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Gärdet - the City's Meadow

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Louisa W. Hansen
Louisa W. Hansen
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Gärdet--the City's Meadow

Gärdet--the City's Meadow

To get there, take the subway’s red line to Gärdet station or the No. 1 bus from the city (Kungsgatan) toward Fridhamnen. Get off at Kampenmansgatan.

Gärdet (pronounced yaar debt)is the part of town where I live. It is a wide open meadow with gently rolling hills. Back in the 18th century, a wooden summer castle was built for King Karl XIV Johan up on the hill so he could observe the military exercise on the field. Today, the castle Borgen is open to the public during the spring and summer, with a café featuring jazz performance on Sunday mornings. This place is also rented for special events such as graduation parties and weddings. The view from Borgen over the big field of Gärdet is fantastic, especially during the spring when all the flowering trees are blooming. This place is relatively unexplored, even by the locals, so don’t be surprised to find a quiet corner all to yourself.

As you walk on the field, the sight of the TV tower Kaknästornet will not escape you. At 155m, it is the highest structure in Scandinavia. Its tower is open for visitors (entrance fee: 30 SEK), and from there you can have a birds-eye view of the city and even have a meal in the tower’s restaurant, Kaknäs, although the quality of food and service is not so impressive. Better bring your own picnic basket and enjoy an open-air lunch or dinner on the rolling hills nearby.

A great summer activity that takes place on Gärdet is hot-air ballooning. At about 7pm, huge balloons are being raised from the field, lifting groups of people in their baskets for a wonderful tour of the city. Contact Scandinavian Balloons (08 556 404 65), Upp och Ner (08 644 0400) or City Ballong (08 34 54 64) for more information. A ride with a group of about a dozen people costs $250 per person, and the price includes a diploma, a picnic and a glass of champagne. Personally I have never been on such a ride due to my phobia for height. It is nonetheless a joy to watch the colorful balloons decorating the rose-colored sky, which remains light for a long time due to Stockholm’s high latitude.

On a day with gentle breezes, you might also see people flying kites or even hang-gliding on Gärdet.

If you are hungry, there is a small cottage, Gärdet Stugan, at the southwest corner of the field by Värtavägen. With both indoor and outdoor seating, it serves coffee, beer and mostly Swedish home cooking. The cappuccino there is excellent and so are their grilled sandwiches, but the dinner dishes are not worth trying.

Once you have crossed the field heading east, you will be able to find Villa Källhagan, three interesting museums, and a shortcut to Djurgården. See my entry A Picturesque Stroll along Djurgården's Waterway 1.

From journal The Jewels of Stockholm

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