Long Weekend in Stockholm

As this was just a short holiday and the intention was to visit with friends, we didn't do a lot of sightseeing beyond Vasa and Birka. We took a wander through Gamla Stan (old town) and just enjoyed the scenery.

Birka and the Vasa Museum were excellent choices for limited sightseeing, though I would really love to go back and have an entire day in the Vasa Museum, as two hours was not even close to enough! Our other interesting event was a traditional Swedish crayfish party. Apparently this happens all over Sweden at the end of August (and at end of summer, it's already getting chilly!). Groups of people get together with the primary ingredients of big bowls of crayfish and little bottles of vodka. I'd never eaten crayfish before, and I always find eating things with the faces still on a bit disconcerting, but it was still pretty good. The funniest part was the strange songs they sing before downing large quantities of vodka. When asked for a translation, I remember it was something weird about pine trees and didn't really make a lot of sense--though after enough vodka, no one really cares!

Quick Tips:

As with most places, it's always good to read up before you go. I got a few books from the library about Stockholm just to orient myself and decide what few things I wanted to do with my limited amount of time. I was very lucky, though, to have local hosts!

Best Way To Get Around:

If you don't get seasick like my hubby, take the ferries! Stockholm is really just a bunch of islands joined together, and boats are the fastest way to get anywhere. Buses have to meander over various bridges so generally take longer. There is ample public transportation, including underground rail, and you can get travelcards for various numbers of days.

This is an absolutely brilliant museum centred around the Vasa, a 17th-century war ship that sank on its maiden voyage. It was salvaged in the early 1960s and restored. There is a movie that will tell you the basics of the history and the raising of the Vasa, shown in English.

The ship is in the center of the museum, with about six different levels, each giving you a different view of the ship. In addition to being viewing platforms for the Vasa, each level has various exhibits about life on the ship, the history of the Vasa and her construction, the meanings behind the art, colours and carvings on the Vasa, and original artifacts from the ship.

Guided tours are given in English and well worth doing. We were only able to spend two hours in the museum before closing time, but you really need a whole day to fully explore and enjoy. I'm going back at first chance!

Opening Times: 10am-5pm in winter, 9:30am-7pm in summer (June 10-Aug 20).
Admission: 80 Swedish Kronors for adults, 40 for students, free for children (0-17) (80 Kronors = 11 USD or 6 GBP)

After about a 1.5-hour boat ride with beautiful scenery, the boat docks on the island of Björkö in Lake Mälaren. There is a fairly small museum with permanent exhibits telling the history of Birka as a viking town and centre of European trade. The best part, however, is the guided tour over the World Heritage Site. You'll see the ongoing archeological excavation of the site, plus an explanation of Viking life and period artifacts from a delightful man who will tell you several times that Swedish vikings were nothing like Norwegian or Danish Vikings. He was out in a Viking tent on the hillside, showing off helmets, weapons, cooking implements, viking chests/storage, and clothing.

The hike out and over the site might be strenuous for anyone with mobility problems, as it's a bit hilly, and you have to watch out for sheep, but families should find it delightful. Our guide spoke perfect English and was very knowledgeable. There is a small cafe near the museum where you can have a bite before your ferry back.

Opening: May to September
Admission: About 255 Swedish Kronors covers the ferry, admission to the site, and the tour (255 SEK = 35 USD or 19 GBP).
Websites:
For the Birka world heritage site: http://www.raa.se/birka_eng/information.asp
For the ferry times, contact and pricing info: http://www.strommakanalbolaget.com/EN/index.htm