Rzym – jedno z najstarszych miast świata, niegdyś stolica Cesarstwa Rzymskiego, dziś stolica Włoch. Położony na siedmiu wzgórzach nad Tybrem, zachwyca pięknem i majestatem, którego nie da się oddać słowami – trzeba tu być. Każda rzeźba, fontanna czy budowla to dzieło sztuki pozostawione przez dawnych mistrzów. Najsłynniejsze atrakcje, które przyciągają turystów, to Koloseum – miejsce dawnych walk gladiatorów, Fontanna di Trevi, Schody Hiszpańskie, Bazylika św. Piotra – największy kościół Europy, a także Fora Cesarskie i Forum Romanum.

Nice is the seventh most populous urban area in France and the capital of the Alpes-Maritimes département. The metropolitan area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of about 1 million on an area of 721 km2 (278 sq mi). Located in the French Riviera, on the south east coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, at the foot of the Alps, Nice is the second-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast and the second-largest city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region after Marseille. Nice is approximately 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) from the principality of Monaco and 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the French-Italian border. Nice's airport serves as a gateway to the region.

The city is nicknamed Nice la Belle (Nissa La Bella in Niçard), which means Nice the Beautiful, which is also the title of the unofficial anthem of Nice, written by Menica Rondelly in 1912.

The area of today's Nice contains Terra Amata, an archaeological site which displays evidence of a very early use of fire. Around 350 BC, Greeks of Marseille founded a permanent settlement and called it Nikaia, after Nike, the goddess of victory. Through the ages, the town has changed hands many times. Its strategic location and port significantly contributed to its maritime strength. For centuries it was a dominion of Savoy, and was then part of France between 1792 and 1815, when it was returned to Piedmont-Sardinia until its re-annexation by France in 1860.

The natural environment of the Nice area and its mild Mediterranean climate came to the attention of the English upper classes in the second half of the 18th century, when an increasing number of aristocratic families took to spending their winters there. The city's main seaside promenade, the Promenade des Anglais ("Walkway of the English") owes its name to visitors to the resort. The clear air and soft light have particularly appealed to notable painters, such as Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Niki de Saint Phalle and Arman. Their work is commemorated in many of the city's museums, including Musée Marc Chagall, Musée Matisse and Musée des Beaux-Arts. Nice has the second largest hotel capacity in the country and it is one of its most visited cities, receiving 4 million tourists every year. It also has the third busiest airport in France, after the two main Parisian ones. It is the historical capital city of the County of Nice(Comté de Nice).
Nice is the seventh most populous urban area in France and the capital of the Alpes-Maritimes département. The metropolitan area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of about 1 million on an area of 721 km2 (278 sq mi). Located in the French Riviera, on the south east coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, at the foot of the Alps, Nice is the second-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast and the second-largest city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region after Marseille. Nice is approximately 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) from the principality of Monaco and 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the French-Italian border. Nice's airport serves as a gateway to the region.

The city is nicknamed Nice la Belle (Nissa La Bella in Niçard), which means Nice the Beautiful, which is also the title of the unofficial anthem of Nice, written by Menica Rondelly in 1912.

The area of today's Nice contains Terra Amata, an archaeological site which displays evidence of a very early use of fire. Around 350 BC, Greeks of Marseille founded a permanent settlement and called it Nikaia, after Nike, the goddess of victory. Through the ages, the town has changed hands many times. Its strategic location and port significantly contributed to its maritime strength. For centuries it was a dominion of Savoy, and was then part of France between 1792 and 1815, when it was returned to Piedmont-Sardinia until its re-annexation by France in 1860.

