14 islands in the Baltic Sea

Stockholm's many islands are packed closely together and connected by bridges or ferry rides. Picture a clock. In the center is the island Gamla Stan, which is the oldest part of Stockholm. On this island you will find the kunglslottet (Royal Castle) with the state apartments, the treasury housing the royal jewels, the armoury museum, the royal chapel, and the older castle called Tre Kronor beneath the present one. Close to the castle is the church Storkyrkan and the abbey from 1200 called Riddarholmskyrkan. GamlaStan is the most fun place to eat and shop for unusual items or antiques.

To the south is Sodermalm. This is where the cruise ships dock, and the Slussen train meets the metro.

At 15:00 is the museum island called "Djurgarden" and was once the royal hunting grounds. Everyone ends up here for the Vasa and Nordiska museums, the circus and zoo, Tivoli amusement park, the aquarium and the outdoor museum called Skansen.

Above Djurgarden (13:00) is Ostermalm. At 12:00 (above Gamla Stan) is Norrmalm which is the shopping and theater district. Kungsholmen is at 11:00, and is where the palace and gardens are.

Quick Tips:

Pick-up the local monthly magazine called "What's on" Stockholm. It is the official tourist and event guide that lists everything happening from performance arts, gallery shows, to special events. It is in Swedish and English, and is free at hotels, supermarkets, gas stations, and museums.

If you plan on visiting a variety of museums....and Stockholm has over 70 of them...buying a one,two,or three day museum pass will give you some savings. It is called the " Stockholmskortet" and includes bus, metro, and train transportation ( not the ferry) for the duration of the pass.In summer, it also includes the sightseeing boat ride. If you drive, it includes parking in the metro lot if you get the advance pass.

One day cards are 220 sk ( about ) with 2 day passes at and three day passes at 540. They can be purchased from the museums, the information centers, and many hotels.

It is normal for Seniors and children to receive discounts on transportation and entry fees in Sweden, so double-check this before you buy a museum pass.

Best Way To Get Around:

Driving around the outskirts of Stockholm is easy and signed well. As usual, entry to the old parts of town are difficult with narrow one-way streets, heavy traffic, and no parking spots.

The metro, bus, train, and ferry systems in Stockholm are cheap, efficient, and easy to learn. Single rates( examples) of the Djurgardsfajor ferry from the dock at Gamla Stan to the museum island of Djurgarden will cost US. The metro from the Slussen station to shopping on Norrmalm will cost 80 US for any travel connections you can make within one hour.

There is a tourist ticket that allows unlimited travel (including the ferry) for .20 US for a full day up to .70 for a three day pass.

You need to figure out how much walking you are apt to do BEFORE you buy the pass. We walked alot, so it proved cheaper to buy as we needed.

Location: 15 minutes SE of Stockholm on a fjord.

Travel: Slussen train station is right across the street allowing easy access to stockholm.

After a visit to Monte Carlo, railroad magnate K.A. Wallenberg wanted to provide an elegant destination close to Stockholm. In 1893, his castle on the Baltic Sea was opened with a flourish by King Oscar11 in a special ceremony after construction with experts such as the court upholsterer who assisted with the interior decorations. What attracted me was the castle design (who doesn''t want to vacation in a fairy tale?) and the influence of the Swedish court with the dark blue and yellow fabrics over the Rococo gold-gild walls and ceilings. Other public rooms...such as the bar area with the open post and beam ceiling with carved designs are pure Scandinavian heritage.

The private rooms are all decorated in a different unique manner, so you could stay here several times and feel like you were staying somewhere new each time! Next time I want to stay in the room that Paul McCartney used! The business class rooms all have beautiful views of the water.

Published room rates begin at $1679 sk, but there are cheaper ways to stay here! We received an exceptional rate from : www.hoteldiscount.com

We were here in late winter, so the water was frozen solid and a trail had been mapped out for hikers and skiers across the fjord. I can''t tell you what a delight it was to go for a walk in nature after touring in the city all day!

We had dinner one night in the hotel restaurant, and ended up closing the place with a new British friend. The food and the company were exceptional!

What surprised me the most was the wonderful staff at this hotel...each and everyone was friendly and eager to help with our travel needs. It almost felt like we were among family rather than people who hear these same questions day-in-and-day-out! We travel alot, and I think that SAS needs to be proud of this group...from the central desk, to the kitchen, to the business center staff....they spoiled us!!

