Stock holm - a few impressions

We were early in the season so the archipelago did not particularly call, particularly as we knew we should pass through on our way to Turku. That voyage is covered in another journal so this one is entirely land based.

Obviously guidebooks tend to start with the old city and thus it is no great surprise that, although it more than merits a stroll and a look around some of the buildings and museums, it's now something of a tourist trap. This applies particularly to the shops.

On the other hand I can find no negative points to make about the Vasa museum. It's by far the best museum of this type which I have ever seen and I am only sorry at my own stupidity in not realizing that photography is allowed! - until it was too late.

The Skansen outdoor museum is very good but virtually every square centimeter was covered in scouts when we were there. It's a bit of a niggle but the mixture of outdoor museum and zoo does not quite come off for me and I prefer the equivalent museum in Oslo - but everything is relative and I enjoyed Skansen a lot.

Quick Tips:

The 20th century Stadshuset was the piece of architecture that thrilled me most. I am not a modernist in architectural tastes, and I found this imaginative use of modern materials and shapes to enhance some very traditional designs quite outstanding.

Two slightly less known places that we much enjoyed were Prince Eugen's museum on Djurgården and the Millesgården, both of which will have their own page here.

As for museums, you can't see 'em all and we had no cause to regret having chosen the Medeltismuseum [middle ages].

Best Way To Get Around:

The metro is fast, frequent, and efficient but of course cuts down on views; we became geared to it as we needed it to get to our hotel. I am sure buses might be a better bet for anyone staying more centrally.

Having one main station, the central metro station and the bus station for outside the city all pretty well together is extremely useful.

Being at Ibis hotel, it was exactly like an Ibis hotel - they manage to get them all remarkably alike. This means it was comfortable and clean with all basic amenities, had reasonable meals at reasonable prices, and had no particularly outstanding feature.

Two virtues were important. It was both cheap and easily accessible to public transport. For anyone who has not been to Scandinavia it's probably worth pointing out that cheap hotel stays are usually during the main summer season and/or at weekends. Even this one is cheaper on the weekend, but it's still cheap during the week and that makes it highly unusual.

It is about 10 minutes walk from the nearest metro station, about 23 minutes from the central station.

At weekends I should prefer to pay a bit more and be more central but during the week it did not seem like A LITTLE more!

Like most of its breed it is positioned near a motorway and if you have to sleep on that side of the building - do try not to! - earplugs are a necessity; I speak with feeling not having taken any!

Except for the tower, the City hall could only be entered on a guided tour for reasons of security. We could not get far above lift level in the tower and were too late for the guided tour in English, so our first visit was something of an anticlimax, but it was enough to bring us back for a guided tour on our last day. This says quite a lot in itself about its appeal as on the whole guided tours are anathema to both of us. We need not have worried. The tour was not rushed and was both informative and amusing at times.

It is one of the few places that I know which makes use of numerous older architectural styles but where they are enhanced rather than spoilt by the modern materials and designs which transform them into a truly magnificent 20th century building.

It is perhaps not surprising that Prince Eugene's frescoes appear to advantage here, but for 17th century French tapestries to look as though they were intended to be in such a modern building is a mark of the success of the architect.

The golden hall and the so-called blue hall (where there is some blue but the predominant colour is red!) are both magnificent. The latter is associated with Nobel prizegivings and we could only believe that this was a worthy setting for great people to be so honored.

This museum is a little out from the center. Get to the red line on the metro to Ropsten and then get bus number 207 or walk. We were a bit out of the main tourist season but it was nowhere near busy and we were able to enjoy our own lunch in peace in the grounds among the sculptures.

There are indoor exhibits and obviously it is sensible and enjoyable to see them while you are there, but there is no point in going unless you think you will enjoy sculptures outdoors in a lovely setting on one of the inner islands.

I am not into technical descriptions of the sculptures. They are displayed on terraces at various levels and there is always the view to enjoy as well. I am putting some photos on here but if you want to see a lot of brilliant ones and see if you would enjoy a visit, have a look at < a href="http://www.photo.net/sweden/stockholm/milles">the website here.

The only problem about this museum is finding it. We knew it was under the (not particularly impressive) Parliament building, but you can still spend some time looking and local shopkeepers possibly get fed up with being asked because they were remarkably unhelpful. We had given up and were walking back to the city center when we suddenly came upon the entrance! To avoid all this inconvenience go to the far end of the Parliament building from where you face it from near the central stations (right hand end if looking from the old town). It's down steps from the bridge between the Gamla Stat (old town) and the main center at that end - and when you go that way you may wonder how anybody could think it hard to find!

During the 70s, excavation for a carpark revealed some striking remains so the museum was built instead of the car park. The museum consists of these remains, brilliantly explained by maps and models. Modern brickwork is used to explain medieval building tecniques.

All sorts of modern work help to illustrate the way of life of medieval times as well, both residential and employment. The harbor simulation and the remains of a 15th century ship are particularly evocative.

This is often said to be the best of the Scandinavian outdoor museums. I think I prefer the one at Oslo, but this is probably the best family attraction as the presence of the zoo, which I do not particularly like, is very appealing to young children. Certainly the average age of the visitors was far lower here, without including the myriad of scouts who had some sort of function on the day we were there.

I cannot really say anything about the zoo but there is certainly a wealth of interest in the 150 or so buildings assembled in the large area. Outside the 'town' area the various areas are assembled to show the sort of buildings found in different parts of Sweden. There are a couple of churches as well as the traditional houses and workplaces.

I found the town area particularly interesting as it was very much alive with practical demonstrations in the workshops. The buidings are mainly from Stockholm in this area and represent styles from the 1760s to the 1930s. Among the buildings are the Pharmacy, the Bakery and shop, The Bookbinder's, the Printer's, an old Grocer's, the saddler's and the Tannery, the Glassworks, the Tobacco factory, the Goldsmith's workshop, and the Pottery as well as traditional workers' houses and a mansion.

The grounds cover the slopes of what seems a mighty hill in the generally flat Stockholm area, and a visit can easily be combined with a more general examination of the beautiful Djurgården area.

So much is said about this museum that I was sure some of it had to be hype; not so. This really is of world standard, both what is on show and the way in which it is displayed. Unlike the Viking Ships museum in Oslo, the lifts allow the disabled to reach all the different levels and see everything from a number of angles.

The story of the Vasa is well enough known. She was built to be the jewel in the crown of the Swedish fleet, only to sink on her maiden voyage in 1628. She was salvaged in 1961 and has been transformed to the point where all the bottom of the ship and most of the upper part are fully restored.

There are various ancillary displays, including the work of salvaging the boat, which give a good idea of the life of a mariner of the time. However, it is the ship itself which steals the show. The carving is meticulously done and quite stunning.

There is a film every hour, a shop and a restaurant.

Djurgården itself is a beautiful area with plenty of room for picnics, wandering or children's play. On weekend afternoons there are a number of residents of Stockholm enjoying the area. For such a flat city it is quite hilly - though not quite what you might expect if you live in a really hilly area. It is very pleasant to get the ferry from the old town, walk to the museum and get the bus back.

As for the museum itself, it is first worth saying that it is worth seeing for the site even if you have no interest in paintings. It was the home of Prince Eugen [1865 - 1947] who was interested in gardens as well as painting and it is really beautiful with a fine view back over the old town.

Prince Eugen was an art collector as well as a painter of some repute himself. His house and his outstanding collection of turn of [19th] century Swedish art were left to the state in his will. Some of his own best landscapes, [his specialism] are on show. Some of the private apartments are included in the price and are little changed.

The garden contains some fine sculpture, work by Rodin and Milles [see Millesgården page] being included.