StockholmsUtflykter

Sigtuna

According to Destination Sigtuna, Sigtuna, Sweden's oldest surviving town, was founded in the 970s by Erik Segersäll.

A commuter train or SJ train takes you to Märsta, and from there bus 570 or 575. The town centre with Stora gatan and the church ruins is best seen on foot.

This page also covers the rune stones, the museum, the town hall, things for kids and the palaces around Sigtuna, according to the municipality and Destination Sigtuna. Check the tourist information office's opening hours.

Checked against the sources in September 2026See the sources ↓

Stora gatan in Sigtuna with colourful wooden houses, shop signs and awnings under a blue sky

Day trip from Stockholm to Sigtuna: practical guide

Take the commuter train or an SJ train to Märsta, then SL bus 570 or 575 to Sigtuna. By car it is about 50 kilometres north on the E4.

Sigtuna can be reached by commuter train and bus from Stockholm, and the town centre is small enough to see on foot.

Why is Sigtuna famous?

  • The town plan from the 970s
  • Stora gatan
  • The church ruins and St Mary's Church
  • The rune stones
  • Sweden's smallest town hall

Destination Sigtuna highlights the original town plan, largely unchanged since the 970s, Stora gatan as Sweden's first pedestrian street, the church ruins and St Mary's Church (Mariakyrkan), the rune stones and Sweden's smallest town hall.

How do you get to Sigtuna by public transport?

  • From Stockholm: SL commuter train or SJ train to Märsta, then SL bus 570 or 575. Get off at Sigtuna bus station or Klockbacken.

  • From Arlanda: SL bus 579 direct to Sigtuna, or bus 583 to Märsta and change to 570 or 575.

  • From Uppsala: UL bus 101, changing in Vassunda to UL bus 183, or SJ train to Märsta and then SL bus 570 or 575.

  • By car: About 50 kilometres from Stockholm: the E4 north, exit at Märsta and follow the signs for Sigtuna, according to Sigtuna Museum. The municipality lists a free park-and-ride car park at Sigtuna stadsängar (Stadsängsgatan, 16 spaces) – always check the signs on site.

Things to do in Sigtuna: exploring the old town

St Olof's church ruin in Sigtuna with its tall stone tower against a blue sky, lawn and gravestones in front
St Olof's church ruin.
St Mary's Church in Sigtuna, a brick church with a stepped gable and a pointed tower
St Mary's Church.

Stora gatan was Erik Segersäll's main street in the 970s and is called Sweden's first pedestrian street, and the rune stone hunt covers 15 rune stones – 12 of them in the town centre.

Sigtuna's historic sights are clustered closely in and around Stora gatan.

Sigtuna's church ruins and St Mary's Church

  1. 10th century

    • Stora gatan, Sigtuna – Sweden's first pedestrian street

      970s

      Stora gatan is Erik Segersäll's main street from the 970s and is called Sweden's first pedestrian street. Today, according to Destination Sigtuna, picturesque wooden houses with shops, restaurants and cafés line the street.

  2. Around 1100

    • St Per's church ruin

      Possibly as early as around 1100

      Built possibly as early as around 1100.

  3. 12th century

    • St Olof's church ruin

      First half of the 12th century

      Said to date from the first half of the 12th century and may be Sweden's oldest stone church.

    • St Lars's church ruin

      Probably built in the 12th century

      Today only parts of the formerly massive west tower remain. The tower was restored by Johan III in the late 16th century.

  4. 13th century

    • St Mary's Church (Mariakyrkan)

      Consecrated 1247

      The Dominican friary's church, consecrated in 1247, and the oldest building in Sigtuna still in use. Next to the remains of the friary is a small herb garden.

  5. 18th century

    • Sigtuna town hall

      Inaugurated 1744

      Built to mayor Eric Kihlman's own drawings and inaugurated on Whitsun Eve 1744. Offenders great and small were tried in the council chamber for just over 200 years.

Sigtuna's rune stones: the Viking Age at street level

Destination Sigtuna describes the town as the place with the highest density of rune stones in the world.

15 rune stones on the rune stone hunt

  • In the town centre 12

  • At Garnsviken 3

The rune stone hunt (Runstensjakten) covers 15 rune stones – 12 in the town centre and three at Garnsviken – and there is also a rune stone walk with 10 rune stones aimed at families.

By the water and in the parks

  • On Lake Mälaren

    The waterfront promenade

    The municipality is rebuilding the stretch between Borgmästarängen and Hamnplan. Two new boardwalks with a long bench facing Lake Mälaren opened at the end of November 2025, and Badhusbryggan won the municipality's 2025 Architecture Prize.

  • Hamngatan 2

    Sigtuna guest harbour

    In summer you can stroll around looking at the boats and eat at the nearby restaurants, according to Destination Sigtuna. The town's steamboat pier was approved in 1880.

  • Stora gatan 33

    Draketrädgården

    The only garden in the town centre that takes up a whole block. Today it's a public park where you can eat a packed lunch.