The natural environment of the Nice area and its mild Mediterranean climate came to the attention of the English upper classes in the second half of the 18th century, when an increasing number of aristocratic families took to spending their winters there. The city's main seaside promenade, the Promenade des Anglais ("Walkway of the English") owes its name to visitors to the resort. The clear air and soft light have particularly appealed to notable painters, such as Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Niki de Saint Phalle and Arman. Their work is commemorated in many of the city's museums, including Musée Marc Chagall, Musée Matisse and Musée des Beaux-Arts. Nice has the second largest hotel capacity in the country and it is one of its most visited cities, receiving 4 million tourists every year. It also has the third busiest airport in France, after the two main Parisian ones. It is the historical capital city of the County of Nice(Comté de Nice).
 

Mając reputację jednego z najatrakcyjniejszych miast w Europie, Barcelona świętuje swoją rolę stolicy Katalonii. Kosmopolityczna i międzynarodowa atmosfera miasta sprawia, że jest to ulubione miejsce wielu ludzi na całym świecie. Miasto jest szczególnie znane ze swojej architektury i sztuki – podróżnicy z całego świata przybywają, aby zobaczyć słynną Sagrada Familia i inne modernistyczne zabytki zaprojektowane przez Gaudiego.

Barcelona to miasto z licznymi i oryginalnymi możliwościami spędzania czasu wolnego, które sprawiają, że chcesz tu wracać. Położona na wybrzeżu Morza Śródziemnego Barcelona słynie z arcydzieł Gaudiego i architektury secesyjnej: jest jednym z najbardziej stylowych miast europejskich.

Miasto jest ośrodkiem nowych trendów w świecie kultury, mody i gastronomii. Dopełnieniem kreatywności artystów i projektantów jest ostrożne podejście do tradycyjnych placówek. Barcelona łączy w sobie urok i spokój historycznego centrum z awangardowymi nowoczesnymi dzielnicami i intensywnym tempem życia w jednym z najczęściej odwiedzanych miast na świecie.

Mallorca is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The native language, as on the rest of the Balearic Islands, is Catalan, which is co-official with Spanish.

The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Balearic Islands have been an autonomous region of Spain since 1983. There are two small islands off the coast of Mallorca: Cabrera (southeast of Palma) and Dragonera (west of Palma). The anthem of Mallorca is "La Balanguera".

Like the other Balearic Islands of Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera, the island is an extremely popular holiday destination, particularly for tourists from Germany and the United Kingdom. The international airport, Palma de Mallorca Airport, is one of the busiest in Spain; it was used by 28.0 million passengers in 2017, increasing every year since 2012.

The name derives from Classical Latin insula maior, "larger island". Later, in Medieval Latin, this became Maiorica, "the larger one", in comparison to Menorca, "the smaller one".

Málaga is a municipality, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 569,130 in 2015, it is the second-most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth-largest in Spain. The southernmost large city in Europe, it lies on the Costa del Sol (Coast of the Sun) of the Mediterranean, about 100 kilometres (62.14 miles) east of the Strait of Gibraltar and about 130 km (80.78 mi) north of Africa.

Málaga's history spans about 2,800 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. According to most scholars, it was founded about 770 BC by the Phoenicians as Malaka From the 6th century BC the city was under the hegemony of Ancient Carthage, and from 218 BC, it was ruled by the Roman Republic and then empire as Malaca (Latin). After the fall of the empire and the end of Visigothic rule, it was under Islamic rule as Mālaqah for 800 years, but in 1487, the Crown of Castille gained control after the Reconquista. The archaeological remains and monuments from the Phoenician, Roman, Arabic and Christian eras make the historic center of the city an "open museum", displaying its history of nearly 3,000 years.

This important cultural infrastructure and the artistic heritage have culminated in the nomination of Málaga as a candidate for the 2016 European Capital of Culture.

The painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso, Hebrew poet and Jewish philosopher Solomon Ibn Gabirol and the actor Antonio Banderas were born in Málaga. The magnum opus of Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona, "Malagueña", is named after the music of this region of Spain.

The most important business sectors in Málaga are tourism, construction and technology services, but other sectors such as transportation and logistics are beginning to expand. The Andalusia Technology Park (PTA), located in Málaga, has enjoyed significant growth since its inauguration in 1992. Málaga is the main economic and financial centre of southern Spain, home of the region's largest bank, Unicaja, and the fourth-ranking city in economic activity in Spain behind Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.

