"Key city known as Stockholm South" Top 5 Page for this destination Nyköping by Sjalen

As I have spent every summer of my life in neighbouring Oxelösund, I regularly go to Nyköping where we have relatives too. Having said that, it is often easier to stay out on our own cliffs and be lazy, so Nyköping is to me a place where I arrive or leave (nearest railway station) and where I might go a rainy day to do some shopping or enjoy life in the harbour.

Nyköping is not the most lively place in Sweden it has to be said, but it used to be the capital of Sweden for a brief period in medieval days and today you can visit the castle from that time where some gruesome events took place. Events that led to Nyköping getting a key as its symbol...The castle is by the river which is also nice to stroll along and the church in this picture is from the 14th century and one of the oldest in the region.

What many people coming along the E4 motorway miss when staying here is that if they take the OLD Stockholm road instead of the motorway, they would find some of the finest archipelago the country can offer. The countryside around is also littered with mansions, in a good agricultural area close to Stockholm. People have discovered this and house prices go up as it is commuter distance to Stockholm, something our recently assassinated foreign minister picked up on since her husband is the Head of County Sörmland and so they lived here in its capital. It was probably because of her that the Swedish EU presidency foreign ministers' meeting was held here and that was a bit of an eye opener to foreign journalists who discovered a nice region which has been great for tourism.

Another great thing is that for a few years, Ryanair has flown here from Stanstead but it was recently announced that they would make Nyköping (or Stockholm South as they call it...) their hub of Scandinavia and they now also have flights to five other European destinations which is why this sleepy town will see a lot more action in future! Following the death of foreign minister Anna Lindh, some people also want to change its name to Anna Lindh Airport.

• Pros:historic riverside, gorgeous archipelago, close to Stockholm
• Cons:sleepy as regards nightlife
• In a nutshell:HIstory and nature