Stockholm, located on Sweden’s east coast, near the Baltic Sea, at the mouth of Lake Malaren, is the capital city of the country. It is constituted of fourteen islands, which are parts of the Stockholm archipelago. Stockholm is also the largest city in Sweden. The geographical feature has earned Stockholm the name “The Venice of the North.”
Stockholm has been mentioned in the Norse Sagas, and earliest mention of the city in writing dates back to 1252. It is said that the city was built to protect Sweden from the attack of foreign navies. The Stockholm of today is a modern, technologically advanced city, more than 50% of whose population are immigrants.
Stockholm has four distinct seasons and a mild climate throughout the year, attributed to the gulf stream. It has eighteen hours of sunlight in summer, and six hours in winter.
The economy of Stockholm is based on the service industry. It is one of the cleanest metropolis of the world because it has barely any heavy industry. A number of hi -tech companies have their offices in Stockholm.
We discuss here some of the best places to visit when in Stockholm, and also some other information, which you may require when you start packing your bag for this spectacular city, full of interesting architecture and abundance of natural beauty.
To begin with, you will be amazed at the number of museums Stockholm has. It is home to at least a hundred big and small museums visited by millions of tourists every year. Among these, the National Museum is the most popular, with 16,000 paintings and 30,000 works of art. Other popular museums are the Museum of History, Museum of Arts and the Vasa Museum. There are a number of specialized museums, like the Butterfly Museum, the Dance Museum and the Army Museum.
The Stockholm City Hall, located at the City Center, is the venue of the Nobel prize Ceremony each year. Guided tours allow you to see the Blue Hall and the Golden Hall.
You can also visit the Royal palace near Old Town, where you can see the royal apartments, the Treasury, the Tre Konor Museum and the Museum of Antiquities by paying fee.
One of the most imposing structures in the Stockholm skyline is the Stockholm Globe Arena is the world’s largest spherical building with 16,000 seating capacity. It is used for concerts, ice hockey games and other sports.
To be on foot is the best way to view the beauty of the Old Town, the well- preserved heart of the city of Stockholm. This area still retains the medieval street layouts and medieval churches.
Those who are interested in nature, can go for a boat ride across the Stockholm archipelago, one with stunning beauty. The archipelago comprises 24,000 small and big islands and rocks. Some of the islands are lush green, while those at the outer side are mostly barren. Some of the islands are inhabited while others are not. Boat ride duration varies from 75 minutes to 3 hours, extending to 11 hours in summer.
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Great summary of Stockholm, and I agree about the museums. They are everywhere! I was there this summer (from Italy) and it was one of the best vacations in a long time. I roughly followed this guide after a friend suggested it, and got around to most of it.
Would love to see more of the archipelago though, it looks amazing!
Thanks for the great city summaries on your blog, very appreciated.
Comment by Hansie — September 7, 2008 @ 10:19 am