Sweden's dynamic capital combines contemporary attractions—avant-garde art, chic shopping, innovative dining—with regal palaces and gabled buildings that look lifted out of a storybook. Stroll through fantastic parks and gardens (the 19th-century Skansen was the world’s first open-air museum), over picturesque bridges connecting the city's islands, and down narrow cobblestone streets of Old Town—possibly the most impeccably preserved historic centre in Europe. Dedicate a day or two for exploring Stockholm’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Drottningholm Palace (the residence of the royal family) and the magical Skogskyrkogården (aka Woodland Cemetery).