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Marabou Park in Sundbyberg.
Ulvsundasjön, part of Lake Mälaren.

Västerort [ˈvɛstərˈuʈ] is the western part of Stockholm municipality, extending far from the inner city, nearly encircling the autonomous towns Solna [ˈsoːlˈna] and Sundbyberg, just north of the Vasastan and Östermalm districts of inner Stockholm. Bromma is connected by bridges to the inner-city island Kungsholmen in the east, as well as Ekerö in the south-west. The municipalities further north of those (Danderyd, Sollentuna, Järfälla etc) are covered in our guide to Stockholm's northern suburbs.

Understand

During the 18th and 19th centuries, men of wealth and power have built themselves palaces and manors west of Stockholm. Most of them remain as conference facilities. During the 20th century, the area transformed from farms to suburbs, as rail, subway and light-rail lines were drawn. While Bromma and Spånga [ˈspɔŋˈa] are affluent garden cities, the areas of Järvafältet [ˈjærvaˈfɛltət] (Rinkeby, Tensta, Hjulsta) were built as part of the Million Project in 1960s and 1970s, at the subway, to provide low-cost housing. On the west coast of the lake, Blackeberg [blakəˈbærj] is a typical modernist suburb, known for the vampire film Let The Right One In. Vällingby [ˈveliŋˈbyː], built in 1954 as one of the world's first planned multi-functional suburbs, became an icon of the Swedish welfare state. Much due to successful co-operation between phone company Ericsson and telecom operator Telia, the Kista [ˈɕiːsta] area is a flourishing high-tech cluster, rivalling central Stockholm as the main business district.

Solna and Sundbyberg grew along the rail lines, with rectangular city blocks as well as modernist apartment rows. With the Karolinska Institute, famous for selecting the Nobel Prize laureates in medicine, Solna is a centre for health science and biotechnology. Solna also contains the royal park Hagaparken, and no less than three Royal Palaces.

Map
Map of Stockholm/Västerort, Solna and Sundbyberg
Ericsson's office in Kista.

Get in/Get around

The Bromma airport is an old-fashioned aerodrome from the 1930s, still serving 2 million passengers a year.

Stockholm-Bromma airport (BMA) is primarily for short-range flights. See Stockholm#By plane for transit between the airport and central Stockholm.

Public transport covers most of the region. See Stockholm#Public transport.

  • Tvärbanan [ˈtvæːrˈbɑːnan] is a light rail line from Solna through Alvik, connecting to Söderort. The ride across lake Mälaren is very scenic.
  • Nockebybanan connects the district of Nockeby to Alvik on the green line of the Tunnelbana. The buses heading to Drottningholm Palace call at Nockeby (although in practice, taking the bus from Brommaplan on the green line of the Tunnelbana is more efficient) as well as passing through the quaint garden-city of Bromma.

Highways E4 and E18 pass through the region. Traffic is usually heavy during rush hours, and major events. While the suburbs are exempt from congestion tax, the bridge to central Stockholm, Tranebergsbron and the road connections between Solna and inner Stockholm have toll stations. See Stockholm#Car.