  • Prästgatan 6

    Klockbacken

    A hilly park in central Sigtuna with paths, a barbecue area and a dog park – and sledging in winter. The bell tower from the early 17th century burned down in 2016 and has been rebuilt to the old drawings.

  • Stora gatan 60

    Sigtuna book kiosk

    An old phone box that became a mini library in 2014. It's open around the clock in summer, from World Book Day on 23 April into the autumn. It's free to take or leave a book.

Sigtuna Museum and town hall: culture and history

Sigtuna Museum costs SEK 60 and is free for everyone under 20, open 10:00–16:00 every day from May to September. The town hall has free admission and is open 1 July–18 August, 12:00–16:00.

In the middle of town are the museum, with the tourist information office, and the little town hall.

Sigtuna Museum and Sweden's smallest town hall

  • Sigtuna Museum

    Tells the story of Sigtuna municipality from the Stone Age to the present day, with collections based on archaeological finds from the 10th century onwards. The Sigtunahistorier exhibition has a children's trail.

  • Tourist information

    Located in the museum and open all year Tuesday–Sunday, and daily in the summer season.

  • Sigtuna town hall

    Sweden's smallest town hall and, according to Destination Sigtuna, the town's most depicted building, with an exhibition on crime and punishment. The former guardroom had two cells – one for men and one for women.

Opening hours: the museum and the town hall

According to Sigtuna Museum. Different hours apply on public holidays.

  • Sigtuna Museum

    May–September 10:00–16:00 every day. April and October 12:00–16:00 every day. November–March 12:00–16:00, closed Mondays. Admission SEK 60, free for everyone under 20.

  • Sigtuna town hall

    1 July–18 August, Monday–Sunday 12:00–16:00. Free admission.

Fika

  • Café

    Tant Bruns Kaffestuga

    Destination Sigtuna describes Tant Bruns Kaffestuga as one of Sweden's oldest cafés, with freshly baked bread served the traditional way.

More places and guided tours

  • Stora gatan 39

    Lundströmska gården

    A middle-class home and a cheap-goods shop from around 1900. It became a museum in 1958 and is open for booked tours.

  • Sigtuna Museum

    Guided tours

    The museum runs open tours throughout the year and guides groups on request – including a town walk, church history and a cycle tour to Viby village and Wenngarn Palace.

Sigtuna town hall on Stora torget: a small reddish-brown wooden building with a tiled roof and a bell tower, benches in front and deciduous trees around it

Sigtuna with kids

For families there is a rune stone walk with 10 rune stones and an adventure golf course with twelve holes, and the museum is free for everyone under 20.

Six things for kids in Sigtuna

  • Rune stone walk

    Destination Sigtuna has a rune stone walk with 10 rune stones.

  • Adventure golf

    Sigtuna's course has twelve holes, each depicting a historic place or building in the town.

  • The museum

    The Sigtunahistorier exhibition has a children's trail. Free admission for everyone under 20.

  • Lilla Steninge

    A playground outside Stenladan in Steninge Palace village. There's a slide that looks like the area's bell tower, a miniature greenhouse, a small café and a sandpit.

  • Strandparken

    By the waterfront promenade there's a playground, a stone-dust path that works with a pushchair, long tables for picnics and two boules courts.

  • Munkholmsbadet

    A child-friendly swimming spot at the tip of Munkholmen with a jetty, ladders, a large lawn, a barbecue area and an outdoor toilet.

Extend your trip: Märsta and the palaces nearby

Steninge Palace, a yellow Baroque palace with white trim and a mansard roof, seen from the garden under a blue sky
Steninge Palace.
Rosersberg Palace, a white palace building with wings and a stone terrace behind a large lawn
Rosersberg Palace.

Skokloster Palace is open for guided tours May–September – a tour takes about 45 minutes and is free for children under 7 – and the palace park at Steninge is open daily 12:00–16:30.

Destination Sigtuna lists five palaces near Sigtuna: Rosersberg, Steninge, Skånelaholm, Skokloster and Wenngarn.

Wenngarn, Steninge and Rosersberg

  • Wenngarn Palace

    Sweden's oldest surviving letter, from 1164, concerns the area. Today it's a palace setting with activities that is always free to visit. The Baroque style shapes both the palace and the park. The park is open all year, and the palace halls house a restaurant, brunch, a café and afternoon tea, according to Wenngarn Palace.

  • On the shores of Lake Mälaren

    Steninge Palace

    From 1705, on the shores of Lake Mälaren. The Steninge Bruk restaurant is in the stone barn in Steninge Palace village. The palace was designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger. It's a private residence and isn't open for tours, but the palace park is open daily 12:00–16:30. Stenladan and the restaurant are open Monday–Friday 11:00–18:00 and Saturday–Sunday 10:00–17:00, according to Steninge Palace village.

  • Royal palace

    Rosersberg Palace

    One of Sweden's ten royal palaces, built in the 1630s. The rooms have stood almost untouched since the period 1795–1860. The palace is open for guided tours May–September; a tour takes about 45 minutes and is free for children under 7. West of the palace, the English Park runs down towards Sigtunafjärden.

