Alongside the Swedish Baltic coast, approximately an hour south of Stockholm you will find the small town of Nyköping. With a population of around 30.000 people it can be considered to be a medium sized Swedish town; however, that’s not say that it doesn’t have a lot to offer.

With Stockholm-Skavsta Airport giving easy access to Nyköping, and history and nature being a great reason to visit the town, it is sad that most people arriving at nearby Skavsta don’t consider a visit.

Nyköping: A (Very) Short History

Nyköping was given its town privileges sometime during the medieval ages. It has since played an important role in Swedish history at least once. That was during the Nyköping Banquet in 1317 at the castle Nyköpingshus. Keep reading to find out what happened during that ghastly Christmas party that is still remembered today.

The town was for a long time an important harbor with connections to for example Lübeck in today’s Germany.

Nyköping: Things to Do

Strolling around the streets in the center is probably the first thing first-time visitors do when arriving in a town like Nyköping. In this particular city, it is easy to see most of the important sights on foot. One may start at the main street where the small local shops are mixed with the larger ones such as H&M. You know you’re in Sweden when you cannot avoid the red logo of H&M. From there it is not far to Nyköpingshus – the town’s old castle. The harbor is also nearby.

The Center of Town

It is here that you will find several small shops and also a few restaurants and pubs. Several larger shops have nowadays moved away from the center – as in most of Sweden. So there are a lot more space for walking around and enjoying the old small buildings. Along the main street, you will find both the town hall and the church of S:t Nicolai, dating back to medieval times.

Nyköpingshus

Nyköpingshus is a large medieval castle that was one of the most important strong holds in its heyday. To this day the story from the year 1317 is being told: it is a tale about king Birger and his two brothers Erik and Valdemar. Birger had invited both his brothers to a Christmas banquet. Apparently, there were some family issues as the party tended with Birger throwing his brothers into the dungeons and letting them starve to death.

Today the castle is slightly more peaceful (the geese and their err… business might take out the aggressiveness in people) and it is a perfect place for a picknick in the grass along the castle walls. Walking around both inside and outside the castle gives you a feeling of how old it is. It is very worthwhile to enter the museum (it’s free of charge) as you will learn a lot about local and national history.

The Nyköping Harbor

Another cozy place for taking a stroll, enjoying the atmosphere and maybe an ice cream is the Nyköping Harbor. The area is not very large, but there is enough to see to spend a few hours. At least if you enjoy relaxing with a view of the sea or if you’re looking for a bite to eat.

Stendörren Nature Reserve

Not too far outside of Nyköping you will find Stendörren – or the Stone Door as it would be called in English. This is probably one of the easiest ways to get to the archipelago without an actual boat. Here you will find several islands connected by small suspension bridges.

Nyköping: How to Get There?

There are several means of transportation you can use to get to Nyköping. Buses, trains, and even flights are available.

Car: Driving either south from Stockholm or north from Norrköping, Linköping or Jönköping along the E4 is probably the easiest way to get to Nyköping by car.

Bus: There are national buses going from several of the cities along the E4 south of Stockholm.

Trains: There are trains going between Norrköping and Stockholm which stop in Nyköping, these also connect the city with Kolmården, Vagnhärad, and Södertälje.

Flights: Stockholm-Skavsta Airport is just outside the city and it connects Nyköping with Ryanair and Wizz Air flights to several cities around Europe.

The driving distance to Nyköping from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:

From Stockholm – 103 kilometers (1 h 8 min)

From Gothenburg – 372 kilometers (3 h 43 min)

From Malmö – 515 kilometers (5 h 4 min)

From Luleå – 1000 kilometers (10 h 57 min)

From Linköping – 102 kilometers (1 h 8 min)

Find out more about other destinations in Sweden by visiting our page Exploring Sweden