See

Hagaparken Copper Pavilions.
  • 1 Hagaparken. A royal palace park in Solna with a rich history, open to the public, and great for picnics. The palace, Haga slott, is currently the residence of Crown Princess Victoria and her family.
    • 2 The Haga Park Museum. Displays the history of the Royal Park, from the 18th century until today. Free admission.
    • 3 Butterfly House (Fjärilshuset). A tropical greenhouse open around the year. Except butterflies, it houses frogs, reptiles, and a large shark tank. 145 SEK.
    • 4 Gustav III:s pavilion. Open to the public during summer.
  • 5 Norra Begravningsplatsen (The Northern Cemetery). One of Scandinavia's largest cemeteries. Among famous Swedes buried here are Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson, actress Ingrid Bergman, humanitarian Folke Bernadotte, and fin-de-siècle writer August Strindberg.
Ulriksdal Palace.
  • 6 Ulriksdal Palace (Ulriksdals Slott). A Royal palace open to the public.
  • 7 Marabouparken. A sculpture park with an art hall, originally built for the Marabou chocolate factory.
  • 8 Filmstaden, Greta Garbos väg 3. A studio complex for the Swedish cinema, closed down and converted into a museum in 1999. Ingmar Bergman has directed several films at the studios.
Bromma church.
  • 9 Bromma kyrka (Bromma church), Gliavägen 100 (Bus 117 from T Brommaplan), +46 8 37 34 48. Stockholm's oldest preserved building. It has also been voted the city's most beautiful church. The oldest part was built as a round church in the second half of the 12th century. The church contains medieval paintings from the late 15th century.
  • 10 Tensta konsthall (Tensta Art Hall), Taxingegränd 10 (T Tensta), +46 8 36 07 63. Open Tu-Su noon-17:00 (closed for much of the summer). An exhibition hall in the multicultural western suburb of Tensta, opened in 1998 and has been met with much interest from critics for its contemporary art exhibitions.
Vällingby received international attention back in the 1950s, and inspired many similar projects around the world.

Do

  • 1 Friends Arena (Solna station (commuter rail, Tvärbanan) or 1 km walk from T-Solna Centrum). A 50,000-seat stadium for association football games and other events, opened in October, 2012. The arena hosts the men's national football team, as well as AIK. As of 2015, parking and roads are undeveloped, and traffic tends to be very congested before and after events. Get to the stadium early, preferrably without a car.
  • Fishing is allowed in Lake Mälaren and Brunnsviken, prohibited in smaller waters.
  • Brommapojkarna plays their home games at Grimsta IP, Bromma (T Blackeberg). Brommapojkarna advanced to the top league in 2009.
  • 3 Kistamässan (Helenelund commuter rail station). A convention center opened in 2008, hosting a broad set of events, many of them about information technology.
  • 4 Solvalla (Free buses from the City Terminal and T Sundbyberg before races, or a 10 min walk from T Rissne), +46 8 635 90 00. For a day at the races, you can go to Stockholm's hippodrome Solvalla, watch trotters compete in harness racing, and place some bets. Races are held Wednesday nights and many weekends. The biggest event is the prestigious Elitloppet race at the end of May every year.
  • Solna Bowling, Gåvägen 23, Solna, 08-779115523, . Welcome to Solna Bowling where you can bowl with you family, friends and work colleagues.

Buy

  • 1 Mall of Scandinavia (Solna Station). Sweden's largest shopping mall with more than 220 shops, opened in 2015 at Friends Arena. The cinema has an IMAX theatre.
  • 2 Solna Centrum (Hotellgatan Solna Centrum), Solna torg 13. Open M-F 10:00-19:00, Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 11:00-17:00.
  • 3 Vällingby Centrum (T Vällingby), Vällingby torg 32. Most stores open M-F 10:00-19:00, Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 11:00-17:00.
  • 4 Kista Galleria (T Kista), Kista Galleria. 10:00-21:00 daily. Known for its late opening hours.

Eat

Budget

The suburban centres have low-end diners.

  • 1 Tony's Pizzeria, Norrbyvägen 16 (T Bromma). An Italian restaurant serving Italian-style pizzas and BBQ kebab.

Mid-range

  • 2 Sorbon (Sorbonne), Kvarnbacksvägen 135 (Bromma, T-Brommaplan). A well-renowned local diner.

Splurge

  • 3 Sjöpaviljongen, Tranebergs strand 4. T-Alvik, a waterfront restaurant.
  • 4 Ulriksdals Wärdshus, Ulriksdals slottspark (in the park of the Ulriksdal castle). Has a high-end Swedish cuisine, as well as a smörgåsbord.
Stallmästaregården.
Kistamässan and Victoria Tower.