Gibraltar  is a British Overseas Territory located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. It has an area of 6.7 km2 (2.6 sq mi) and is bordered to the north by Spain. The landscape is dominated by the Rock of Gibraltar at the foot of which is a densely populated town area, home to over 30,000 people, primarily Gibraltarians. It shares a maritime border with Morocco.

In 1704, Anglo-Dutch forces captured Gibraltar from Spain during the War of the Spanish Succession on behalf of the Habsburg claim to the Spanish throne. The territory was ceded to Great Britain in perpetuity under the Treaty of Utrechtin 1713. During World War II it was an important base for the Royal Navy as it controlled the entrance and exit to the Mediterranean Sea, which is only 8 miles (13 km) wide at this naval choke point. It remains strategically important, with half the world's seaborne trade passing through the strait. Today Gibraltar's economy is based largely on tourism, online gambling, financial services and cargo ship refuelling.

The sovereignty of Gibraltar is a point of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations because Spain asserts a claim to the territory. Gibraltarians rejected proposals for Spanish sovereignty in a 1967 referendum and, in a 2002 referendum, the idea of shared sovereignty was also rejected.

Portimão is a town and a municipality in the district of Faro, in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. The population in 2011 was 55,614, in an area of 182.06 km². It was formerly known as Vila Nova de Portimão. In 1924, it was incorporated as a cidadeand became known merely as Portimão. Historically a fishing and shipbuilding centre, it has nonetheless developed into a strong tourist centre oriented along its beaches and southern coast. The two most populous towns in the Algarve are Portimão and Faro.

Lizbona jest stolicą i największym miastem Portugalii, z szacowaną populacją 505 526 mieszkańców w granicach administracyjnych na obszarze 100,05 km². Jej obszar miejski rozciąga się poza granice administracyjne miasta i liczy około 2,8 miliona mieszkańców, co czyni go jedenastym najbardziej zaludnionym obszarem miejskim w Unii Europejskiej. Około 3 milionów ludzi mieszka w aglomeracji lizbońskiej (która stanowi około 27% populacji kraju). Jest to najbardziej wysunięta na zachód stolica kontynentalnej Europy i jedyna położona nad Oceanem Atlantyckim. Lizbona leży na zachodnim Półwyspie Iberyjskim nad Oceanem Atlantyckim i rzeką Tag. Najbardziej wysunięte na zachód obszary jej aglomeracji tworzą najbardziej wysunięty na zachód punkt kontynentalnej Europy, znany jako Cabo da Roca, położony w górach Sintra.

Lizbona jest stolicą i największym miastem Portugalii, z szacowaną populacją 505 526 mieszkańców w granicach administracyjnych na obszarze 100,05 km². Jej obszar miejski rozciąga się poza granice administracyjne miasta i liczy około 2,8 miliona mieszkańców, co czyni go jedenastym najbardziej zaludnionym obszarem miejskim w Unii Europejskiej. Około 3 milionów ludzi mieszka w aglomeracji lizbońskiej (która stanowi około 27% populacji kraju). Jest to najbardziej wysunięta na zachód stolica kontynentalnej Europy i jedyna położona nad Oceanem Atlantyckim. Lizbona leży na zachodnim Półwyspie Iberyjskim nad Oceanem Atlantyckim i rzeką Tag. Najbardziej wysunięte na zachód obszary jej aglomeracji tworzą najbardziej wysunięty na zachód punkt kontynentalnej Europy, znany jako Cabo da Roca, położony w górach Sintra.

