A 2p return to Stockholm...

A city with 13th century buildings yet a reputation for avant garde design, which is a haven for shoppers and sightseers alike and where friendly locals will answer you unhesitatingly in English.

Answer: Stockholm.

The Swedish capital, recently dubbed the cleanest city in Europe -- spot litter or graffiti if you can -- is fast rising up the chart of favourite city breaks.

Ours was unashamedly prompted by the lure of one of those crazy flight offers from one of the cheapie airlines -- 2p return from the UK.

That allows you to splash out on a smarter hotel. Ours was bang in the centre, in the old town (Gamla Stan). The family-owned Victory Hotel takes its name from Nelson's flagship and is furnished plentifully and tastefully with nautical antiques.

Mats Bengttson explained that his parents are collectors. The 45 rooms take their names from Swedish sea captains, whose portraits hang outside the doors. In the lobby is displayed a romantic original letter from Lord Nelson to his lover, Lady Hamilton.

The marine theme is never far away in Stockholm, standing as the city does at the meeting of a sea -- the Baltic -- with Lake Malaren, the third largest in Sweden. They are at different levels, joined by a lock.

An estimated 200,000 boats are owned by Stockholmers. Otherwise they, as do visitors, have recourse to a fleet of efficient little ferries plying between the islands. Off-season, we stood expectantly at one jetty. The ferry which arrived was not ours, but the boatman helpfully radio-ed to another. It chugged our way within minutes.

Beyond city limits is an archipelago of 24,000 islands, which can be explored aboard the longer-distance tourist boats. The Feather Islands (Fjaderholmarna), popular in summer, offer exhibitions, a large aquarium, restaurants, coffee shops and fish smokehouses.

But you don't need to go that far to savour a Stockholm delicacy -- the fried herring sandwich. We were directed to a simple outdoor stall (Nystekt Stromming) at Slussen, a stroll over a bridge from the old town, where the cheery owner served us the recommended Skaning version -- delicious.

On the opposite side of the street you can take a lift to the elevated Gondolens bar and restaurant, giving a superb panoramic view of the city.

Off-season visitors should not be put off, by the way, by images of an Arctic winter with six months of darkness. Sweden is a long country, Stockholm located towards the south, so climate is not too different to northern Britain. In December the sun sets at 3pm and rises at 8.30am; in summer darkness falls around 10.30pm, with sun-up at 3am.

All year round, there is plenty of interest.

The fascinating Vaser Museum (Vasermuseet) is built around a magnificent 17th century, triple-masted, 10-sail, 64-gun, oak-hulled warship. Nearly 70 metres long and 53 metres tall to the top of its main mast, it was the Titanic of its day. Constructed on royal orders as the flagship of the then considerable Swedish navy, it capsized and sank minutes after launch in 1628. The wreck lay on the bed of Stockholm harbour for more than 300 years before being raised and painstakingly restored. The project is linked to Britain's Mary Rose at Portsmouth. Opposite the Vasa on Djurgarden island is Skansen, rated the world's oldest outdoor museum. Founded in 1891, it covers five centuries of Swedish history, contains a zoo and aquarium, and numbers 1.3m visitors a year as the city's top attraction.

Stockholm is where the Nobel prizes are presented, in December each year. The Nobel Museum, not far from the Royal Palace, is where you can summon up electronically the identity of more than 700 winners over the last 100 years, hear many of their acceptance speeches, and recall how moving a speaker was Martin Luther King, for example. On our visit preparations were in hand to receive the winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, ex-US President Jimmy Carter.

All Nobel guests stay at the city's five-star Grand Hotel, a landmark. Not far away, also overlooking the harbour, is the recently refurbished Cafe Opera, with its ceiling paintings and stucco, for long one of the world's leading nightspots. If you can't afford the restaurant, scrape together for a drink at the cocktail bar, or at least sneak a look inside.

For shoppers, Sweden is the homeland of lkea, of course (as well as Abba, Sven and Ulrika). NK is the poshest of the many Stockholm department stores, with designer labels galore. Ahlens is less expensive and Pub more reasonable still. It was here that Hollywood legend Greta Garbo (1905-1990) started work as a 15-year-old in the hat department and as an aspiring model in the store's mail order catalogue. A special display marks her connection.

Stockholm faces east as well as west. It was in Pub, also, that Lenin reputedly bought the cap which became his trademark. All main stores are open on Sundays, so good for weekend breaks.

Gamla Stan is the place for antiques, craft and arty shops, together with cosy cafes to rest your feet. Glass and crystal are Swedish specialities. Sweden prides itself on design and there are several specialist design shops in Stockholm.

Svensk Form is a design centre on the small island of Skeppsholmen, with exhibitions, picture archives and a shop. Nearby is the new Modern Museum, where Lars Nittve has recently taken over as director, returning to his native city after successfully launching the Tate Modern in London.

With a central population of just 700,000, (1.8m including its new suburbs) Stockholm is compact enough to get around easily on foot or by bus and metro, as well as by ferry. Some of the underground stations are worth visiting for their unusual artwork alone.

Eating out is on the expensive side, with Swedish restaurant bills having to absorb a hefty 25 per cent government tax. On the plus side, service too is normally included, so tips, apart from odd change, are not expected.

The traditional Swedish smorgasbord is reportedly less common these days.

At lunchtime, look out for the Dagens ratt, or dish of the day, commonly a bargain at around a fiver.

At the friendly and candle-lit Restaurant Kaffegillet, with its 14th-century vaulted cellars in the old town, we paid around £22 for a three-course dinner including Swedish specialities: Toast with marinated salmon, then reindeer with fried potatoes and blackcurrant jelly.

Also worth trying, especially on a winter visit, is Skomarkalada (shoemaker's box) which arrives as beef, mashed potatoes, leek and bacon.

Alcohol is generally expensive and not consumed in great quantities by the Swedes, who are governed by much stricter drink-driving laws than ours.

Glogg, a glass of mulled wine spiced with cloves, nuts and raisins, is again welcome on a winter's day.

Trendiest new place in Stockholm is the Ice Bar at the Nordic Sea Hotel, built entirely of ice from Lapland.

They dress you in an insulated cloak with mittens before you enter through a temperature-controlling airlock and sip cocktails from ice glasses, while standing at ice tables, in a temperature of minus six degrees.

That's cool.

STOCKHOLM FACT FILE

GETTING THERE: Keith Ward flew from London Stansted to Stockholm with Ryanair for 2p return plus taxes. The efficient transfer bus, which meets the Ryanair flight at the small, outlying Skavsta airport and takes 80 minutes to the city centre, costs £10 return.

To catch the early flight without the hassle of traffic delays, staying overnight at the Stansted Hilton (tel 01279 680800; www. hilton. co.uk/stansted ) with their Time to Fly package, from £143 per double room, gets you free parking for up to 14 days and free access to their Health Club, to relax you into holiday mood.

There are some direct scheduled flights from Manchester with other airlines at normal prices.

In Stockholm: The Victory Hotel, a member of the Relais Chateau group, Lilla Nygatan 5, S-1128128 Stockholm (tel +46 8506 400 00; e-mail info@victory-hotel.se) Double rooms with breakfast start at around £133.

A combination coach and boat tour of Stockholm lasting 2.5 hours costs around £18 with City Sightseeing. A Stockholm Visitors Card (www. stockholmtown.com) covers some tours, public transport and attractions. Prices: Adults from about £16; children from £4.

Swedish Travel & Tourism Council in London (Freephone 00 800 3080 3080; e-mail info@swetourism.org.uk; website www. visit-sweden .com) or consult your local ABTA travel agent.