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Within walking distance from Nordita, there are two nice areas for walking and running. In Lilljansskogen (Little Jon's Forest), there are three trails (total length about 10km), the two depicted in yellow on the map below are illuminated till 22:00. In addition, there is a 12km trail around the lake Brunnsviken, which is one of the Hälsans Stig (Trail of Health). The starting points of these trails can be found on the map below.
The route of the trail around Brunnsviken can be found on this map of the trail. In general, follow the Hälsans Stig signs, or follow the water as closely as possible. At one point, you will come to an ugly bridge, where you'll have to cross the water as follows: Running counter-clockwise, follow the trail under the railroad bridge and then under the highway bridge. Then follow the path to the right and enter the bride. Cross the bridge and go down the stairs to the right immediately after crossing the narrow water. Down at the water, turn right, and take the stairs up to the board walk under the bridge.
We note that the greater Stockholm region is a high-risk area for tick-borne encephalitis (TBE); ticks also transmit lyme disease. If you plan to spend time hiking you may want to inform yourself about what measures to take, and check for any tick bites after the hike!
The water in and around Stockholm is generally clean enough for a bath and you can find outdoor baths, more or less official, in various places. Closest to Nordita is Brunnsviken; following the shore you find a small bath about a kilometer north of Nordita (you may notice a relatively high gay attendance at this bath). Baths within walking distance from the Nordita apartments are Smedsuddsbadet (good for families), Rålambshovsparken and Fredhällsbadet (cliffs, not for small kids). For information on how to find these places, as well as other alternatives, follow this link.
There are supposed to be 30000 islands in the Stockholm archipelago and a boat trip is a good way to explore the surroundings. There are many companies offering such trips and you can find information on the standard tourist sites. Among the companies is Waxholmsbolaget which is the ‘public transportation of the archipelago’. In there fleet they have a couple of steamers, Storskär and Norrskär, from the beginning of the previous century.
Stockholm is a city on the water - sometimes called the Venice of the North. Well, there aren’t any condolas, neither are there any condoljers but as a substitute you may rent a kayak and do the work yourself. Stockholm and its surroundings offer excellent conditions for kayaking and this has become a very popular activity. Kayaks can be rented at many places for a couple of hours or for longer periods. Within walking distance of Nordita you find Brunnsvikens Kanotklubb (Unfortunately, there does not seem to be an English version of this homepage. Ask a local at Nordita for help or just call the club – or walk there.) In the city center, one can rent kayaks on Kungsholmen
Stockholm has many parks which are worth a visit. Nearby Nordita, there is Haga parken, on the western 'shore' of Brunnsviken. In the city center, the nicest park is beyond doubt Djurgården, which houses many tourist attractions, but is also big enough such that tourists can be avoided.
During the summer, there is a series of performances on outdoor scenes in the cities parks (appropriately christianed Parkteatern). The performances are varied, including plays, music and ballet, and free of charge. The program is available in english.
A truly spectacular way to see Stockholm is from a balloon. Several companies offer balloon rides, such as Far&Flyg and Ballongflyg i Stockholm.
Usually, during some part of winter, one can skate on the lakes in Stockholm. We advice you to check with one of the locals about the thickness and quality of the ice. Though this is not a guarantee that you'll stay dry by any means, only skate when others are around!
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