Podróżnicy odnajdują w La Coruña idealne miejsce do poczucia atmosfery atlantyckiego wybrzeża Hiszpanii, gdzie nowoczesne promenady spotykają się z historycznymi zabytkami i przytulnymi plażami. Miasto słynie z najstarszej działającej rzymskiej latarni morskiej na świecie – Wieży Herkulesa, zbudowanej prawie 2000 lat temu, która wciąż wskazuje drogę statkom. Można tu spacerować jedną z najdłuższych promenad w Europie, podziwiając oceaniczne widoki i świeży wiatr.

W La Coruña goście odkrywają bogatą galicyjską kulturę kulinarną z owocami morza, które serwowane są w tradycyjnych barach tapas oraz nowoczesnych restauracjach. Lokalne targi zachwycają świeżymi produktami, a życie kulturalne miasta wypełniają festiwale, wystawy i muzyka na żywo na ulicach. To miejsce oferuje podróżnym unikalne połączenie historycznej głębi, morskich krajobrazów i ciepłej hiszpańskiej atmosfery, pozostawiając po podróży poczucie lekkości i inspiracji.

Na malowniczym wybrzeżu Zatoki Biskajskiej w hiszpańskim regionie Asturii położone jest urokliwe miasto Gijón, które zachwyca odwiedzających unikalnym połączeniem kultury, przyrody i gastronomii. Tutaj można spacerować po malowniczych plażach San Lorenzo, odwiedzać liczne muzea sztuki współczesnej oraz spróbować słynnego asturyjskiego cydru w tradycyjnych „chigres”.

Gijón to idealne miejsce dla tych, którzy cenią sobie połączenie historii i nowoczesnego życia. Poza pięknymi plażami i przytulnymi uliczkami miasto słynie z barwnych festiwali, takich jak Festiwal Morza i Festiwal Piosenki, które dodają podróży wyjątkowych wrażeń. Dla aktywnych turystów dostępne są różnorodne sporty wodne oraz szlaki piesze z zapierającymi dech w piersiach widokami na wybrzeże.

Bilbao is a city in northern Spain, the largest city in the province of Biscay and in the Basque Country as a whole. It is also the largest city proper in northern Spain. Bilbao is the tenth largest city in Spain, with a population of 345,141 as of 2015. The Bilbao metropolitan area has roughly 1 million inhabitants, making it one of the most populous metropolitan areas in northern Spain; with a population of 875,552 the comarca of Greater Bilbao is the fifth-largest urban area in Spain. Bilbao is also the main urban area in what is defined as the Greater Basque region.

Bilbao is situated in the north-central part of Spain, some 16 kilometres (10 mi) south of the Bay of Biscay, where the economic social development is located, where the estuary of Bilbao is formed. Its main urban core is surrounded by two small mountain ranges with an average elevation of 400 metres (1,300 ft). Its climate is shaped by the Bay of Biscay low-pressure systems and mild air, moderating summer temperatures by Iberian standards, with low sunshine and high rainfall. The annual temperature range is low for its latitude.

After its foundation in the early 14th century by Diego López V de Haro, head of the powerful Haro family, Bilbao was a commercial hub of the Basque Country that enjoyed significant importance in Green Spain. This was due to its port activity based on the export of iron extracted from the Biscayan quarries. Throughout the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth, Bilbao experienced heavy industrialisation, making it the centre of the second-most industrialised region of Spain, behind Barcelona. At the same time an extraordinary population explosion prompted the annexation of several adjacent municipalities. Nowadays, Bilbao is a vigorous service city that is experiencing an ongoing social, economic, and aesthetic revitalisation process, started by the iconic Bilbao Guggenheim Museum, and continued by infrastructure investments, such as the airport terminal, the rapid transit system, the tram line, the Azkuna Zentroa, and the currently under development Abandoibarra and Zorrozaurrerenewal projects.

Bilbao is also home to football club Athletic Club de Bilbao, a significant symbol for Basque nationalism due to its promotion of only Basque players and one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football history.

