PrinceGloria/Västerort, Solna and Sundbyberg

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Marabou Park in Sundbyberg.

Ulvsundasjön, part of Lake Mälaren.

Västerort [ˈvɛstərˈuʈ] is the western part of Stockholm municipality, extending far from the inner city, nearly encircling the autonomous towns Solna [ˈsoːlˈna] and Sundbyberg, just north of the Vasastan and Östermalm districts of inner Stockholm. Bromma is connected by bridges to the inner-city island Kungsholmen in the east, as well as Ekerö in the south-west. The municipalities further north of those are covered in our guide to Stockholm's northern suburbs.

Understand

For centuries, men of wealth and power have built themselves palaces and manors west of Stockholm. Most of them remain as conference facilities. During the 20th century, the area transformed from farms to suburbs, as rail, subway and light-rail lines were drawn. While Bromma and Spånga [ˈspɔŋˈa] are affluent garden cities, the areas of Järvafältet [ˈjærvaˈfɛltət] (Rinkeby, Tensta, Hjulsta) were built as part of the Million Project in 1960s and 1970s, at the subway, to provide low-cost housing. On the west coast of the lake, Blackeberg [blakəˈbærj] is a typical modernist suburb, known for the vampire film Let The Right One In. Vällingby [ˈveliŋˈbyː], built in 1954 as one of the world's first planned multi-functional suburbs, became an icon of the Swedish welfare state. Much due to successful co-operation between phone company Ericsson and telecom operator Telia, the Kista [ˈɕiːsta] area is a flourishing high-tech cluster, rivalling central Stockholm as the main business district.

Solna and Sundbyberg grew along the rail lines, with rectangular city blocks as well as modernist apartment rows. With the Karolinska Institute, famous for selecting the Nobel Prize laureates in medicine, Solna is a centre for health science and biotechnology. Solna also contains the royal park Hagaparken, and no less than three Royal Palaces.

Ericsson's office in Kista.

Get in/Get around

The Bromma airport is an old-fashioned aerodrome from the 1930s, still serving 2 million passengers a year.

Stockholm-Bromma airport (BMA) is primarily for short-range flights. See Stockholm#By plane for transit between the airport and central Stockholm.

Public transport covers most of the region. See Stockholm#Public transport.

• Tvärbanan [ˈtvæːrˈbɑːnan] is a light rail line connecting Alvik to Söderort. The ride across lake Mälaren is very scenic.

• Nockebybanan connects the district of Nockeby to Alvik on the green line of the Tunnelbana. The buses heading to Drottningholm Palace call at Nockeby (although in practice, taking the bus from Brommaplan on the green line of the Tunnelbana is more efficient) as well as passing through the quaint garden-city of Bromma.

While the suburbs are exempt from congestion tax, the bridge to central Stockholm, Tranebergsbron and the road connections between Solna and inner Stockholm have toll stations. See Stockholm#Car.

See

Hagaparken Copper Pavilions.

• 1 Hagaparken. Is a royal palace park in Solna with a rich history, great for picnics. The palace is currently the residence of Crown Princess Victoria and her family. 
  • 2 The Haga Park Museum. Free admission. 
  • 3 Butterfly House. The, Fjärilshuset, is a tropical greenhouse open around the year. 
  • 4 Gustav III:s pavilion. Is open to the public during summer. 

• 5 Norra Begravningsplatsen. "The Northern Cemetery" is one of Scandinavia's largest cemeteries. 

Ulriksdal Palace.

• 6 Ulriksdal Palace. Ulriksdals Slott, a Royal palace open to the public. 

• 7 Marabouparken. A sculpture park with an art hall, originally built for the Marabou chocolate factory. 

• 8 Filmstaden, Greta Garbos väg 3. A studio complex for the Swedish cinema, closed down and converted into a museum in 1999. Ingmar Bergman has directed several films at the studios. 

Bromma church.

• 9 Bromma kyrka (Bromma church), Gliavägen 100 (Bus 117 from T Brommaplan), ☏ +46 8 37 34 48. Stockholm's oldest preserved building. It has also been voted the city's most beautiful church. The oldest part was built as a round church in the second half of the 12th century. The church contains medieval paintings from the late 15th century. 

• 10 Tensta konsthall (Tensta Art Hall), Taxingegränd 10 (T Tensta), ☏ +46 8 36 07 63. Open Tu-Su noon-17:00 (closed for much of the summer). An exhibition hall in the multicultural western suburb of Tensta, opened in 1998 and has been met with much interest from critics for its contemporary art exhibitions. 

Vällingby received international attention back in the 1950s, and inspired many similar projects around the world.

Do

• 1 Friends Arena. Is a 50,000-seat stadium for association football games and other events, opened in October, 2012. The arena hosts the men's national football team, as well as AIK, and the national bandy final each year. As of 2013, infrastructure around the arena is still undeveloped, and traffic tends to be very congested before and after events. Get to the stadium early, and avoid bringing the car. 
• 2 Ulriksdals Golfklubb. 
• Several beaches for open-water swimming, especially at Hässelby.

• Fishing is allowed in Lake Mälaren, prohibited in smaller waters.

• Brommapojkarna plays their home games at Grimsta IP, Bromma (T Blackeberg). Brommapojkarna advanced to the top league in 2009.

