What is the capital of Sweden?

The capital of Sweden is Stockholm. It is the country’s political, cultural, financial, and media centre, and it is also Sweden’s most populous city.

Stockholm occupies fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea. This watery setting helps explain the city’s nickname, “Venice of the North,” although Stockholm’s geography is distinctly Scandinavian. The urban area also connects to the extensive Stockholm archipelago along Sweden’s eastern coast.

The city was first mentioned in 1252 and is traditionally associated with Birger Jarl, a powerful Swedish statesman who helped establish it as an important settlement. Stockholm’s central Old Town, Gamla Stan, preserves a medieval street plan and includes the Royal Palace and historic Stortorget square.

Stockholm is sometimes confused with Uppsala because Uppsala was an older religious and intellectual centre of Sweden. However, Stockholm is the national capital and the seat of the Swedish government, parliament, and monarch. It also hosts the Nobel Prize ceremonies and banquet each year, except for the Peace Prize ceremony, which takes place in Oslo.