On 19 May 2010, the city of Bilbao was recognised with the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize, awarded by the city state of Singapore, in collaboration with the Swedish Nobel Academy. Considered the Nobel Prize for urbanism, it was handed out on 29 June 2010. On 7 January 2013, its mayor, Iñaki Azkuna, received the 2012 World Mayor Prize awarded every two years by the British foundation The City Mayors Foundation, in recognition of the urban transformation experienced by the Biscayan capital since the 1990s. On 8 November 2017, Bilbao was chosen the Best European City 2018 at The Urbanism Awards 2018, awarded by the international organisation The Academy of Urbanism.

the capital of France, on the Seine River; population 2,203,817 (2006). Paris was held by the Romans, who called it Lutetia, and by the Franks, and was established as the capital in 987 under Hugh Capet. It was organized into three parts—the Île de la Cité (an island in the Seine), the Right Bank, and the Left Bank—during the reign of Philippe-Auguste 1180–1223. The city's neoclassical architecture dates from the modernization of the Napoleonic era, which continued under Napoleon III, when the bridges and boulevards of the modern city were built.

Przytulne miasto Haugesund na południowo-zachodnim wybrzeżu Norwegii wita gości świeżym morskim powietrzem i prawdziwą atmosferą norweskiego wybrzeża. Tutaj ożywają historie wikingów: to właśnie w okolicach Haugesund przebiegały kiedyś ważne szlaki handlowe, a w pobliżu znajduje się pomnik Haraldshaugen, wzniesiony na cześć pierwszego króla Norwegii. Ulice miasta wypełniają przytulne kawiarnie, butiki i galerie, a przystań z białymi łodziami i domkami rybaków zaprasza na spokojne spacery brzegiem morza.

Każdego roku w Haugesund odbywają się festiwale filmowe, morskie święta i wydarzenia muzyczne, które nadają miastu ciepłą i żywą atmosferę. To idealne miejsce, aby poznać norweskie tradycje, spróbować świeżych owoców morza prosto z rybackich łodzi i wybrać się na spacer wzdłuż wybrzeża Morza Północnego, podziwiając widoki zielonych wzgórz i klifów wpadających do oceanu.

Oslo is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. Founded in the year 1040 as Ánslo, and established as a trading place in 1048 by Harald Hardrada, the city was elevated to a bishopric in 1070 and a capital under Haakon V of Norway around 1300. Personal unions with Denmark from 1397 to 1523 and again from 1536 to 1814 reduced its influence, and with Sweden from 1814 to 1905 it functioned as a co-official capital. After being destroyed by a fire in 1624, during the reign of King Christian IV, a new city was built closer to Akershus Fortress and named Christiania in the king's honour. It was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. The city's name was spelled Kristiania between 1877 and 1897 by state and municipal authorities. In 1925 the city was renamed Oslo.

the capital and chief port of Denmark, a city that occupies the eastern part of Zealand and northern part of the island of Amager; population 518,574 (2009).

the capital and chief port of Denmark, a city that occupies the eastern part of Zealand and northern part of the island of Amager; population 518,574 (2009).

Aarhus is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality. It is located on the east coast of the Jutlandpeninsula, in the geographical centre of Denmark, 187 kilometres (116 mi) northwest of Copenhagen and 289 kilometres (180 mi) north of Hamburg, Germany. The inner urban area contains 273,077 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2018) and the municipal population is 340,421 (as of 2018). Aarhus is the central city in Business Region Aarhus and in the East Jutland metropolitan area, which had a total population of 1.378 million in 2016.

The history of Aarhus began as a fortified Viking settlement founded in the 8th century and with the first written records stemming from the bishopric seated here from at least 948. The city was founded on the northern shores of a fjord at a natural harbour and the primary driver of growth was for centuries seaborne trade in agricultural products. Market town privileges were granted in 1441, but growth stagnated in the 17th century as the city suffered blockades and bombardments during the Swedish Wars. In the 19th century it was occupied twice by German troops during the Schleswig Wars but avoided destruction. As the industrial revolution took hold, the city grew to become the second-largest in the country by the 20th century.

