Stockholm
‘Stockholm is unique in that it’s built on islands and surrounded by water, so you get this enormous sense of freedom. It’s got everything you could possibly need – everything New York or London has but without all the people and traffic. It’s also become a very creative city, not only for music but also for fashion and computer games.’ – Bjorn Ulvaeus
I first visited Stockholm in the summer of 2016. My cousins and I had just completed a Baltic Cruise. Since we had structured and planned a lot of sightseeing during our time together, we had agreed that Stockholm would not be structured. That’s a great premise but when you have six people all with different agendas and no plan its chaotic to the point of dissension.
I had always wanted to come back for a do over, so this visit was totally welcome especially since it came complete with an expert local guide.
As it turns out despite all the chaos we had seen and done a lot, but I did get to catch up on a few things we had missed and still missed a couple of things that I wanted to visit. Ah well! who knows I’ll be lucky enough for another visit.
Such a beautiful city spread across fourteen islands. It’s fun to explore both on land and water. We stayed mainly in the central part of Stockholm though we did go to dinner at an outer island which necessitated an hour plus ferry ride which allowed us a nice glimpse of some of the outer spread islands.
Unlike Copenhagen the view from my hotel room was a bit mundane but there was a splendid view from the window next to the elevator on our floor. As I rifled through the numerous pictures I took, I realized that I had never pulled my phone out to take a picture from that window, Cie le vie.
The central square with the Grand Hotel with its distinctive red shutters visible in the background. This area is also called Norrmalm since 1635.
In the 1950s to 1960s many of the older buildings were torn down to give way to more modern and newer construction. Enough of the older structures remain in a variety of styles such as Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque to make exploring this neighborhood an interesting exercise,
Among the many places of interest found here are the Stockholm Central Station, House of Culture, National Museum of Fine Arts, Royal Swedish Opera House, and more.
This time around we had a guided visit with a local and very knowledgeable guide as we approached this entrance towards Gamla Stan. Gamla Stan, home to the Nobel Museum, Stockholm Cathedral and the Royal Palace of course is a must visit when you are in Stockholm.
With its winding streets, interesting shops, and cafes it might even be the area in Stockholm that you spend most of your time in. I know I did both during my first visit and this one.
I did visit the ABBA museum on my last visit and while I was given the fun fact that ABBA once lived right here in this area, I did not get to see which house was theirs, but you might do more research and if you’re interest swing on by.
The historic Riddarholm Church dates back all the way to the 13th century and is known for being the final resting place of many Swedish Royal family members.
The narrow winding cobblestones and buildings in various colors give the area its unique look and feel. I can’t remember now but the guide referred to this area as “Hell”. though it looks more like paradise.
It takes a guided walking tour to find unique and interesting items like this rune stone that I totally missed on my last visit. We would see more rune stones when we were in Sigtuna and Uppsala.
Stortorget ("Grand Square") an artistic and shopping hub sits at the highest point of Stockholm.
Before my first visit to Stockholm, I was under the impression that this area was Gamla Stan. Yes! it is but it’s only a part of an entire old city, though it is the grandest of the squares that make up the old city. Lined with cafes, home to the Nobel Prize Museum, an ancient drinking fountain in the center and benches for people to just sit and absorb the view. No wonder it is always full of people coming and going.
This time around it started raining as we got to this point in our guided tour. I took the rain as an excuse the desert the group and tour and find a cafe to stay dry over a cup of coffee and fika. Fortunately, it was a momentary cloud burst and I got to wander and enjoy it soon.
I happily spent my morning wandering through all the twisted turning cobble stone lanes and shops before grabbing lunch and heading to my hotel for a well-deserved nap.
The Nobel Prize Museum is located in Stortorget and definitely worth a visit.
Stockholm City Hall was designed by architect Ragnar Östberg and is built from eight million bricks. The 106-meter-tall tower has three crowns, which is the Swedish national coat of arms, at its apex.
Given the importance and beauty of this building I am not sure why we didn’t visit it on my first visit, but I am thankful for this do over to make up the loss.
The Blue Hall, which is not blue hosts the banquet for the Nobel Prize winners after the award ceremony.
The impressive council chamber. In days of old the jarl took his key people, and they sat under the inverted hull of their longboat to make collective decisions.
The same concept is applied here with this beautiful ceiling dominating the richly appointed council chamber.
The Golden Hall named for the decorative mosaics that tell the story of Sweden made up of more than 18 million tiles. The Nobel Prizes are awarded here in this salon.
The room is stunning. It really needs to be seen to be appreciated since I don’t believe the picture really does it justice.
This is the portion of the mosaic that talks about America represented by the native Americans and the statue of liberty.
A visit to Sweden would be incomplete without a nod to its most famous icon that has taken the world by storm. Oh! and I did try the Swedish meatballs on this trip. No not at Ikea at a restaurant recommended by our guide.