Gamla Stan, Stockholm

Stockholm's old town, on a small island, with narrow cobbled lanes, ochre and red houses, and the Stortorget square. The Royal Palace, one of the largest in Europe, is open to visitors, with the changing of the guard at midday. Also see the Nobel Prize Museum and the Storkyrkan cathedral.

Take a boat around the archipelago, or the ferry to Drottningholm Palace, the royal family's home, with its 18th-century theatre. The City Hall, where the Nobel banquet is held, has a tower with views.