3 days in Stockholm

Stockholm is such a well-kept secret--a historic, inspiring city with a stunning waterfront. Eighteenth- and nineteenth-century buildings sit side by side with modern architecture to give you a feeling of old and new, completely at ease with each other.

Quick Tips:

Walking around central Stockholm is a joy; there is a fresh, clean air about the place.

The Gamla Stan is the old part of Stockholm, with many preserved buildings lining narrow cobbled streets. These streets are filled with restaurants and cafes. If you are on a budget, then a lunchtime meal (often as part of a lunchtime offer) will save you money.

As Stockholm is so compact, the Kings Palaces, National Museum, and Tre Kronor (to name but three) are all no more than 15 minutes apart.

Best Way To Get Around:

If walking is not for you, then the Metro in Stockholm is clean, efficient, fast, and on time! The underground art along the Metro walls is an adventure in itself, but the Metro will get you to most of the suburbs with little effort.

The Kungliga Slottet or Royal Palace, is situated in the centre of Stockholm ( in the old Gamla Stan area), on the island of Riddarholmen. It is well signposted from the Drottinsgaten (the main shopping street ) It is still the official residence of Swedish Royal Family and with it's 608 rooms is one of the biggest palaces in Europe. Among it's numerous attractions include the Royal Treasury, the Banqueting Hall, and Royal Chapel.

The Palace is sumptuously decorated inside, with sweeping wooden staircases and large grand hallways leading to rooms with decor much the same as it has been for centuries. Many hallways are lined with original artwork from the 17th and 18th centuries (although to be honest I didn't recognise too many artists names). The staff working there is informative and speaks English very well.

The Palace gives the visitor an idea of the grandeur and influence that Sweden once had and exerted throughout Europe and is an excellent starting place for anyone interested in the history of Stockholm and Sweden. The fact that it is still a working Palace adds to the enjoyment and if you are lucky then the Monarch may be home when you visit.

Admission is about 110 Kr (Nov 2002) and admission times vary but it is open during late morning and early afternoon Mon-Fri. A triple ticket is available that lets you see the Palace, Tre Kronor museum and the Treasury and allows you to visit another day if you don't have time to visit all in one day.

Stockholm is not an easy place to eat on a budget. Food can be expensive, and supermarkets are few and far between in the central town. There is the usual mixture of multi-global burger bars, pizza houses, and chicken takeouts, which will keep you going, but for something more substantial, you have to dig fairly deep.

Local food is generally wholesome, hearty, and basic--meats, stews, and soups being particularly favoured.

The best bet is to look out for the lunchtime specials which most of the restaurants now have, which will include bread, main meal, pudding, and coffee for a considerable discount on the evening price. I have to say, the food I did eat in Stockholm was not that great, often arriving at the table lukewarm. Some of the big department stores offer the best deals, if you actually manage to find the restaurant in the store.

Drinking is almost a sport in Stockholm, but prohibitively expensive too. Most pubs and bars will charge you to "look after your coat," or in other words, charge you to get in. However, there are enough pubs along the main Drottingsagten to whet anyone's appetite.