Sigtuna in an afternoon, a day or a weekend

An afternoon (three hours)

For a layover at Arlanda or a detour from Stockholm. Everything on foot from the bus station.

1. 0:00

   The square and the Town Hall

   From the bus station it is two minutes to the main square. Go into the Town Hall if it is summer. Ten minutes is enough. Then continue west along Stora gatan. Look into the shops if you like, but save the coffee.

2. 0:30

   Sigtuna museum

   The small square, Stora gatan 55, at the west end of the street. The coins, the rune bones, the town beneath the town. Just under an hour, 60 kronor.

3. 1:30

   St Mary's and St Olof

   Back east, past the square, to the church, go in if it is open, then out into the churchyard to the ruin and the spring. The rune stones are in the wall.

4. 2:00

   Coffee on Stora gatan

   Tant Brun on Laurentii gränd for a 17th-century house and a cinnamon bun. One of the cafés on the street if you want to sit outside.

5. 2:30

   Down to the water

   From the square to the harbour. Sit on a bench. Walk back to the bus along the waterfront.

A full day

From Stockholm by train and bus, or by car. This day includes the ruins on the hill and the Sigtuna Foundation, which the afternoon visitor misses.

1. Morning

   St Peter and the view

   Start in the west. Walk up to St Peter's church ruin, the most complete of the three, and see the town and the bay from there. Continue down to Stora gatan.

2. Late morning

   Stora gatan, the Town Hall, the museum

   Same as the afternoon plan but without the rush. Museum first, then the Town Hall, then the shops.

3. Lunch

   By the water

   Båthuset in the harbour if it is summer, 1909 at the Stadshotell if it is winter. Book a table at weekends.

4. Early afternoon

   St Mary's, St Olof, St Lawrence

   The church, the churchyard, the ruin, the spring. Then walk Prästgatan back past St Lawrence's tower.

5. Afternoon

   The Sigtuna Foundation

   Up through the park to the Foundation. The courtyard, the library, the crypt. Coffee here if you can manage one more.

6. Evening

   Sunset in the harbour, or the cinema

   The benches face west. If it rains: Gröna Ladan on Gröna gränd, a cinema from 1926 with 80 armchairs. Bus 570 runs from the station to Märsta all evening. Check the last departure.

A weekend with children

Stay one night. Two days is enough for the town, a castle and a farm. This assumes a car, or bikes for day two.

Day one: the town

1. Rune stone hunt

   Pick up the rune stone trail map at the museum and let the children find the stones. They sit in walls, stand in gardens and lie by the ruins. It takes a morning.

2. Ice cream, mini golf and a swim

   Sigtuna Gelato on Stora gatan or Våfflan on the jetty. Mini golf at Äventyrsgolfen on the waterfront. Swim from the bathing jetties in the middle of town or the sandy beach at Sjudargårdsbadet if it is warm. Feed the ducks if it is not.

3. The ruins

   St Olof suits children best: low walls, grass all around and the spring beside it.

4. Dinner and the night

   Sigtunahöjden has family rooms and a view. The Foundation has calm. Wenngarn has rooms in the castle and a park to run in. All on Where to stay.

Day two: out of town

1. Österby farm

   Five kilometres north. Farm shop on Fridays and Saturdays. Late summer and autumn bring pick-your-own sunflowers, corn and pumpkins, and weekends are full of families.

2. A castle

   Wenngarn is nearest and has a park, café and pizza at Dammstugan. Rosersberg has royal tours in summer and a park on the water. Steninge has the arcade with garden centre and café, good on a rainy day.

3. Rävsta nature reserve

   If the legs allow. Paths, rock slabs, views over the bay. An hour is enough with small children.

If you come in December

The Christmas market on the Sundays of Advent fills Stora gatan end to end. It is crowded, atmospheric and takes two hours. Come by bus. Parking runs out before lunch. On other days in December the town is calm, with Christmas lights and shops open at weekends.