I’m quite the Eurofile, and one of my favourite kinds of trips is a European city break. Living in a major UK city, I am lucky that I can get relatively cheap flights to a number of European hotspots. Plus, I have on occasion taken train trips between European cities, maximising my time on the mainland to see as much as I can.

Each European country and city has its own unique charm. The chic vibes of Paris are unmatched, while the delicious Greek food in Chania is hard to compete with. But there is one European city that I visited this year, and I cannot stop thinking about it. I was blown away by the friendliness of the people, the architecture, the number of things to do, and the walkability of the place. After many trips to European cities, Stockholm in Sweden has my heart.

For reference, these are the 21 European cities I have been on holiday to: Stockholm, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Barcelona, Chania, Stuttgart, Berlin, Munich, Prague, Vienna, Ghent, Galway, Belfast, Cork, Bucharest, Rome, Naples, Budapest and Bratislava.

Stockholm is the one I was most sad about leaving. A warm June weekend in the Swedish capital was full of amazing food and experiences. Plus, it is one of the cleanest places I have ever been.

Stockholm has all kinds of experiences for a variety of visitors. My highlight was simply walking around the old town of Gamla Stan, where you will find the quaintest of Scandanavia street, souvenir shops, and authentic Swedish food (the meatballs live up to the hype).

In terms of excursions, one morning was spent on a boat tour of the archipelago that makes up the city and the surrounding region. The landscape here is pretty incredible, as are the buildings built into it, and seeing it from the water is one of the best vantage points.

This was followed by an afternoon at ABBA The Museum, which offers an incredible look into the story of this iconic Swedish band that went on to take over the world.

If you are to visit Stockholm, you simply must spend a day in Skansen, a massive open-air museum that can easily fill a whole day. The site is home to Nordic animals (such as moose and brown bears), as well as a Nordic Sea centre, a market, old Swedish villages and gorgeous cafes and bakeries.

Other areas of the city that are worth exploring include the area of Sodermalm, with its affluent apartments, lovely streets and fun bars.

The city is home to plenty of museums that I didn’t get to explore during my first trip there, such as the Vasa Museum, the National Museum and the Royal Palace. However, I am making it my mission to get back to experience these places.

The short answer is yes, Stockholm is rather expensive. In some bars, I paid the equivalent of £10 for a pint of beer. It can also be hard to track, with the currency castle different from the UK Pound Sterling.

The good news is that Stockholm is quite a walkable city for most people, so you can spend a lot of your time simply walking around and enjoying the scenery, especially in the summer when temperatures are warm but comfortable, vastly different from the scorching conditions we have experienced in the UK this summer.

But if you are planning to eat in restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner, expect to pay a pretty penny while you’re there.

While it is my absolute favourite European city, it’s not one I could afford to spend a lot of time in.

There are direct flights to Stockholm from several UK airports, with the shortest being only around two hours.

Direct flights to Stockholm operate from London Heathrow, London Gatwick, and London Stansted, as well as Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham, and Liverpool.

The price of flights depends on where you fly from and the time of year.