in his novel The Red Room. Today it's one of the most hip and vibrant parts of the island, located right by Nytorget, aka the cafe and cultural centrum of Stockholm's artsy elite. The park is massive, and has an outdoor amphitheatre, a gazebo, a playground, and plenty of trees and alcoves with BBQ grills and picnic tables. There are always friends and couples and families relaxing here, and the park echoes with laughter - but there's always room to put down a blanket and have your own little square of peace and quiet. But it also has its modern and even futuristic aspects. Here's a little trivia: Deep in the mountains, the Pionen center is nestled. Pionen used to be a civil defence center and Cold War bunker, but in 2008 it was converted into a data center. I haven't been in there, and I'm not sure you can get in at all if you don't work there, but there are some pretty awesome pictures online - it's a deep-space modern data center featuring fountains, a fish tank, greenhouses, and more, below 30 metres of granite. Anyway, let's go back above ground. Vitaberg is my go-to spot for picnics, fika, playing games like Swedish 'kubb', and also big events like birthday celebrations and of course Midsummer. The park is also famous for its amphitheatre which is used frequently for the Summer Theatre series, with plays, ballet, and poetry onstage multiple nights a week. It's green, lush, clean, and quiet. The winding, meandering paths zigzag across the hill, and it's easy to take the path less travelled here. It's easy to get lost, but it's easy to get found. A dozen hidden staircases take you down from the hills onto the street, and quaint red-painted cottages dot the edges. It's a perfect place for sunrise, and unbeatable for sunsets. It's no wonder that Vitaberg has been featured in multiple modern Swedish pop songs. There's a popular song by Rebecca & Fiona called 'The Bells of Vitaberg': "When the bells of Vitaberg ring, you know that the night is ours. Time is running when Vitaberg's bells ring; you know the night is ours, and my heart is pounding."

Came here for a run on a weekday morning, really pretty views next to the water, many paths to go…read moreon. A bit muddy but not too bad, really big park!

Hagaparken is my mentally escape from reality. I stroll or run in this park 3-4 times a week. Large…read moreverdant areas mixed with beautiful woodland characterize this English-inspired Park. Besides, in the park there are a number of different pavilions and temples such as the Turkish and Chinese Pavilion, as well as the Copper Tents and the Echo Temple. This is a perfect location for workout, picnic or just to visit one of the cafes for an ice cream during a hot summer day.

This is beautiful park in the heart of the city. Loads of space to have lunch on the grass or on…read moreone of the many benches scattered around. Great for people watching, dog admiring or sun worshiping! The park also has a restaurant called debaser, a library, skate ramp, playground and sport courts. I like how it can be accessed any time of the day. Many parks have big gates to keep people out at after a certain time but this park is well lit at night.(However always be careful if walking alone at night in any sheltered area) I love it!! I give it full stars!

It's a park, it's a very very nice park. Maybe we caught it on a bad day .. what was that smell?…read moreThe entire park smelled like garbage and dog poop. I thought maybe it was some trees or bushes. Still a mystery. But overlooking the smell it is a really nice park and it's right in the city. On sunny days it's nice to sit here and relax ... that was before kids. They have a great playyard with swings and whatnot, great for kids. I'd spend more time here if I lived closer .. and if it didn't smell. Maybe next time I'll just rub some vicks under my nose and the problem is solved.

Love this park! The children's area is off to the side slightly hidden by trees. The playground…read moreequipment and activities are fun and different from what we have in the states. There is a small recreation center and wading pool. Close by is a little beach that gets pretty crowded on a warm day.

Great park with nice running trails. In the summer it gets pretty packed and people lay out by the…read morewater and you can take a refreshing swim!

If there is a single factor that most makes me want to move to Sweden, it's this playground…read more(followed closely by the country's largely non-xenophobic culture). The space is gorgeous, clean, happy, fun and free. Kids and be kids, run wild, climb on not-entirely-safe objects and structures, engage in not-entirely safe carpentry and the like, jump, yell, enjoy. There is a staffed indoor play area with foosball and other activities, there's hockey equipment... I bet in the winter, the sledding is amazing, here. We were floored. Please please please bring something like this to the US, my compatriots. I didn't check out the toilet situation, but there are numerous cute cafes and restaurants all around the park, a friendly, (I think) well-priced ICA grocery store, Espresso House (Starbucks- / Dunkin' Donuts-like in its ubiquity), and an excellent independent bakery just south of the park on the eastern side.

We visited the playground area with our 10 month old, our friend, and her 3 year old. It is unlike…read moreanything I have ever seen in the US! Rock climbing wall, swings, ropes course, sandboxes, trampolines, skating, fields, gardens, museum, cafe... I mean, you really have everything right here, for all ages. We came on a beautiful day, but there is apparently even an indoor play area for the winter. Very impressed, and bummed we found it on one of our last days of our visit.

To be entirely honest, I find this place a bit scary. Which may shock you given the lovely sunny…read morepictures accompanying my review. But it's true - Big Bad Björns garden intimidates me. It might be because of the proximity to the subway exit, and the fact that druggies, alcoholics, and homeless people like to hang out on the gravel between the subway and the grass. I once made the mistake of meeting a friend right at that spot - and just in five minutes, two different gnarly old men walked up and asked if I 'needed anything'. Yup. Creepy. It's also just, well, kinda dirty. The grass area is frequently full of trash and cigarette butts, and the proximity to a high-trafficked part of Götgatan means that it's generally pretty loud there, not relaxing at all. Plus, the trees lining the park - which I would normally like - just make it even more shady. Literally. And in this city we love sun, am I right? Anyway. It's not that I feel unsafe here, but I would never recommend it. Go to Vitaberg instead if you need a grassy area!