This probably isn’t top of most people’s lists of Stockholm’s ‘must sees’, even down to the name which I thought I had managed to get my tongue around until the train dropped us of at the station and the announcement sounded nothing like what I had imagined.

I had tried to do a little background reading on Gunnar Asplund who co-planned the cemetery; he has a really restrained approach to classicism that veers towards later modernist developments. The Stadsbibilotek in Stockholm is a great example of his work. Walking around the crematorium and chapels you can see that this is a very restrained architectural undertaking, the few grand monuments that do exist are very understated and simple, most notable it the huge granite cross. This worked really well with the tall pine trees, under which lay the graves of those interned here. It made it feel like a very contemplative place to walk around. I especially liked stumbling upon the Skogskapellet, it was very understated but very nice.

I am sure that I don’t have to point it out, but this is not really a place to visit with a flippant attitude, as it is still very much in use as a cemetery so a significant amount of respect is due, however it is a nice place for a meditative walk.

As Christer has said the Cemetery is easy to get to just a short 10-15 minute hop on the underground from Gamla Stan or the über-cool botiques of Södermalm, this makes it a worth while short trip and although it may not be a highlight of the list it is certainly a place worth experiencing.