Three palaces compared

According to the palaces' own websites and the Royal Palaces, checked 2026-09-21. Opening days and hours change between seasons.

The palaceThe parkFood and fika
Steninge PalacePrivate residence, no toursDaily 12:00–16:30Steninge Bruk in Stenladan
Wenngarn PalaceAlways free to visitAll yearRestaurant and café
Rosersberg PalaceGuided tours May–SeptemberNot statedSummer café

Frequently asked questions about Sigtuna

4 questions

01

How do you get to Sigtuna from Stockholm?

Take the commuter train or an SJ train to Märsta, then SL bus 570 or 575 to Sigtuna bus station or Klockbacken. By car it is about 50 kilometres: the E4 north, exit at Märsta and follow the signs for Sigtuna.

02

How much does Sigtuna Museum cost?

Admission is SEK 60, and free for everyone under 20. The museum is open May–September 10:00–16:00 every day, April and October 12:00–16:00 every day, and November–March 12:00–16:00, closed Mondays. Different hours apply on public holidays.

03

What is there to do in Sigtuna with kids?

The rune stone hunt covers 15 rune stones – 12 in the town centre and three at Garnsviken – and there is a rune stone walk with 10 rune stones for families. The adventure golf course has twelve holes depicting historic places in the town, the museum's exhibition has a children's trail, and there is a child-friendly swimming spot at the tip of Munkholmen.

04

Can you see Sigtuna in a day?

Yes. The town centre is small, and the historic sights – Stora gatan, the church ruins, St Mary's Church, the town hall and the museum – are close together and best seen on foot.

Combine with

Sources

Details checked against these sources in September 2026.

The facts on this page are based on these sources. Under each one you can see which details we took from it. Opening times, prices and departures change – always check with the source before you go.

  1. Sigtuna municipality: Getting here · in SwedishSL bus 570 or 575 from Märsta; bus 579 direct from Arlanda, or 583 to Märsta
  2. Destination Sigtuna: The history of Sigtuna · in Swedishfounded in the 970s by Erik Segersäll, Sweden's oldest surviving town, Stora gatan = Sweden's first pedestrian street
  3. Destination Sigtuna: the place with the most rune stones in the world; the rune stone hunt covers 15 stones · in Swedish12 in the town centre, 3 at Garnsviken
  4. Destination Sigtuna: St Mary's Church · in Swedishthe Dominican friary's church, consecrated 1247, the first brick building in the Mälaren valley
  5. Destination Sigtuna: See & Do in SigtunaSweden's smallest town hall; St Olof, St Per and St Lars; St Mary's Church; the herb garden; the palaces Steninge 1705, Wenngarn always free, Rosersberg one of ten royal palaces
  6. Destination Sigtuna: Sigtuna Museum · in Swedishcollections from the 10th century onwards; children's trail; tourist information open Tue–Sun all year, daily in summer
  7. Destination Sigtuna: Food & BeverageTant Bruns Kaffestuga one of Sweden's oldest cafés; Steninge Bruk in the stone barn
  8. Destination Sigtuna: For families · in Swedishadventure golf with twelve holes; rune stone walk with 10 rune stones; Lilla Steninge playground
  9. Destination Sigtuna: Palaces · in Swedishfive palaces nearby
  10. Sigtuna Museum: Opening hours and admission · in Swedishmuseum by month, SEK 60, free under 20; town hall 1 July–18 August 12–16, free; Lundströmska gården booked tours
  11. Sigtuna Museum: Getting here · in Swedishby car from Stockholm approx. 50 km via E4/Märsta; from Uppsala UL 101 + 183 or SJ to Märsta
  12. Sigtuna municipality: Parking · in Swedishpark-and-ride Sigtuna stadsängar, 16 spaces, free
  13. Sigtuna municipality: The waterfront promenade · in SwedishBorgmästarängen–Hamnplan, boardwalks Nov 2025, playground, stone-dust path, long tables, boules, Badhusbryggan Architecture Prize 2025
  14. Destination Sigtuna: Sigtuna town hall · in Swedishinaugurated Whitsun Eve 1744, Eric Kihlman, council chamber just over 200 years, two cells
  15. Destination Sigtuna: St Lars's church ruin · in Swedishwest tower restored by Johan III in the late 16th century; probably built in the 12th century
  16. Destination Sigtuna: Draketrädgården, Klockbacken, Sigtuna guest harbour, Sigtuna book kiosk, Lundströmska gården, guided tours
  17. Destination Sigtuna: For families · in SwedishLilla Steninge details, Munkholmsbadet
  18. Steninge Palace village · in Swedishpalace park daily 12:00–16:30; Stenladan Mon–Fri 11–18, Sat–Sun 10–17) + Destination Sigtuna: Steninge Palace (Tessin the Younger, private residence
  19. Wenngarn Palace · in Swedishpark all year; restaurant, brunch, café, afternoon tea
  20. Royal Palaces: Rosersberg Palaceguided tours May–September, approx. 45 min, free under 7; English Park towards Sigtunafjärden; summer café) + Destination Sigtuna (rooms untouched 1795–1860