Berlin – stolica, największe miasto Niemiec i zarazem kraj związkowy. Zajmuje powierzchnię ok. 891,70 km² i zamieszkuje go 3 878 100 osób (31 grudnia 2023). Jest największym miastem w Unii Europejskiej pod względem liczby mieszkańców w granicach administracyjnych.

Berlin jest podzielony na dwanaście okręgów administracyjnych (Bezirk). Przez przestrzeń miejską przepływają m.in. rzeki Sprewa i Hawela, a ponadto znajduje się wiele jezior i zatok, w tym największe Müggelsee.

Ciche uliczki z domami szachulcowymi sprawiają, że Ronne (Rønne) jest przytulnym zakątkiem na duńskiej wyspie Bornholm, gdzie każdy krok wypełniony jest zapachem morza i świeżego pieczywa z lokalnych piekarni. Miasto słynie z warsztatów ceramiki i szkła oraz przytulnej atmosfery portu rybackiego, w którym można spróbować świeżo wędzonego śledzia i obserwować, jak statki powoli wpływają do portu. Tutaj czas zwalnia, pozwalając cieszyć się spacerami po starym mieście z brukowanymi uliczkami i malowniczymi domami z XVIII wieku.

W Ronne podróżnych czeka spokojny wypoczynek z nutą duńskiego przytulnego klimatu i kreatywnej atmosfery wyspy. Muzeum Bornholmu przybliża historię wyspy i tradycje morskie, a spacery wzdłuż wybrzeża ukazują skaliste brzegi i czyste plaże zapraszające do odpoczynku przez cały rok. To miasto jest idealnym miejscem dla tych, którzy chcą poczuć autentyczną Danię, zaczerpnąć morskiego powietrza i odkryć ciepłą gościnność Bornholmu.

Klaipėda is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. It is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County.

The city has a complex recorded history, partially due to the combined regional importance of the usually ice-free Port of Klaipėda at the mouth of the Akmena-Danė River. It was controlled by successive German states until the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. As a result of the 1923 Klaipėda Revolt it was added to Lithuania and has remained with Lithuania to this day, except for the period between 1939 and 1945 when it returned to Germany following the 1939 German ultimatum to Lithuania and the German–Soviet Union Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.

The population has shrunk from the city to suburbs and the hinterland. The city had a population of 207,100 in 1992 to 157,350 in 2014 but the city is growing again. Popular seaside resorts found close to Klaipėda are Nida to the south on the Curonian Spit and Palanga to the north.

Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 637,827 inhabitants (2018), it is also the largest city in the three Baltic states, home to one third of Latvia's population and one tenth of the three Baltic states' combined population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga, at the mouth of the Daugava. Riga's territory covers 307.17 km2 (118.60 sq mi) and lies 1–10 m (3 ft 3 in–32 ft 10 in) above sea level, on a flat and sandy plain.

Riga was founded in 1201 and is a former Hanseatic League member. Riga's historical centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, noted for its Art Nouveau/Jugendstil architecture and 19th century wooden architecture. Riga was the European Capital of Culture during 2014, along with Umeå in Sweden. Riga hosted the 2006 NATO Summit, the Eurovision Song Contest 2003, the 2006 IIHF Men's World Ice Hockey Championships and the 2013 World Women's Curling Championship. It is home to the European Union's office of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC).

In 2016, Riga received over 1.4 million visitors. It is served by Riga International Airport, the largest and busiest airport in the Baltic states. Riga is a member of Eurocities, the Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC) and Union of Capitals of the European Union (UCEU).

Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It is on the northern coast of the country, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland in Harju County. From the 13th century until 1918 (and briefly during the Nazi occupation of Estonia from 1941 to 1944), the city was known as Reval. Tallinn occupies an area of 159.2 km2 (61.5 sq mi) and has a population of 453,033.

