Introduction
Stockholm is one of the great European capital cities. Blessed with history,
culture, and beautiful countryside as well as around 24,000 archipelago
islands within easy reach, it is a watery, magical city.
Situated between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic, the cosmopolitan city
of Stockholm has a population of about 1.8 million and has been the Swedish
capital since 1634. Stockholm is best explored on foot or viewed from
the sea. Start your walk at the Centralstationen and enter the Gamla Stan
(Old Town), the medieval heart of Stockholm. Take a break from walking
the winding, narrow alleys and have a meal or a snack in one of the many
cellars. If shopping is what you are after, head to Klarabergsgatan, home
to many top designers as well as department stores and some smaller shops.
Walk into the Kungsträdgården, a delightful 17th century park
and pass by the Sophia Albertina Palace, now home to the Foreign Ministry.
While in Gamla Stan visit the Kunliga Slottet, the “new” Royal
Palace. This is the largest royal palace in the world that is still used
for its original purpose. You can visit the state apartments, Gustav II’s
Museum of Antiquities or watch the Changing of the Guard. Visit the nearby
Storkyrkan Cathedral, the oldest building in Stockholm. It dates back
to the 13th century, but the exterior is mainly baroque.
Stockholm
Attractions Guide
Kungliga Slottet
The 'new' Royal Palace is one of Stockholm's highlights, and it was constructed
on the site of the 'old' royal castle, Tre Kronor, which burned down in
1697. The north wing of the castle survived the fire and was incorporated
in the palace, but the medieval designs are now concealed by a baroque
exterior. The palace, with 608 rooms, is the largest royal castle in the
world still used for its original purpose. The excellent state apartments,
including the Hall of State and the Apartments of the Royal Orders of
Chivalry, are open to the public (except during state functions), with
two floors of royal pomp, 18th- and 19th-century furnishings and portraits
of pale princes and princesses. Swedish regalia, crowns, scepters, orbs
and keys are displayed at the Royal Treasury, by the southern entrance
to the palace and near the Royal Chapel. Gustav III's Museum of Antiquities
displays the Mediterranean treasures (particularly sculpture) acquired
by that eccentric monarch.
The new basement Museum Tre Kronor, opened in December 1999, features
the foundations of 13th-century defensive walls and exhibits rescued from
the medieval castle during the fire of 1697. The Changing of the Guard
usually takes place in the outer courtyard at 12:10pm daily June to August.
The rest of the year it's on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday only.
Stadshuset
Stadshuset (the Town Hall) looks more like a large church, but its size
is deceptive since it has two internal courtyards. The dominant brown-brick
square tower of Stadshuset is topped with a golden spire and the symbol
of Swedish power, the three royal crowns. Inside the building, you'll
find the beautiful mosaic-lined Gylene salen (Golden Hall), Prins Eugen's
own fresco re-creation of the lake view from the gallery, and the hall
where the annual Nobel Prize banquet is held
Skansen
Skansen, the world's first open-air museum, was founded in 1891 by Artur
Hazelius to let visitors see how Swedes lived in previous times. Today,
around 150 traditional houses and other exhibits from all over Sweden
occupy this attractive hilltop in Djurgården. It's a spectacular
'Sweden in miniature', and you could spend all day here, wandering between
the zoo, the handicraft precinct, and the open-air museum of the daily
activities that take place on Skansen's stages, including folk-dancing
in summer. The Town Quarters, mostly consisting of buildings from Södermalm,
are inhabited by staff in period costume. The buildings include a pharmacy,
bakery, bank, café, many types of workshop, summer houses and Hazelius'
mansion. There are also 46 buildings from rural areas around the country,
including a Sami camp, farmsteads representing several regions, a manor
house and a school. You can trace the unhealthy history of smoking on
four floors at the Tobacco Museum or visit the more ecologically oriented
Forestry Information Centre. The Skansen Aquarium is also a must - en
route to the fish (including piranhas) you'll walk among the lemurs and
see pygmy marmosets, the smallest monkeys in the world.
Haga
Park
Haga Park is pleasant for walks, bicycle tours and its museum attractions.
Gustav III's Paviljong is a superb example of late neoclassical style.
The furnishings and décor reflect Gustav III's interest of things
Roman after his Italian tour in 1782. In Fjärils & Fågelhuset
(Butterfly House), there's an artificial tropical environment with free-flying
birds and butterflies. There's also a shop and cafe. Haga Parkmuseum has
displays about the park, its pavilions and the royal palace, Haga slot.
Transportation
in Stockholm
Getting There & Away
Stockholm's Arlanda airport is 42km (26mi) north of the city centre. Skyways
and SAS have comprehensive networks of domestic flights. International
air services to Copenhagen, Oslo, Bergen, Helsinki, Reykjavik and St Petersburg
are run by SAS. Finnair flies to Turku, Vaasa and Tampere, and there are
around five flights per day to Helsinki. British Airways, Air France,
KLM, Lufthansa and Sabena also have regular European services.
Long-distance buses use Cityterminalen, next to Centralstationen. Here
you'll find the Busstop ticket office, which represents the big lines
such as Swebus Express, Eurolines, Svenska Buss and the cheaper Säfflebussen,
along with many of the direct buses to the north.
Stockholm is the hub for SJ's national services. Direct trains to/from
Copenhagen, Osla, Storlien (for Trondheim) and Narvik arrive and depart
from Centralstationen (Stockholm C), as do the SL pndeltåg commuter
sevices that run to/from Nynäshamn, Södertälje and Märsta.
Silja Line ferries depart for Helsinki and Turku from Värtahamnen.
Viking Line ferries sail to Turku and Helsinki from the terminal at Tegelvikshamn.
Rail passes give a 50% discount on these services.
Getting
Around
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL) runs all tunnelbana (T) metro trains,
local trains and buses within the entire Stockholm county. At T-Centralen
there are SL information offices in the basement of the station hall and
at the Sergels Torg entrance. It gives out timetables and sells SL Tourist
Cards and the general Stockholm Card. The Stockholm Card covers all transport
and most sightseeing needs. It gives free entry to 71 attractions, free
city parking, free sightseeing by boat and free travel on public transport
(including the Katarinahissen lift, but excluding local ferries, some
city buses and airport buses).
The 24-hour and 72-hour SL Tourist Cards are identical to the Stockholm
Card except that they only give free entry to a few attractions, but they're
a much cheaper alternative if you just want transport. The 72-hour SL
Tourist Card is an especially good value if you use the third afternoon
for transport to either end of the county - you can reach the ferry terminals
in Grisselhamn, Kapellskär or Nynäshamn, as well as all the
archipelago harbours. If you want to explore the county in more detail,
bring a passport photo and get yourself a monthly SL pass.
On Stockholm's public transport system the minimum fare costs Skr14 (two
coupons), and each additional zone costs another Skr7 coupon (up to five
coupons for four or five zones). You can buy a 20-coupon discount ticket
for Skr95 (or singly at Skr7 each). Coupons are valid for an hour and
must be stamped at the start of the journey. Rail passes aren't valid
on SL trains. |