By: Silvia Lopez

As we all know, being a student abroad can be difficult when it comes to our budgets. The combination between doing as many things as possible and not spending a lot of money is always there… BUT, no worries! Stockholm offers many things to do for free or spending not too much money!

1. Attend free festivals at Kungsträdgården

No doubt this is the most multifaceted place in Stockholm! One day you are in China surrounded of blooming flowers, another day in the Middle Ages, another day in India and other in a Radio Festival! I love Kungsträdgården and how an event is offered almost every weekend (always for free)! And…to make it greater…during winter you can also do ice-skating!

2. Go to the Opera

One of the most surprising things for me regarding cultural plans was to know that the Opera has student tickets! All tickets are 50% off which menas paying 100 SEK or less for a ticket is totally possible and, apart from the amazing play that you will enjoy, the building is incredibly wonderful inside!

3. Take a SL ferry to another island

Using a ferry as transport is included in the SL card (it took me a while to realize this) and there are many beautiful places to see near the city as: Nacka, Lidingö or Henriksdal. The ferries can be taken in many places in the city and, if you are not familiar with travelling by boat (like me), it is a super cool way of moving around!

4. Ride a bike around the city

Cycling around the city or having a ride in Djurgården is one of my favourite things to do to and a good way of discovering new areas!

5. Engage in free activities at Kulturhuset

Located in Sergels torg, the Kulturhuset (meaning “the house of culture”) offers a lot of nice activities for free! The activities range from debates (yes, mostly in Swedish…but not always!) to concerts of new talents or small groups! I totally recommend checking their website; some concerts I’ve been to were really fantastic! (Kulturhuset Stadsteatern at Sergels torg is currently being renovated. At the same time, they have moved to more than 15 places around Stockholm. Check out their website for more information.)

6. Visit the museums

As little by little the cold is coming, doing plans indoors is a good option to skip the cold! Stockholm has more than 80 museums and some of them, as the National Museet, the Moderna Museet, the Historiska Museet, or the Medelhavs Museet, are completely free! Others as Nordiska Museet offers special days during the week to go for free!

7. Practice languages

The språkcafé is known as one of the best options to practice Swedish for free (and sometimes also get a free fika) but, did you know that there are also språkcafés to practice other languages? As an example, Stadsbiblioteket and Stockholm University offer also Italian, Spanish, French, Polish and many more! A great way to improve the language and meet new people!

8. Visit Sigtuna

For me a must excursion to do if you are in Stockholm. It is where Sweden began, and you can go with the SL card without paying any extra! A really cozy place and interesting for learning about the country and its history!

9. Eat some Swedish food

Knowing the food means knowing the culture, or is it not a must to eat a kanelbulle and know the meaning of fika? The app OLIO offers free food from restaurants and shops which were not sold during the day. A great way of saving money, try new food and help the planet from a huge waste of food!

10. Watch an ice hockey game

Last but not least, if you come from a place where you can just find ice in the freezer (as is my case), probably watching an ice hockey match is absolutely exciting! As other activities, tickets have discount for students, being possible to watch an ice hockey match for 100-160 SEK! A great way of seeing how Swedes live this national sport while having so much fun!