Skeppsholmen in Stockholm – museums, walk and map

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: October 2026 | Skeppsholmen is a small green island in the middle of central Stockholm, filled with museums, historic buildings, boats and nice walking paths along the water. We have been here many times over the years – sometimes to visit a museum and sometimes just to walk among the boats and enjoy the view.

Skeppsholmen – from naval base to cultural island

Skeppsholmen is located in the middle of Stockholm, between Blasieholmen and Djurgården. Despite its central location, the island is surprisingly quiet and green, with water and nice views in almost every direction.

The island has a long history. In the 16th century it was called Lustholmen and here were both a royal pleasure garden and a pleasure palace. The name Skeppsholmen began to be used in the 17th century, when the naval shipyards and workshops were moved here. The navy then came to characterize the island for more than 300 years.

From 1749, parts of Skeppsholmen and Kastellholmen were open to the public during peacetime. At that time, there was a small community here, including a school, shops, cafes and taverns – and even Sunday balls. But certain rules applied. Among other things, you were not allowed to sing after eleven o'clock in the evening!

Today, the military operations are gone and Skeppsholmen has instead become an island for art, culture and recreation. Many of the old buildings remain, but are used for completely different purposes.

Map of Skeppsholmen

Skeppsholmen is not big and it is easy to get around on foot. On the map below you will find some of the places that might be interesting to look for during a walk.

Feel free to continue across the bridge to Kastellholmen while you're here. Together, the two islands make for a pleasant walk with both culture, history and great views of Stockholm.

Things to see and do on Skeppsholmen

Skeppsholmen is primarily known for its museums, but we think the island itself is just as worth discovering. Here you can combine a museum visit with a walk along the quays and perhaps continue on to little Kastellholmen.

Modern Museum

At Moderna Museet you can see Swedish and international modern and contemporary art. The museum has a large collection, while temporary exhibitions mean that there are always new things to discover. Outside the museum there is also art to discover, including in the sculpture park.

READ MORE: Moderna Museet in Stockholm – art on Skeppsholmen

ArkDes

ArkDes is a museum of architecture and design located right next to Moderna Museet. It houses an extensive collection of drawings, models, photographs and other material that tells the story of Swedish architecture and design.

When we visited ArkDes, we were particularly drawn to models of buildings that we had seen on our travels – or were eager to go and see.

READ MORE: ArkDes - museum of architecture and design

East Asian Museum

The East Asian Museum offers art, archaeology and cultural history from primarily China and Japan, but the collections also include Korea and other parts of Asia.

The museum is located in an old military building that tells part of the history of Skeppsholmen. The site was previously home to a rope-making workshop where ropes were made for the navy's ships.

READ MORE: East Asian Museum - Japan, China, Korea

Walk around Skeppsholmen

Of course, you don't need to go into any museums at all to enjoy Skeppsholmen. The island is perfect for a walk, and that's perhaps how we like to experience it best.

Here you will find old military buildings, large trees, art, boats and the constant proximity to the water. On the other side you will see, among other things, Gamla stan, Djurgården and Gröna Lund.

Skeppsholmsbron – the entrance to the island

If you walk from Kungsträdgården and the National Museum, you reach Skeppsholmen via Skeppsholmsbron. The gilded crowns on the bridge are a classic Stockholm motif, and from here the actual walk out onto the island begins. Already on the bridge you get nice views of the water and the city – so it's a good idea to bring your camera right away.

Among the ships on Skeppsholmen

When we first wrote about Skeppsholmen, it was actually the ships which was the centerpiece. Along the quays lie many older ships, and the maritime environment is still a large part of Skeppsholmen's charm. Over the years, we have photographed, among other things, old tugboats and other ships with completely different stories behind them.

We have also experienced Skeppsholmen when there have been significantly more boats and people than usual. On one occasion we ended up here before the then ÅF Offshore Race, today's Gotland Runt, when the quays were full of sailboats preparing for the race around Gotland.

Other times it has been much quieter. But walking here among the boats, with the water and Djurgården on the other side – yes, for us it is very much Stockholm.

by Chapman

The most well-known ship at Skeppsholmen is probably by Chapman, the large white full-rigged ship that is moored at the island. The ship was built in the late 19th century and has been a school ship during its long history. Today it is one of Skeppsholmen's most prominent landmarks and is used as a hostel. Even if you don't live here, the ship is hard to miss during your walk.

Skeppsholm Church

Another building that stands out is the domed Skeppsholm Church, located a little higher up on the island. The church was completed in 1842 and was designed by the naval architect Fredrik Blom. Today, the building is no longer used as a church but as a choir and cultural center. It is another example of how buildings from Skeppsholmen's military history have been given completely new uses.

Continue to Kastellholmen

Once you have walked around Skeppsholmen, we definitely think you should continue across the small bridge to Kastellholmen. The island is considerably smaller than Skeppsholmen, but here you will find both history and beautiful views of Stockholm.

The citadel and the naval flag

At the top of Kastellholmen lies the red The Castle, which looks like a small castle. The place also has a military history, of course. An older fort that stood here was used for ammunition manufacturing, among other things, and was blown up in an explosion in 1845. The current fort was then built according to drawings by Fredrik Blom.

Kastellholmen also has an old tradition of flying the Swedish trident naval flag. When the navy left the area in 1990, the idea was to stop flying the flag, but this sparked protests and the tradition was resumed. Kastelllet is a nice destination for a walk and from here you get another perspective of Stockholm and the surrounding water.

The skating pavilion

On Kastellholmen there is also a small brick building that almost looks like a miniature castle. It is The skating pavilion, which was built in 1882 for the Royal Skating Club. During the late 19th century, ice skating had become the height of fashion in Stockholm's finer circles, and even the royal family took up the sport.

The building has later been used for other purposes. During the late 1980s, it was used as an architect's office in connection with work on the Vasa Museum.

Eat and have coffee at Skeppsholmen

The range of restaurants and cafes on Skeppsholmen can change, so we wouldn't go here just for a particular restaurant without checking that it's still there.

We have had lunch at, among other things, Café Bloom adjacent to ArkDes. After a museum visit we each ordered a southern French shrimp stew and a beer – a nice end to the day. Otherwise it's soon back to the city, where the selection is of course much greater.

Our walk on Skeppsholmen

If you want to combine most of what Skeppsholmen has to offer, you can start at Skeppsholms Bridge and then continue past the Museum of East Asia. From there you can continue towards the Moderna Museet and ArkDes. If you want to visit a museum, you can of course make a longer stop here, otherwise you continue down towards the water and the quays.

Check out the af Chapman and the other boats before continuing over to Kastellholmen. Walk up to Kastelllet and look out for Skridskopaviljongen before turning back.

The walk itself doesn't have to take very long, but it's one of those walks where we like to stop often. There's almost always something to photograph – an old boat, a historic building or Stockholm on the other side of the water.

And if you also add one or two museums, Skeppsholmen can easily become a half- or full-day excursion.

More to see in the neighbourhood

When you come back over Skeppsholmsbron it is close to National Museum on Blasieholmen. If you continue from there you will soon reach Kungsträdgården, and in the other direction you can walk further towards Gamla stan. Skeppsholmen is therefore also easy to combine with other parts of central Stockholm.

READ MORE: Museums in Stockholm - guide to the city's best museums

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