STF Långholmen Hostel
8.8-rated — sleep in a converted 1840s prison cell on a private island, Södermalm's strangest and best-value overnight
8.8-rated hostel inside the refurbished 1840s Långholmen prison — yes, an actual former Swedish state prison, converted in 1989. Rooms are the old prison cells (private bathrooms in most). On its own small island connected to Södermalm by a bridge, 12 minutes to Hornstull metro.
STF Långholmen Hostel occupies the entire former Långholmen Prison, a Swedish state prison built in the 1840s and closed in 1975. The building was converted into a hostel in 1989 and runs as part of the STF (Swedish Tourist Association) network. Långholmen is a small island on the west side of Södermalm — you walk across a short pedestrian bridge from Hornstull, and the island is otherwise given over to a public park, a small swimming beach, and the prison-turned-museum next door to the hostel.
The rooms are literally converted cells. Most have been knocked together into larger dorms (4, 6 beds) but the original cell structure shows: thick walls, narrow windows, heavy doors. Many rooms now include a private bathroom (rare at this price in Stockholm). The dorms are quiet because the walls are 30cm of stone. It's the best sleep quality of any budget hostel in Stockholm by a margin.
On-site is a full shared kitchen, a breakfast restaurant (paid, genuinely good for STF standards), and a rooftop terrace bar in summer. There's no nightclub scene on the island itself — it's a 5-minute walk back over the bridge to Hornstull's bars (Debaser Strand, Rival, the SoFo adjacent drinking circuit).
The main trade-off is transit. Hornstull metro is a 12-minute walk (red line to T-Centralen, 8 minutes). T-Centralen is a 20-minute total commute. Buses 4 and 66 serve the island directly — bus 4 runs every 5 minutes and connects to Södermalm and Kungsholmen. If you're on a short Stockholm visit and want the city-centre hostel, this isn't it. If you want 3+ nights of actual sleep, Södermalm proximity, and a 'stayed in a prison' story to bring home, STF Långholmen is the play. The prison museum next door ('Långholmens Fängelsemuseum') is a free add-on to your booking.
- 01Literally a converted 1840s state prison — your dorm was a cell
- 02Quietest sleep of any budget hostel in Stockholm (30cm stone walls)
- 03Private-bathroom rooms at rare-in-Stockholm prices
- 04On a small green island with its own beach and park
- 05Rooftop terrace bar in summer with harbour view
- Former Långholmen state prison, converted to hostel in 1989
- 12 min walk to Hornstull metro (red line to T-Centralen, 8 min)
- Small island with swimming beach, park, prison museum
- Free prison museum (Långholmens Fängelsemuseum) next door for guests
“Brilliant stay. Converted beautifully into a very comfortable hotel. Breakfast was delicious. Loved the sense of history.”
“The differential of this place is the opportunity to stay in a former prison, to enjoy this uniqueness. Rooms are quiet.”
“Clean, comfortable, located on its own island. Well-equipped spacious kitchen. Bus 4 gets you into the centre fast.”
- Långholmens Fängelsemuseum (prison museum, free to guests)1 min walk
- Långholmen swimming beach (summer)3 min walk
- Hornstull metro and bars12 min walk
- Bus 4 stop (every 5 min to Södermalm and centre)1 min walk
- Söder Mälarstrand waterfront walk5 min walk
- Debaser Strand (live music venue)15 min walk