• 3 Kistamässan. Is a convention center at the Helenelund railway station. Opened in 2008, they host a broad set of events, many of them about information technology. 

• 4 Solvalla (Free buses from the City Terminal and T Sundbyberg before races, or a 10 min walk from T Rissne), ☏ +46 8 635 90 00. For a day at the races, you can go to Stockholm's hippodrome Solvalla, watch trotters compete in harness racing, and place some bets. Races are held Wednesday nights and many weekends. The biggest event is the prestigious Elitloppet race at the end of May every year. 

Buy

• 1 Solna Centrum (Hotellgatan Solna Centrum). Open M-F 10:00-19:00, Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 11:00-17:00.. 
• 2 Vällingby Centrum (T Vällingby). Most stores open M-F 10:00-19:00, Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 11:00-17:00. 

• 3 Kista Galleria (T Kista). Known for its opening hours, 10:00-21:00 daily. 

Eat

The suburban centres have low-end diners.

Mid-range

• 1 Sorbonne, Kvarnbacksvägen 135 (Bromma, T-Brommaplan). A well-renowned local diner. 

Splurge

• 2 Sjöpaviljongen. T-Alvik, a waterfront restaurant. 

Splurge

• 3 Ulriksdals Wärdshus. Has a high-end Swedish cuisine, as well as a smörgåsbord. 

Stallmästaregården.

• 4 Stallmästaregården, Norrtull. Stockholm's oldest surviving inn. 

Kistamässan and Victoria Tower.

Drink

As most residents venture to central Stockholm for nightlife, the suburbs mostly contain local hangouts and hotel bars. A few places beyond the usual are:

• 1 Grand Garbo, Landsvägen 67. 

As most residents venture to central Stockholm for nightlife, the suburbs mostly contain local hangouts and hotel bars.

• 2 Scandic Victoria Tower's Sky Bar. Though the range of drinks is limited, the view from the 34th floor is rivalled only by Kaknästornet. 

• Several sport bars in Solna around the dismantled Råsunda Stadium.

Sleep

Ulvsunda Slott is today used as a conference hotel, just as several other mansions and palaces west of Stockholm.

Budget

• 1 Mornington Hotel. A sport-business hotel near Bromma airport, with gym, massage and healthy breakfast. The airport and traffic noise at the front can be disturbing, but the hotel is at walking distance from a waterfront park. 

• 2 Hotel Äppelviken. A self-service hotel in a quiet suburban neighbourhood. 

• 3 Ängby Camping (T-bana: Ängbyplan (come out of the station, turn left, keep walking). If you miss the last T-bana take night bus 198 from Sergels Torg/T-Centralen, direction Backlura, stop Ängbyplan (right next to the T-bana)) Rents out cabins, has caravan/camper van lots, and space for free camping (with plenty of shade). Spotless toilets and showers (the latter cost 10 SEK). Laundry facilities, cooking facilities, internet café, mini-market which bakes its own bread and cakes every morning, small children's area. Very friendly staff who are prepared to go the extra mile to help out. A stone's throw from the campsite is Lake Mälaren with beach, bar/restaurant, crazy golf, and the campsite's own water slide. Cost - e.g. one adult, one child, one tent, 225 SEK per night. 

Mid-range

• 4 ibis Styles Stockholm Jarva, Vallgatan 7, 170 67 Solna, ☏ +46 8 120 90 100. A relatively inexpensive hotel located in an office park between the Jarva Krog (motorway crossing served by busses between the Arlanda Airport and the city) and the Ulriksdal station on the local railway line between Stockholm Central station and Arlanda and Uppsala. The cheapest rooms in the hotel only have windows that face the large atrium rather than the outside, but there are no rooms with no windows as in many other cheap hotels in Stockholm. The wild colours do a good job of making the simple fit-outs look modern and welcoming. 
• 5 Scandic Järva Krog, Vallgatan 2, 170 08 Solna. A Scandic hotel next door to the ibis Styles Jarva. Slightly outdated and stark fitouts, but no major drawbacks. Only the superior rooms have air conditioning and coffee/tea facilities, as well as irons and a maritime-themed decor. 
• 6 Park Inn by Radisson Solna, Hotellgatan 11, 171 25 Solna. The Park Inn Solna is part of the Solna Centrum and thus directly on the blue line of the T-bana. The difference between the Standard and Superior rooms is pronounced - the former are only 15 sqm and fitted out as simply as possible, while the Superior rooms are 25 sqm and quite modern and elegant as you would expect of a Park Inn. 
• 7 Best Western Bromma. At Bromma Airport. 

• 8 Scandic Alvik. A waterfront hotel 4 km from central Stockholm. 

• 9 Scandic Victoria Tower. A new-built skyscraper hotel at Kistamässan at the Helenelund railway station. 

• 10 StayAt Bromma. A business hotel. 

Splurge

• 11 Ulfsunda Slott. A palace in a waterfront park, where each room is unique. 

• 12 Hesselby Slott. Hässelby Slott, a 17th century palace. 

• 13 Åkeshovs Slott. Åkeshofs Slott, also a palace. 

• 14 Radisson Blu Royal Park Hotel, Frösundaviks allé 15. In Hagaparken, Solna. 
• 15 Quality Hotel Friends, Råsta Strandväg 1. At Friends Arena. Open from August 31, 2013. 

Cope

• Karolinska. A well-reputed hospital in Solna.