Sweden

Owned and operated by Scotsman Andrew Duncanson since 1998, this showroom-slash-gallery collects and sells rare, impossible-to-find 20th-century Scandinavian furniture by the likes of Finn Juhl, Arne Jacobsen, and Alvar Aalto. Aside from their Stockholm space, Modernity often sources and supplies pieces to MoMA and LACMA, as well as being a constant feature on the international art circuit. One of the few places in the world where iconic pieces by the aforementioned Scandinavian design heavyweights are actually available for sale, you'll also find antique textiles, ceramics, and light fixtures.

Stromma has an unrivaled selection of classic, turn-of-the-century boats, perfect for a day spent gliding through Stockholm's archipelago. With close to thirty-four thousands islands—some small scraps of rock, some large, uninhabited, densely forested landmasses, and some like mini cities with hotels and summer homes—there's plenty of visual variety to keep you entertained whether you choose to sail for a few hours, or go on a full-day excursion. Stromma's cruisers (which are also available for private hire should you wish to do a totally custom tour), can fit numbers as low as ninety or as high as three hundred. The boats themselves date from the early 20th century, with each one offering the option for a formal sit-down luncheon or dinner on board.

If you're looking for that over-the-top, opulent but classic, hotel experience, The Grand Hôtel is your best bet. Rooming guests since 1874, the waterfront location looking over at The Royal Palace and the cobbled streets of Gamla Stan (the city's Old Town) is hard to beat. The accommodations are brimming with old-world charm—soaring ceilings with crown moldings, four-poster beds with high thread count sheets, and luxurious bathrooms. The hotel is home to acclaimed chef Matthias Dahlgren's Michelin-starred restaurant Matbaren (we also love Dahlgren's more casual café Green Rabbit on nearby Tegnérgatan). After a long day of sightseeing, check into the hotel's Nordic spa for a series of invigorating, Scandi-style treatments including hot and cold baths, a pine-scented sauna, and traditional Swedish massage.

You'll find several outposts of Swedish wood-fired bakery Fabrique across the capital, but the Söder location is our favorite. With Moroccan-style tiles on the floor contrasting with all-white tile walls, you'll struggle to find a prettier bakery spot to enjoy a kardemummabullar, the more modern, cardamom-spiced, buttery sister to the better-known cinnamon bun.

Occupying their grand old building for almost 100 years, Vete-Katten is a Stockholm institution. The bakery, which makes all of its pastries and breads from scratch, was founded in 1928 by Ester Nordhammar, one of the very few female business owners in the city at the time. In the early days, Nordhammar employed only women (in fact, the bakery didn't employ a single man until she died in 1961). Today, you can find them churning out the same delicious pastries, breads, cakes, sandwiches, and biscuits daily. It's a worthy pilgrimage.

Café Nizza (Italian for French Riviera city Nice), serves Mediterranean food cooked with the best of Swedish ingredients. Standout dishes are the seabass with the classic Scandi flavors of cucumber and preserved fruit, or the simply sauteéd cavolo nero. While the food at this neighborhood joint is undeniably good, we love to pop in for a casual drink. The wine list changes almost daily so there's always something new from small producers to try—the best accompaniment to any glass of wine at Café Nizza is a basket of their freshly baked rye sourdough bread, slathered in their salty, homemade, butter.

A very casual bar in Stockholm's trendiest district, Södermalm, the outdoor terrace fills up early. The kitchen serves up all manner of Asian food from sushi and Vietnamese noodles to Thai street food, and the cocktails are particularly good. The lunch service can be a little slow—we recommend taking a seat at the outdoor bar for a drink and a few pieces of their excellent sushi, rather than committing to a full sit-down meal.

BabyBjörn founder Björn Jakobson and his wife Lillemor—both lifelong art lovers—felt a deep connection to the wooded islands that dot Stockholm's archipelago and decided to merge their two loves with Artipelag: an international art venue in the woods on Värmdö Island. A mere twenty minutes from Stockholm city center, it's hard to tell where the ultra-modern wood-and-glass building ends and the pine-tree laden landscape begins. The exhibitions often have a nature-based theme (currently duo Bigert and Bergström's Eye of the Storm exhibit which examines our impact on climate change), there are activity hubs for kids (like nature-themed treasure hunts all over the island), and two restaurants that overlook the water (the fine dining restaurant serves vegetables grown on the museum's rooftop and the more casual Båden cafe is perfect for a coffee and pastry). Skip the car rental and take the ferry, it's too beautiful not to.

Djurgården is one of the fourteen islands that comprise the city of Stockholm and is the former Royal Game Park (the grounds were teeming with wild deer, elk, and reindeer until the 18th century). Packed with museums and monuments (like the must-see Vasa Museum), this is the perfect place to walk off jet lag, or spend a few hours on bike or foot exploring the trails along the water's edge. There are spots for ice cream and coffee throughout (including a café housed in miniature castle by the park's entrance), though do not miss lunch at Rosendals Trädgard, which sits in a greenhouse smack in the middle of the park's organic garden. (You can pick your own produce, too.) While there are tables and chairs scattered throughout, locals typically take their food picnic-style out on the lawns.

Fotografiska is one of those rare museums that offers a permanent collection, while also doing an amazing job of nurturing local creatives with a full calendar of exhibits, lectures, photography courses, and workshops. Housed in a 1906 Art Nouveau building that was once the city's customs house, the original brick exterior of the structure was kept intact while the interior has undergone major renovations. The museum hosts four major photography-focused exhibits a year (previous ones have included talents like Annie Leibovitz, David LaChapelle, and an Irving Penn retrospective), and around 20 smaller ones celebrating new talent. The rooftop café and bar fills up in the summer months, which isn't surprising given the sweeping views of the lake and the city.