Until a fictional character with attitude usurped her position, the most famous resident of Sodermalm, a Stockholm neighbourhood undergoing gentrification, had been Greta Garbo. The reclusive silent-film-era movie star, born and raised at Blekingegatan 32, is remembered in Sodermalm with a statue, but the Swedish capital's largest and most populated district is these days better known as the neighbourhood where the girl with the dragon tattoo lives.
Stockholm is made up of 14 islands, each with distinct characteristics, such as Baroque or Renaissance castles, harbour fronts and rocky cliffs.
Sodermalm, connected to the rest of the city by bridges, has become one of the most visited places in Sweden due to the worldwide success of Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy, which began with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Every year, thousands of fans walk in the footsteps of computer hacker Lisbeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist, the books' lead characters.
'Today, when you hear about Stockholm, you think of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,' says Yan Huang, a Chinese citizen working in Sweden. '[The characters] are the most famous Swedes in the world right now and everything about Sweden is popular, especially the female character. Many women want to be as strong as she is.'
Sodermalm, the origins of which can be traced back to the 13th century, was once an agricultural area and was, until a few decades ago, a working-class neighbourhood. With its sheer cliffs and cobblestone streets, the area is a great place for walking, its steep climbs rewarded with panoramic views over the city's skyline.
Sodermalm, often shortened to just Soder, has become a magnet for bohemian, alternative cultures, its streets dotted with shops selling organic products and fashionable second-hand stores.
One of the area's most popular hotels, the Hotel Rival, is the brainchild of Benny Andersson, a member of the hugely successful 1970s band Abba. Its art deco- and retro-style rooms are decorated with images of Swedish icons, from the popular disco group to Garbo.