Monika even lent me a book about the Vasa Warship before our visit to the museum, so I would have enough background information to really enjoy the trip. Another time, she recommended that we eat at a little place close by called Bistro Solsidan (08-717-0455) which was inside a quaint train station. Not only was the food good, but we were lucky enough to arrive while the jazz band was getting HOT!

You know when you have had a great vacation when you hate to say good-bye to the new friends you''ve made! This hotel is a wise choice....and give everyone a hug from us!

Upstairs there are a few tables with red-checked tablecloths and candles. Bypass this to the back of the restaurant and take the narrow bricked stairs down to the medieval cellars from the 1400's. Once upon a time, a tunnel connected this cellar to the church across the street. Part of the tunnel is still here, but it is closed off. This place just oozes with atmosphere as you sit in the vaulted room with suits of armor and little cubbyhole rooms.
I liked the fact that many of the dishes are local fare. Ron had the "fixed price" reindeer beef that came with potato, black currant jam, salad,a drink, and a dessert for $ 280sk. I had the fried baltic herring with mashed potato for $ 105sk, but also might have tried the marinated herring with eggs and cheese for $ 95sk....very traditional dishes. Sara, our waitress, recommended the waffles topped with cloudberry jam and whipped cream. It was a fine ending to our dinner! There are few places in the world to get Cloudberries, so eat them whenever you can!
This is such a friendly place! Ron is a cook ....he left California over 20 years ago to attend the university and never went home. Cute Sara goes to school here, but likes to spend summers in her cabin in the North. She told us ghost stories about nuns who killed little children and placed them in these walls.....but she had such a twinkle in her eye and a mischievous smile we knew she was spinning a tall tale! The ghosts must be friendly because the aura is warm !

One day, we were busy museum hopping, and didn't want to spend a long time at lunch when we walked by this place. once we entered the 10x8 space with the 3 stools....we noticed some odd things on the menu.
We were discussing this item called "Dubbl med Raksallad oche lite till" trying to figure out what in the heck it would taste like, when a fellow waiting for his meal said " oh! that's the BEST thing they make here....you've got to try it!". Please understand that Ron is a caloric adventurer extrodinare, so it didn't take much to twist his arm ! I just feel that it is a hoot that some Swede decided to empty his refrigerator of leftovers and came up with this!
Think about this one:
place two hot dogs onto a flat potato shell (like a burrito shell). Slather mashed potatos over the thing before you add mustard and catsup with generous sprinkles of onions and crumbled bacon. Top that with lettuce and load on shrimp salad. Wrap up the whole thing like a funnel and eat it with a fork until you can manage getting your mouth around this 2 pound thing to finish eating it!
Ron loved it and although it was just too much food for me...the taste was good! Once we became aware of this odd Swedish dish, we started noticing that other places offered it too. Don't be shy! Give it a try!

entry fees to the Royal Apartments--60 sk
hours: 10:00-16:00, closed MOn. in winter Sundays: 12:00-15:00
bus: 43,46,55,59,76 T-bana: Gamla Stan
Free English tours
Changing of the guard occurs in the courtyard at 12:15 on Wed, Sat, and every weekday during summer. Sundays and Holidays: 13:15
I was impressed, not only because this Royal residence is beautiful Rococo detail from the 1754 construction, but the people employed here are a delight! We heard about the ghosts that appear through the walls of the old North wing which is the only wall left standing from the earlier castle that was destroyed by fire in 1697 and other stories that made us laugh.

When you first walk in, you will be in the long hall of state with the canopy of dark blue with golden crowns embossed on the fabric. Underneath it is the silver throne that was presented to Queen Christiana in 1650.

Next, you will enter over 608 rooms where you can see collections of ancient finery, medals, antiques, and art work. The green marble arched staircase to the second floor is a beauty with decorative black iron fixtures held by cherubs. The guest apartments upstairs are still used by visiting heads of state. My favorite table in this area was a round black piece with round multi-colored pieces of marble inlayed into the top. I also like the tile covered stoves that provide heat...especially the one with the blue and white tiles in the yellow sunny room.

As you enter the Bernadotte apartments, the "aura" of the palace becomes more formal. This is also the haunted North wing, which is no wonder with all the paintings of past royalty watching as you walk by. The crystal chandeliers are most awesome in design hung from rococo medallions among velvet wallpapered walls. Long fine wood tables sit upon a highly polished parquet floor with some rooms having silk embroidered carpets in floral designs. The wood floor in the salon on the Northeast corner of the palace has trim in walnut with finely scrolled pieces of different woods cut into a fleur-de-lis in the center medallion....it's just beautiful!