Tallinn, first mentioned in 1219, received city rights in 1248, but the earliest human settlements date back 5,000 years. The initial claim over the land was laid by the Danes in 1219, after a successful raid of Lindanise led by Valdemar II of Denmark, followed by a period of alternating Scandinavian and German rule. Due to its strategic location, the city became a major trade hub, especially from the 14th to the 16th century, when it grew in importance as part of the Hanseatic League.

Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and the most populous urban area in the Nordic countries; 960,031 people live in the municipality, approximately 1.5 million in the urban area, and 2.3 million in the metropolitan area. The city stretches across fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea. Just outside the city and along the coast is the island chain of the Stockholm archipelago. The area has been settled since the Stone Age, in the 6th millennium BC, and was founded as a city in 1252 by Swedish statesman Birger Jarl. It is also the capital of Stockholm County.

Stockholm is the cultural, media, political, and economic centre of Sweden. The Stockholm region alone accounts for over a third of the country's GDP, and is among the top 10 regions in Europe by GDP per capita. It is an important global city, and the main centre for corporate headquarters in the Nordic region. The city is home to some of Europe's top ranking universities, such as the Stockholm School of Economics, Karolinska Institute and Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). It hosts the annual Nobel Prize ceremonies and banquet at the Stockholm Concert Hall and Stockholm City Hall. One of the city's most prized museums, the Vasa Museum, is the most visited non-art museum in Scandinavia. The Stockholm metro, opened in 1950, is well known for the decor of its stations; it has been called the longest art gallery in the world. Sweden's national football arena is located north of the city centre, in Solna. Ericsson Globe, the national indoor arena, is in the southern part of the city. The city was the host of the 1912 Summer Olympics, and hosted the equestrian portion of the 1956 Summer Olympicsotherwise held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Stockholm is the seat of the Swedish government and most of its agencies, including the highest courts in the judiciary, and the official residencies of the Swedish monarch and the Prime Minister. The government has its seat in the Rosenbad building, the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) is seated in the Parliament House, and the Prime Minister's residence is adjacent at Sager House. Stockholm Palace is the official residence and principal workplace of the Swedish monarch, while Drottningholm Palace, a World Heritage Site on the outskirts of Stockholm, serves as the Royal Family's private residence.

Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and the most populous urban area in the Nordic countries; 960,031 people live in the municipality, approximately 1.5 million in the urban area, and 2.3 million in the metropolitan area. The city stretches across fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea. Just outside the city and along the coast is the island chain of the Stockholm archipelago. The area has been settled since the Stone Age, in the 6th millennium BC, and was founded as a city in 1252 by Swedish statesman Birger Jarl. It is also the capital of Stockholm County.

Stockholm is the cultural, media, political, and economic centre of Sweden. The Stockholm region alone accounts for over a third of the country's GDP, and is among the top 10 regions in Europe by GDP per capita. It is an important global city, and the main centre for corporate headquarters in the Nordic region. The city is home to some of Europe's top ranking universities, such as the Stockholm School of Economics, Karolinska Institute and Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). It hosts the annual Nobel Prize ceremonies and banquet at the Stockholm Concert Hall and Stockholm City Hall. One of the city's most prized museums, the Vasa Museum, is the most visited non-art museum in Scandinavia. The Stockholm metro, opened in 1950, is well known for the decor of its stations; it has been called the longest art gallery in the world. Sweden's national football arena is located north of the city centre, in Solna. Ericsson Globe, the national indoor arena, is in the southern part of the city. The city was the host of the 1912 Summer Olympics, and hosted the equestrian portion of the 1956 Summer Olympicsotherwise held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Stockholm is the seat of the Swedish government and most of its agencies, including the highest courts in the judiciary, and the official residencies of the Swedish monarch and the Prime Minister. The government has its seat in the Rosenbad building, the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) is seated in the Parliament House, and the Prime Minister's residence is adjacent at Sager House. Stockholm Palace is the official residence and principal workplace of the Swedish monarch, while Drottningholm Palace, a World Heritage Site on the outskirts of Stockholm, serves as the Royal Family's private residence.