Sweden Travel Guide
Stockholm
Built on a number of small islands, with some glorious architecture, an array of fine churches and a mass of museums Stockholm is one of the most attractive cities in Europe. The water is everywhere and it is sparklingly clean. There are several large parks and green spaces occupy a third of the city. Cultural life here is vibrant, from theatre to pubs, cafes and galleries it has it all.
Begun in the mid 13th century Stockholm has enjoyed mixed fortunes down the years - the usual mix of plague, famine, economic boom and invasion. However now it is very much on the up.
Where to Go and What To See
Vasa
Stockholm has 80 museums but this single subject museum is one of the best. The Vasa was a warship that sank in 1628 barely minutes after its launch. The ship is huge and its journey to the museum was an astonishing feat of marine archaeology. At 69 metres long the ship is housed in a large building on the waterfront. Surrounding the main exhibit are others that seek to illustrate what life must have been like for 17th century sailors.
Skansen
Situated not far from the Vasa in the parklands of the Djurgarden, stands the other big tourist attraction, the outdoor museum of Skansen. This was endowed by Artur Hazelius to show how Swedes had lived down the ages. This simple premise is fulfilled through 150 reconstructed buildings including houses, windmills, Sami dwellings and farms. Skansen also includes a small zoo and aquarium but it is the vast, open-air displays that pull visitors in.
Gamla Stan
This is the Old Town, the site of the original city. Now it is a tourist haven, a compact area, easy to stroll around to soak up some of the medieval flavour of its narrow streets. Amongst the highlights in the area are the Kungliga Slottet or Royal Palace. This is somewhat foreboding on the outside but don't be fooled, on the inside it is very different. There are staterooms and museums in the Palace but opening hours are limited so check details before going. This is the world's largest royal palace still in use.
The Storkyran, although technically speaking only a church, serves in the role of city cathedral. It is an impressive brick built baroque place and well worth a look.
The other great state building to see in Gamla Stan is the parliament building of Rikdagshuset (or Riddarshuset), in use since the 17th century.
National Museum
Parts of this collection date back to the 17th century making it one of the world's oldest public collections. This also constitutes Sweden's largest collection of works of art. Ranging from the middle ages to the current day there is much here to be admired including the collection of 18th century art, one of the worlds finest. The one problem is that there is so much jammed in to the three floors of the building. The only hope of making sense of it is with the aid of a guidebook.
Nordic Museum
This huge structure, also founded by Artur Hazelius, is the second largest indoor space in the country. The collection itself is vast and is intended to give an insight into Swedish cultural history of the last half millennium. Particularly noteworthy is the Sami collection and one of the main attractions is the statue of Gustav Vasa. This statue is a huge imposing bronze of the king who drove the Danes from the country in the 1500's.
Bolagsmuseet
Now Stockholm has some very fine museums but for something a little less run of the mill check this one out. Its aim is to throw light on a modern Swedish phenomenon. This museum is dedicated to alcohol, drunkenness and the repressive state regime that controls the alcohol trade. 'Surely not,' I hear you bellow, 'in this most liberal of places.' 'Fraid so, the Swedish government keeps drunks off the street by keeping prices at a sky-high level. Sad isn't it. Enough to make a man turn to drink. If he was rich that is. In all fairness, the prices have come down in Sweden as a result of membership of the EU.
Abba
Amongst the great cultural gems that Sweden has thrown up over the years this 4 piece pop combo is surely the gaudiest. The band first sprang to attention with their Eurovision Song Contest winner (another cultural gem) Waterloo. Many hits followed making the band one of the worlds biggest in the Seventies and Eighties. A subsequent revival has been underway recently. This is centred on the success of the West End musical Mama Mia featuring no less than 27 of their hits strung together to form the narrative structure of the piece. If nothing else the music is also the main stay of the soundtrack to Muriels Wedding - a great film.
The music industry is a significant employer in Stockholm, the music scene is very lively and with bands like The Cardigans and Roxette is not without street cred. The industry itself is third only to the UK and USA in terms of export revenue. As the Swedes say 'Thankyou for the music...'
Food, Drink and a Place to Sleep
Stockholm, thanks to its history as a place of commerce, has a cosmopolitan makeup. This in turn lends itself to a great choice of places to eat but prepare to pay the price; Sweden is not the cheapest European country in which to eat. The quality of the eating out in Stockholm is generally high, Indian and Chinese restaurants represent the best value.
The Swedes take native cuisine very seriously, the seafood is sublime, nearly always accompanied by potatoes and vegetables. Many restaurants that offer Swedish cuisine also offer other international choices.
Licensing laws have been eased of late and the bar and pub scene has livened up accordingly. EU trading regulations look likely to break the state monopoly on sale of alcohol so prices should fall further than they already have. Competition will inevitably intensify, so in the short term at least the future is bright for drinkers in Stockholm.
Live music is on all over the city and there are many nightclubs. Beware! Some clubs have strict dress codes and may exclude men under the age of 23.
Travellers on a budget are well catered for in Stockholm as are those with well-padded wallets, the area where there is a shortage is in the mid range. The summer is a busy time and you should look to book well in advance.
|
|
|
