Stockholm is a picturesque city made up of 14 islands. It is a blend of the old and the new and offers a diverse range of tourist attractions.
Take a Boat to Tour Around Stockholm
Several different boat companies offer water tours of Stockholm. Tickets for the “Hop-On, Hop-Off” boat tours are valid for 24 hours and passengers may embark and disembark as many times as they wish.
There is recorded information onboard, in English and Swedish, which gives a guide to the sights along the way.
Most boat tours stop at the Royal Palace, the Nybroviken Terminal, the Vasa Museum and Gamla Stan (Old Town).
Gamla Stan, Stockholm's Medieval City Centre
Stockholm’s Old Town, “Gamla Stan”, is one of the best-preserved medieval city centres in Europe. The area features winding cobblestone streets, colourfully painted buildings, shops, restaurants and cafes. Stockholm Cathedral and the Nobel Museum are also in this area.
The Royal Palace, Residence of the Swedish Monarch
The Royal Palace, official residence of the Swedish monarch, is also located in the Gamla Stan district. With 608 rooms, Stockholm’s Royal Palace is the biggest palace still used by a head of state.
A guided tour of The Royal Palace is included in the ticket prices. No ticket is needed, however, to view the Changing of the Guard outside the Palace. This 40 minute event occurs every day in May to August at 12:15 (Sundays and holidays 13:15), and on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 12:15 during April, September and October (13:15 on Sundays), and on Wednesdays and Saturdays during November to March at 12pm, (Sundays 1pm).
Vasa Museum, See a Preserved Warship
The 69 metre long warship “Vasa” is the only preserved 17th century ship in the world. The Vasa museum features nine different exhibitions about the ship, and shows a film in 16 different languages.
The Vasa museum is a stop on most of the Stockholm boat tours.
Gröna Lund, Sweden's Oldest Amusement Park
If visiting Stockholm in summer, make a trip to Sweden’s oldest amusement park, Gröna Lund. Located on the island of Djurgården, the park features three roller coasters, a fun house, the highest Free-fall Tilt in Europe and is often used as a rock concert venue.
Gröna Lund is usually open from April to September.
Skansen, A Recreation of Traditional Swedish Life
Also on Djurgården, and close to Gröna Lund, is the open-air museum Skansen. The museum, which was founded in 1891, features many exhibits detailing traditional Swedish life, including replicas of 19th century towns.
There is also a zoo at Skansen, which features many Scandinavian animals, such as the brown bear, moose and reindeer.
Source:
Bonetto, Cristian. (2007). Lonely Planet Stockholm Encounter
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