7 things to do in Stockholm
Whenever you think about the Nordic countries or even just European countries, Sweden will definitely show up. Stockholm is its capital and is one of the most well-known cities in the world. With tons to do, great food and even greater culture, the city is a tourist’s dream come true. Here are the top 7 things to do in Stockholm:
Visit Gamla Stan:
Visit one of the oldest surviving places in the city, and get a major blast from the past with Gamla Stan. It is the living cradle of Stockholm’s birth more than three-quarters of a millennium ago. There’s been a settlement here since the year 1252, though now the locals are more likely to run taverns and waffle-shops than fishing boats or pillaging raids. Take a historic tour through its maze of winding medieval alleyways, small squares, ancient churches and Royal Palace. It can get very crowded, but you can avoid the bus-tour clusters by keeping off the main drags or ducking down side streets.
The Stadshuset:
Join the city’s nobility at the city’s most prominent landmark and it plays host to some of the world’s most esteemed people at its Nobel Prize banquet, which is held annually in the building’s Blue Hall. However, for regular visitors, the cellar restaurant offers the previous year’s menu. A guided tour of the building takes in a 10,000-piped organ; the astonishing Golden Hall, in which scenes from Swedish history are depicted on the walls in 18 million mosaic pieces in gold leaf; and the Council Chamber – designed to resemble the open roof of a Viking longhouse.
Art lover’s paradise:
There are plenty of opportunities to appease your inner art lover, mainly the two art museums which are very different from each other. Back in the 60s, the Moderna Museet introduced Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg and Niki de Saint Phalle to an astonished Swedish audience. Today visitors go for its collection of 20th-century art, featuring works by Picasso, Dali, Pollock and De Chirico. While just a short walk away, in the National Museum, drawings and decorative arts from the Middle Ages share space with Rembrandt, Degas and substantial collections of Dutch and Swedish art.
Drink on the Water:
Drinking on the water is a popular pastime in Stockholm, and several pontoons and boats now house bars and restaurants. Such as the M/S Gerda which once served in the Normandy landings, and now is decked out with palm trees and sleek furniture. There are several ships like this one, which serves similar functions.
Get in on the Fika:
Swedes love their coffee, and café culture is deeply rooted with them. On an average, the Swede’s consume 4.5 cups a day, getting this coffee fix while having something sweet on the side is known as the ‘fika’. There are several cafes open in the city where you can get your ‘fika’ too, with each place offering new speciality and is different than the rest.
Indulge your inner music lover:
Swede’s are pretty much your regular pop or rack fans you can find, and the country’s live music scene is bigger than ever. The performances that you can catch feature some of the best local musicians the city has to offer. Debaser, suitably a little rough around the edges, is every inch a rock club, with bands playing seven nights a week and DJ action on club nights; Fylkingen is the best place for DIY and experimental music; the Södra Teatern cultural centre hosts low-key folk and pop concerts; while next door at the Mosebacke Etablissement you can hear an eclectic mix of jazz, pop, rock, salsa and reggae.
All Aboard for Swedish history:
The city’s most prized heirloom is the 69-metre-long, 380-year-old warship Vasa, which sank just 20 minutes into her maiden voyage in 1628. Salvaged from the waters in 1961, she was ceremoniously installed in her stunning, custom-designed Vasamuseet (Vasa Museum) in 2000. You can find numerous facts and figures about the ship and Swedish history over there. There were a few myths circulating the doomed fate of the mighty warship, but they were later debunked with ‘The Archaeology of a Swedish Warship of 1628’ was published in 2007.
