Sailing!
In Stockholm you’re always right next to the water,
and therefore you must go sailing! If the weather allows, go on a trip
to Skärgården (the skerries). There isn’t a more beautiful way of
experiencing Swedish nature. Rocks and lots of islets and possibilities
of getting off the boat for lunch. Sail to the Fjäderholmarna, which is
a trip of about 30 minutes, or to the ”capital” of the skerries;
Vaxholm, which lasts about an hour and a half.
There are also
lots of possibilities to do shorter trips, with or without tour guides,
for instance an early dawn trip around town or a historical
sightseeing.
Strömma Kanalbolaget and Stockholm Sightseeing offer many different trips. Check out their schedules:
www.stockholmsightseeing.com
www.strommakanalbolaget.com
Ice skating
In
the winter you can be lucky to see Stockholm dressed as a Christmas
postcard, with all the snow, lights and people with obligatory red
cheeks and woolen mittens.
At momondo, we regret not being
able to guarantee frost - and in recent years, the winter climate has
been particularly unpredictable – but if you have the chance of seeing
frosty weather, get a pair of ice skates on your feet! The best thing
is of course if the skerries freeze, in which case you can skate
between the islands.
If the skerries aren’t frozen, there are several possibilities on land:
On
Kungstradgarden in Östermalm you can rent ice skates for four Euros. It
is most fun to skate in the evening, when the ice rink is lit up.
www.kungstradgarden.nu
Medborgplatsen
in Södermalm is a good place to go ice-skating with children. The rink
is full of families and amateurs. Sometimes it can get a little too
crowded. You can rent ice skates here as well.
On Zinkensdamms Idrottplats there are hockey games most of the day. It is great fun to
watch, but you can also go ice skating on the rink inside the large
center. Open all year and admission is free.
Zinkensdamms Idrottplats,
Ringvägen 12–14, Södermalm
The Street
The Street is a lovely and alternative market on Södermalm, by Hornstullstrand (Beach of Hornstull).
An
interesting mix of art, organic food, crafts, poetry readings, flea
market, concerts and raves. The market is located in a large abolished
garage right by the water. The Street started out as a Christmas
market, but the success was so great that it now takes place every
weekend of the year.
The Street has its own restaurant, and as
opposed to the market, it’s open all week. On a summer weekend, it’s
lovely to sit by the pier and enjoy a brunch, and the view over the
water and the buzzing activity from the market. Indoors seating is
offered as well. The place concentrates on local, and preferably
organic, products. You can taste a Swedish kind of sausage (isterband)
from Åseda in Småland, blinis with Swedish caviar or just a hamburger
with Swedish beef and potatoes.
The Street is situated at the
far end of Södermalm with a view over Liljeholmen. You get there by
T-track to Hornstull, red line, or by bus number 4 or 40 to Bergsunds
Strand.
The Street, Hornstulls Strand 4, Södermalm
www.streetinstockholm.se
Close
to The Street is Bergsundsgatan and Hornsgatan, where you can find many
good second hand stores and shops selling retro furniture and lamps.
MUSEUM TRIP
There are a lot of beautiful and interesting museums in Stockholm. If you should choose only one, it ought to be Vasamuseet.
Vasamuseet
The
first time I visited the Vasa Museum was ten years ago, and it blew me
away. I was completely overwhelmed – not only by the history of the war
ship Vasa – but also by the museum’s architecture. The same thing
happened when I went back this fall.
The war ship Vasa was
supposed to secure the Swedish control of the Baltic, but sank on its
maiden trip after only 20 minutes of voyage. 333 years later, Vasa was
salvaged and today the ship can be seen in the huge museum building on
Djurgården.
The old wooden ship is very well preserved and it is
fascinating to have a look at its thousands of dramatic sculptures and
ornaments.
Vasamuseet, Djurgården
www.vasamuseet.se
If
you have the time and the energy to visit yet another museum, go on the
boat from Djurgården to the museum island Skeppsholmen. There are
several other museums to see here, especially the museum of modern art:
Moderna Museet.
Moderna Museet houses
one of the world’s largest collections of art from 1900 up until today.
You can find works here by Picasso, Munch, Warhol, Tinguely, Pollock
and De Chirico. The museum also has changing exhibitions - in spring 2008 there were a big Andy Warhol exhibition.
The
museum’s café is also worth a visit. You are seated in designer
furniture – of course – with colorful pictures on the walls and a
magnificent view of Stockholm’s harbor through the giant panoramic
windows. The food in the café is very good, and the prices more than
reasonable. The daily special plus a salad costs about 10,5 Euros.
You
can get to Moderna Museet by other means than the water. The museum is
a ten-minute walk from Kungsträdgården and about 20 minutes by foot
from the T-Central or Gamla Stan.
The nearest T-track stop is Kungsträdgården (blue line).
Moderna Muset, Skeppsholmen
www.modernamuseet.se
A WALK ALONG THE WATER
One
of Stockholm’s most beautiful spots is Norr Mälarstrand. You should
treat yourself to a walk along the docks, looking over at Söder, which
emerges from the rocks on the opposite shore.
You can start at
Kungsholmstorget and walk along the quay until you reach Stadshuset.
Then you should ascend the wide stone stairway, all the way up to the
tower, from where you have a marvelous view of the city.
By Mette Lomholdt Momondo