Entrance fee: 50sk
For those of you who like to drool over Kingly crowns studded with diamonds and other jewels....this is a fine place to be! Free English tours are fun to do if you can catch one, because the guides tell you stories about the people who actually wore these crowns, medallions,orbs, and swords. I didn't realize that many Kings had their own crowns but thought that there was only one crown handed down at the coronation ceremony. Our guide said that many used King Erick X1V's, which is a mighty red and gold affair that looks rather heavy.I liked the little prince and princess crowns....just as intricate and jewel studded as their parents, but so sweet in their little shapes! Ron liked the massive swords and their fine sheaths, also jewel encrusted and gleaming like quicksilver in the halogen lights. This is a fairly quick stop taking no longer than 30 minutes, so plan on attending if you have a museum pass card and this place is included. Otherwise, you might be miffed at the 50sk entry fee.

Entrance fee-$60sk
Hours: June-Aug.-daily 10:00-17:00; Sept-May--tues,wed,fri-13:00 Thurs. 11:00-20:00
guided English tours- 13:00 & audio tapes
This museum is located in the vaulted area below the castle
I didn't know what I expected to see, but it was different from what it was! I guess I was thinking that this would be all weapons and things related to war and defense. Thankfully, it was much more than that!
There were some weapon collections...huge swords or pikes and those deadly iron balls with spikes that heathens would bash about. The armor collection was quite impressive. I liked the ones to protect the royal horses the best. Heck, if some guy wants to run around slashing people, at least protect the horses, don't you think? Take a look at the picture of this golden helmet for the horse with the rams horns! That should have made people look twice! Gustavus Adolphus's blood stained shirts are here...wonder if it was the one's worn when he died in battle? Charles X11 uniform is still muddy from battle, and I liked the reality of that. There's also an iron prosthesis....an artifical hand complete with carved fingers and fingernails that looks kind of creepy in black. The collection covers all kinds of royal things from 1496 onwards. I loved the gold and silver embroidered dresses that could be melted down for $$$ if need be. The coronation clothing of several Kings and Queens are here along with the suit worn by the court dwarf. There's a collection of woman's fans, shoes, and hats next to a display of royal childrens clothing and toys.
Take the stairs down to the royal carriages, and you will feel like you stepped back to the time of Cinderella...but these coaches are the real thing! My favorite is the golden sleigh (see picture) since travel over lakes in this Northalnd was often easier than the roads. Check-out the saddle encrusted with fine jewels below a golden lions horn...with 8 inches of padding to soothe the royal derriere!

During some construction in 1978, the oldest remains of Stockholm were found here. It's pretty cool that they excavated the site, and protected it as a museum while the modern construction of the bridge continued above! The neat thing of this museum is that the old city defense walls and foundations are exposed while displays that go into further detail have been built around them. In one area a wharf scene has been built around the remains of an ancient longboat. On the wall behind is a picture of a medieval man playing chess with death! Be sure to catch the "town stones" which were very heavy double stones strung with chain that were wrapped around a woman accused of adultery. Wonder what happened to the guy???
Among the foundations of homes, replica's of a dwelling from that time are fun to walk through while display cases contain smaller everyday items that were found on the site and raise even more questions about how people lived back then.

There are several department stores or malls in Stockholm:
Gallerian, Nk, Pk-huset, Sturegallerain, and Ahlens.
Luckily, they are within 3 blocks of each other in the Norrmalm area on the shopping streets of Drottninggatan, Hamngatan, and Kungsgatan. Of all of them, I liked Ahlens and NK the best for the Scandi-items they offer. The other places had things you could buy anywhere.
At Ahlens, the houeware department is awesome and they carry the Swedish crystal Orrefors and Costa Boda at better exchange rates than I saw elsewhere. Try to time it during the lunch hour, because the cafeteria here is very,very, nice offering the cheapest and best sandwiches in all of Stockholm....like $2.00 us !
NK has a nice bedding department, Scandinavian fabric department, and their rugs are really nice.
I tend to like more unusual shopping, so head down to Gamle Gatan and wander the medieval streets for nice antique shops (prices were high in my opinion) and a few places I'll note below:
Saimi Stalhandske
I love embroidered or cross-stitched linens! Therese offers kits that you can finish at home or offers completed items for you to purchase. There are wall hangings,napkins,placemats,table covers and other linens. Some items feature the dancing Swede's in yellow and blue national costumes while others are floral pieces or fine items with birds sitting on pine branches. Very, Very, nice stuff...but not cheap.

