Five things to do for autumn in Stockholm

As the leaves are changing, we get a chance to admire our town in new, explosive shades of yellow, red and orange. You get an excuse to wear your chunky sweaters, sip pumpkin spiced latte and enjoy cozy evenings whether it’s at home or out and about.

I’ve gathered some of the most autumnal spots in Stockholm, which are perfect to enjoy with family and friends, or if you want to venture out solo to admire the season.

Autumn in Stockholm is not too hot, or cold. It us, however crisp and cool. Bring a light jacket and get ready to explore the city as well as the beautiful nature.

Visit the pumpkin exhibition at Bergianska Trädgården

Bergianska Trädgården is a large botanical garden just fifteen minutes north of Stockholm. To get here, take the red metro line to the Universitetet station and walk for another five to ten minutes.

This Pumpkin exhibition is about as close as we’ll get to a Pumpkin patch in Stockholm. The exhibition is situated in the culinary garden section, right in front of the Orangery (where you can go for a nice lunch or coffee break). It’s quite the unique setup with all kinds of pumpkins in many shapes and sizes.

It’s a lovely autumn activity for all ages and ideal to combine with other parts of this, huge botanical garden. You may also go ahead and buy your own pumpkins at the nearby Plantagen (this is also the best spot for parking in the area).

There is also a cafe and a few greenhouses with exotic plants on the premises which can be fun to visit, especially if the weather takes a turn for the worse!

Pick your own fresh produce at Ulriksdals Slottsträdgård

In the gardens of Ulriksdal’s Royal Palace, you’ll find an outdoor plantation with plenty of fresh vegetables and flowers that you can cut straight from the bush. Its all nestled inside the beautiful garden of Ulriksdal’s Royal Palace and ideal to combine with a visit to the palace and the impressive surroundings.

In the garden, you’ll find autumn highlights like sunflowers and corn maze’s as well as all the fresh produce you’d ever want for your homecooking. They also have plenty of beautiful pumpkins, which was my main reason for visiting. Right next to the farm you’ll find the garden center, offering a wide variety of plants, flowers and decorations for your balcony or garden.

The Palace garden is part of a large natural area which also includes Ulriksdals Palace, one of the royal castles of Sweden. It’s all located just fifteen minutes from central Stockholm.

The area is filled with natural beauty such as the palace park, an orangery, a royal garden in addition to the farm. There’s also a restaurant and café.

This place is perfect for a weekend excursion and the easiest way to get here is to take the metro to Bergshamra station and walk the rest of the way. 

Visit an Apple Orchard

Visiting an apple orchard is a staple activity during the fall season, especially in September before the pumpkins start to take over. This photo is actually from another part of Bergianska Trädgården, just a few metres from the pumpkin exhibition. However, although they do cultivate apples, there is no apple orchard or apple picking available at Bergianska Trädgården.

Apple picking season starts in early September through late October. A few tips for apple orchards in the Stockholm region are Rosenhill and Värmdö Musteri. I have read plenty about these two spots and seen many beautiful pictures, but have yet to visit myself. I’m definitely looking to come next year!

Visit an autumn themed cafe

There are plenty of good cafe’s in Stockholm, and they tend to come out with more seasonal treats the closer we get to Halloween. One of the early contenders is Starbucks and their Pumpkin Spiced Latte’s. You may get it hot or cold, or as a frappuccino.

The Pumpkin Spiced Latte, or commonly abbreviated as PSL is such a staple in American fall culture, and I’m happy that it’s gaining popularity here as well. I’ve seen most of the coffee chains come out with their own versions of it, but nothing really beats the original Starbucks PSL.

My favorite spot for Halloween pastries is Tössebageriet. It is one of the most classic cafe’s in Stockholm and they have plenty of seasonal Halloween pastries and cakes. You will definitely have trouble deciding what to order here, so do what I did and get one of each. Perfect for a little tasting session at home.

Visit the parks for fall foliage

Truth is, that I could’ve turned this compilation into way more things to do than five, simply by individually listing my favorite parks and other spots for fall foliage. However, that has already been done by me last year, you can find that post HERE. You’ll see hat the blog post has plenty of stunning photos of various places in town as well as my favorite parks for beautiful foliage.

The parks in Stockholm are perfect if you want to enjoy the calmness and peace that can actually be found even if you’re in the middle of the city. There are also plenty of areas where you can sit by the water, breath in the fresh air and watch the world go by.

What are some of your favorite fall activities in your city? Let me know in the comments!