Yes, it is true that, like airborne geese, cruise ships are charting courses to southerly climes, fleeing Stockholm and leaving Sweden’s capital city in their wake. It’s a pity, really, because the ships are departing at what just may be Sweden’s most beautiful season — fall, and not far behind it, winter.

In Stockholm this month, the September air is as crisp as Wasa bread; plump apples dangle from the trees as Rosendals Trådgård. The sun, however, ends its holiday in the Northern Hemisphere and begins to sojourn south (or so the illusion fools us into thinking). Soon, the days will become shorter, and, yes, the cold weather will come.

But alas the weather will not be cold enough to chill the spirit . In fact, winter can be equally as charming as summer, and some of my best days in Stockholm have been during the winter.

You can walk on a lake. The photo above, believe it or not, was taken on Lake Malaren as I walked on it one day last March.

In the city center, skate if you wish.

That boat that you boarded for Drottningholm this past summer, it’s docked for the season in ice near the City Hall.

Break the chill by having a Fika in a cozy cafe, such as KaffeKoppen in Gamla Stan.

Then head back outside to the Old Town, covered in snow.

No need to walk away from Stockholm just because the summer is ending. Say hello instead; you are always welcome here.

I tried a fun, new way to explore Stockholm a couple of weeks ago.

The tour uses a mobile phone, which the tour provider supplies, and interactive narratives that move you to tourist sites in Stockholm by having you look for clues and other information as you explore Gamla Stan and its environs. The tour is offered by Stockholm Guide & Cruise Services.

One of America’s top travel journalists was in Stockholm recently.

We (Josefin Haraldsson of the Stockholm Visitors Board, left, and Ralph Grizzle, a contributor to this blog, right) took Rick Steves (center) to Vapiano, with two locations in Stockholm: in Gamla Stan and in Stureplan. We took Rick to the Gamla Stan location, which he enjoyed and said he would recommend to his readers and television viewers.

Vapiano has always been one of my favorites. The setting is contemporary and light. The food is exceptionally fresh.

And it’s prepared right in front of you.

It’s a good value too, with a unique twist. Upon entering the restaurant, you are given an electronic card that keeps track of all that you order. When exiting, you present the card, and it tallies the total for the cashier.

One of Stockholm’s most popular tourist attractions, City Hall is one of Sweden’s leading examples of national romanticism in architecture. It was opened on Midsummer’s Eve in 1923, built from eight million bricks and anchored by a tower that rises to a lofty height of 106 meters.

At the top of the tower, the three crowns that represent the Swedish coat of arms are said to be the size of Volkswagens. Climb the tower for fantastic views over Stockholm.

The great Nobel banquet is held in City Hall. After dinner in the Blue Hall, Nobel Prize recipients, royalty and guests dance in the Golden Hall, with its 18 million gold mosaic tiles.

The City Hall is open to the public through guided tours held daily in Swedish and English and other languages during the summer.

NK, also near Stureplan. And directly across the street is the large city shopping mall, Gallerian.

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Situated in what is arguably the city’s trendiest district, Stureplan’s Biblioteksgatan is one of Stockholm’s most popular, upscale shopping streets.

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Boats operate between Stockholm’s City Hall, a tourist attraction in its own right, and Drottningholm.

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