Drink

As most residents venture to central Stockholm for nightlife, the suburbs mostly contain local hangouts and hotel bars. A few places beyond the usual are:

  • 1 Grand Garbo, Landsvägen 67. Grand Garbo might be the most lively nightclub in suburban Stockholm. As 50% of Sundbyberg households are singles (reputedly the highest portion for any city in the world), this is the place for pick-up artists.
  • 2 Scandic Victoria Tower's Sky Bar, Arne Beurlings Torg 3. Though the range of drinks is limited, the view from the 34th floor is rivalled only by Kaknästornet.
  • Several sport bars in Solna around the dismantled Råsunda Stadium.

Sleep

Ulvsunda Slott is today used as a conference hotel, just as several other mansions and palaces west of Stockholm.

Budget

  • 1 Mornington Hotel, Norrbyvägen 30, +46 8 507 332 00. A sport-business hotel near Bromma airport, with gym, massage and healthy breakfast. The airport and traffic noise at the front can be disturbing, but the hotel is at walking distance from a waterfront park. Rates from SEK 452 (weekends), from SEK 796 (weekdays).
  • 2 Hotel Äppelviken, Västerled 14, +46 72 3345909. A self-service hotel in a quiet suburban neighbourhood. "mini room" SEK 495, double room SEK 995.
  • 3 Ängby Camping (T-bana: Ängbyplan (come out of the station, turn left, keep walking), Blackebergsvägen, +46 8 370 420, . If you miss the last T-bana take night bus 198 from Sergels Torg/T-Centralen, direction Backlura, stop Ängbyplan (right next to the T-bana)) Rents out cabins, has caravan/camper van lots, and space for free camping (with plenty of shade). Spotless toilets and showers (the latter cost 10 SEK). Laundry facilities, cooking facilities, internet café, mini-market which bakes its own bread and cakes every morning, small children's area. Very friendly staff who are prepared to go the extra mile to help out. A stone's throw from the campsite is Lake Mälaren with beach, bar/restaurant, crazy golf, and the campsite's own water slide. Tent place SEK 225, Cabins from SEK 450.

Mid-range

  • 4 ibis Styles Stockholm Järva, Vallgatan 7, +46 8 120 90 100. A relatively inexpensive hotel located in an office park between the Järva Krog (motorway crossing served by busses between the Arlanda Airport and the city) and the Ulriksdal station on the local railway line between Stockholm Central station and Arlanda and Uppsala. The cheapest rooms in the hotel only have windows that face the large atrium rather than the outside, but there are no rooms with no windows as in many other cheap hotels in Stockholm. The wild colours do a good job of making the simple fit-outs look modern and welcoming. from SEK 765.
  • 5 Scandic Järva Krog, Vallgatan 2, +46 8 517 345 00, . A Scandic hotel next door to the ibis Styles Järva. Slightly outdated and stark fitouts, but no major drawbacks. Only the superior rooms have air conditioning and coffee/tea facilities, as well as irons and a maritime-themed decor. rates from SEK 931.
  • 6 Park Inn by Radisson Solna, Hotellgatan 11, +46 8 470 9100. The Park Inn Solna is part of the Solna Centrum and thus directly on the blue line of the T-bana. The difference between the Standard and Superior rooms is pronounced - the former are only 15 sqm and fitted out as simply as possible, while the Superior rooms are 25 sqm and quite modern and elegant as you would expect of a Park Inn. from SEK 1250.
  • 7 Best Western Bromma, Ulvsundavägen 193, +46 8 684 48 420, . At Bromma Airport. from SEK 1165.

Splurge

Stay safe

Some suburbs along the blue line (Rinkeby, Tensta, Husby) have a reputation for crime. While incidents do happen, visitors who do not look for trouble are usually safer than in central Stockholm.

Connect

Cope

  • 1 Karolinska, Karolinska vägen. A well-reputed hospital in Solna.
This district travel guide to Västerort, Solna and Sundbyberg is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.