Arlanda combines plane spotting with art and a long cultural and natural history. At the viewpoint by Lake Halmsjön, visitors can see planes taking off and landing at close range. Other highlights include a three-dimensional installation about air traffic, portraits beyond the security checkpoint, and traces of history dating from the Iron Age to the 18th century. When deciding where to stay, you can consider whether you are most interested in air traffic, art and interpretation, or the cultural landscape.

Air traffic from two perspectives

The viewpoint by Lake Halmsjön focuses on individual planes taking off and landing: visitors can see them at close range. Open Sky offers a different perspective. Using projection mapping, the installation projects air traffic to and from Stockholm Arlanda in three dimensions onto a two-metre globe. This presents the movement of air traffic as a spatial image, while Halmsjön offers views of planes taking off and landing. The official announcement of 18 May 2017 described Open Sky as a permanent installation at Stockholm Arlanda Airport. It is located in the departure hall of Terminal 5.

Art and learning at the airport

The “Welcome to my hometown” portrait gallery features photographs of figures from sports, music, fashion, design, art, culture, business and innovation. The portraits are located beyond the security checkpoint in the arrivals halls of Terminals 2 and 5. This location is a practical consideration when planning your visit. At Flajt, children learn through play how baggage handling, the air traffic control tower and security screening work. The gallery features portraits of people from many fields; Flajt teaches children about specific airport operations.

Landscape and history

The cultural landscape around Arlanda includes buildings from the 18th century, runestones and Iron Age burial grounds. The runic inscription U Fv1992;157 commemorates Þorsteinn. He was the brother of the dedicators Gunnarr, Bjǫrn and Þorgrímr, and died in the east with Ingvarr. Lejden has been a nature reserve since 2009; its meadows have been grazed since the Iron Age. Many plant and animal species found on the airport grounds are rare even by European standards. Arlanda thus offers more than air traffic: it is also a place of long landscape history and nature conservation.

Getting to and finding your way around the airport

Ways to travel to and from Arlanda include train, bus, taxi and rental car. SkyCity offers a practical reference point during your stay: the complex connects Terminals 4 and 5 and includes hotels, restaurants, shops and a railway station.

An announcement dated 18 June 2025 introduced Marknadsplatsen, in the heart of the airport, as a space with around 40 new shops, cafés and restaurants across 11,000 square metres. The announcement described its design as distinctly Nordic. Together with the restaurants and shops in SkyCity, this gives a clear picture of the airport’s amenities, separate from the area’s art and landscape attractions.

Arlanda in the regional context

The wider Sigtuna destination includes Arlanda Airport, Märsta, Rosersberg and the town of Sigtuna. Choosing Arlanda lets you distinguish a focus on the airport from a broader view of the destination. This offers a clear first step when looking for accommodation: should your stay focus on Arlanda, or would you also like to consider other places in the wider destination?

Discover more destinations: Märsta, Sigtuna

Back to the wider travel guide: Sigtuna.