Stockholm from home
OK, pop quiz: What do you know about Sweden?
Er... Abba. Obviously.
The chef off the Muppets. Yip. Ikea. If you must. That Goth girl with the
dodgy body art. Correct.
So, in summary... not that much.
But after spending a week in Stockholm, I soon realised this country is worth
getting to know better.
And the best place to start is the capital.
We arrived in the dark, so what a surprise to open the window’s shutters of
our room the next morning to see the gleaming waters which slice this unique
city into little islands.
And we had our very own — Skeppsholmen. Until recently, even Stockholmers
weren’t even able to venture onto this detached part of the city.
But now it’s a huge draw, not least because it’s home to the stunning museum
of modern art.
And also, our billet — a 300-year-old converted military barracks, now Hotel
Skeppsholmen.
‘Sleek, stylish and laid back’ This is no squaddie accommodation any more.
Sleek, stylish, laid back with wonderful food and service — and a
jaw-dropping waterfront location surrounded by stunning parkland.
This is the perfect base, as if you are a million miles from the city, yet
just a glorious ten-minute walk along the water’s edge and across the bridge
— or a ferry ride — to the main centre.
Talking of bridges, there are more than 50 linking the various islands to each
other.
And each “chunk” of Stockholm has its own attractions and personality. Abba’s
Benny Anderson has a studio near our hotel. And just across the water, by
regular boat taxi, is the new Abba museum on Djurgarden.
Inside, there’s a piano in a recreation of their recording studio. If it
starts playing, it means Benny’s composing on Skeppsholmen — what he’s
playing you hear in the museum (if you’re lucky).
There’s a red phone on the wall too. If it rings when you’re passing, pick it
up — it’s one of the group looking to speak to you.
This new museum is a magical journey through the group’s meteoric global rise.
And, if you fancy the ultimate in karaoke, you can become Abba’s fifth
member, dancing and singing with their digital versions.
If you fancy something different, across the road there’s the Skansa open-air
museum.
This amazing hilltop park overlooks the city and combines a zoo with
traditional Swedish houses, collected for more than a century from all
around the country and reconstructed here.
It’s a time portal to an older Scandinavia. Easily a day out in itself.
Not far from that is Grona Lund, a magnificent amusement park dating back to
the start of the last century. Now, its rollercoasters dominate the
shoreline. The city’s very own Coney Island.
But one of the most wonderful museums you’ll ever see is the Vasamuseet.
Vasa was a warship which sank yards from shore on her maiden voyage 400 years
ago. It was salvaged in the middle of the last century and is now housed
inside a modern building which was constructed round it.
Think Scooby Doo ghostly galleon and that goes some way to describing the
extraordinary atmosphere of the place as you wander round the hull of this
towering, restored relic with its jutting masts and carvings.
Oh, and for added Scooby Doo-ness, don’t forget to seek out the skeletons of
some of the crew found trapped in the vessel. More than a dozen of them, in
glass cases.
Stockholm literally takes your breath away, whether you are exploring these
museums (of which there are dozens more), or taking a tour boat on the
waterways where the Baltic meets the vast freshwater Lake Malaren, Sweden’s
third largest.
Or you can explore on foot and the best place to do that is the old town,
Gamla Stan.
This warren dates back to the 13th century. Charmingly crooked streets and
buildings, lost in the past — but still home to 3,000 residents.
On a visit, this is one area you will return to again and again with its
shops, bars, restaurants, hidden squares — and edged on one side by the
magnificent Royal Palace. We filled our faces in eateries built inside the
ancient buildings and downed hot wine to take away the chill air.
But the most wonderful thing about this place is the atmosphere. Everywhere
you go there are candles and lanterns outside every establishment.
They say it’s because it gets darker earlier and the flickering flames chase
away the gloom. But it gives the whole city an sense of Christmassy romance.
And the scent of apple and cinnamon hangs in the air too. Boy, they like their
spice!
We all look for bargain breaks, but Sweden is never one that, personally, I’ve
considered before. More fool me.
There are great deals to be had on budget flights from, say, Edinburgh. Ours
took us into Skavsta, an easy hour’s journey from the city.
Everyone warned before we went “Oh, you’ll need a mortgage for the spending
money” and it’s true that it is a bit more expensive than some other
European destinations.
But it’s not out of the park — and well worth it.
Probably the best way to do it on a budget is on the very good value Stockholm
Card, which is your passport to most of the attractions.
So Stockholm, thank you for the music...
And the welcome, the food, museums, history, culture, boat rides, walks,
shopping, hot wine...