Jobs
Stortanygatan 19. Since 1940, the Job family of textile artists have been busy painting flowers on everything from journal covers to lampshades, to table runners and placemats, to curtains for your windows. Of the seven Job children, 5 are artists. I bought 2 round table covers with a pattern of red and black raspberries among the vines with a finished green edging for $ 195 kr (about $19.50) All the pieces are signed and you will be given washing and care instructions. I really wanted to get some of those curtains....so be sure to be prepared by bringing your measurements with you! I asked if specialty pieces could be ordered, and was told " yes", although I don't know the fees or the turnaround time.

Pasadena
Vasterlunggatan 69. Rita is the Finnish owner of this Scandinavian shop that has the usual sweaters and hats, but the real gems are the Sami items she brings back from the far Northlands. Sami drums,knives,handcrafted birch cups and boxes,and carved walking sticks. Ron bought the most unique coat of black wool (with full lining) with elk suede around the shoulders, collar, pocket edging and cuffs. It is a very handsome thing! You'll have fun looking at these items that are so cuturally diverse from what you know of from your own homeland.

Sept-April--free entrance. May-August- adults 10 sk.

The rosy colored church is around the corner from the palace and is open every day from 9:00-16:00 unless services are in progress. This church was begun in the year 1200 and contains some very interesting items that you won't find anywhere else! It was used for the Coronation of Kings through the year 1907 (when a very wise King decided to change the roll of the monarchy)while the Abbey closeby called Riddarholmskyrkan is where monarchs are buried. (it was closed during our visit).
The pulpits of Storkyrkan are glorious in their golden details from the bible. Since this was a royal church, you will be amazed by the pews that are very throne-like with golden cherubs below the crown.
Continue moving towards the main altar and take a moment to study the beautiful detail of the silver, ebony, and gold design of this piece that was made in 1652.
To the left of the altar is a life size wooden statue of St. George as he is ready to slay a full sized dragon at his feet. It was carved in 1489 by Bernt Notke and although it looks like metal, it is not. In this same corner are some medieval burial vaults that are images of people carved in stone as if they were simply laying down for a short nap!
Before you head down the aisle, look back at the wonderful golden organ in the choirloft. You can attend scheduled concerts here throughout the year. Be sure to also check-out the painting "Parhelion" which is a scene of Stockholm painted in the year 1520, and is the oldest known view we have of life from back then.

On August 10,1628....a date forcasted as "bad luck" by astrologers...the newly built warship Vasa set sail with 150 sailors, woman, and children for a maiden voyage. This brightly painted warship with 500 sculptures (60 of them carved lions for the " Lion of the North.") sank rapidly in 90 ft. of water within 1 hour of leaving the dock.

That should have been the end of the story, buried within the silt of the bay holding the silent tomb.

Anders Franzen found reference to the ship and spent 3 years searching for her remains. People thought he was nuts, but when the ship was found intact in the cold worm-free waters of the north in the year 1956, an impressive plan to raise her began. Swedish Navy divers flushed 6 tunnels under the ship and strung steel cables underneath to try and raise her in one piece. It was a slow process, but she broke the waterline in 1961.

How did this happen? Sigismund was a Polish king who had rights to the Swedish throne...along with his cousin Gustarvus Vasa. It helped that Sigismund was in Poland and Vasa was sitting on the throne....occupancy amounts to something! The rivalry escalated to war. Gustarvus wanted a mighty ship with a double canon decks( never done before) with 48 gunposts to shiver the timbers of any approaching warships. The king hired the sculpture marten Redtmer who painted the sculptures in gold gilt, indigo, Spanish green ad red lead for an impressive bravado. The main ship required 500 live oak trees to be felled in winter when the timber would be stronger. At full staff the ship was meant to hold 150 seamen and 300 soldiers of war in stiffling....filthy....smelly....dangerous....confinement. The museum has displays to give you a smidgen of an idea of what it would have been like to live below deck. Movies show what the era was like, and everyday artifacts show how the common man lived with items like wooden backgammon games. One display addresses the 25 skeletons that were found...including 2 women in their twenties.

There is a very nice cafeteria here to grab lunch. They serve hot and cold items along with gourmet sweets. A hefty sandwich will cost about $7us. There is a garden here in summer that highlights heritage plants of the late 1600's. This is one of the most unique and interesting museums of the world !