Author: Dana
I am talking about the main attractions of Stockholm - from the ABBA museum to the most beautiful metro station in the world.
Everything listed in the article can be viewed in Stockholm in 3 days. Scandinavia is not a cheap destination, so the route is made up of the most must-visit locations in the capital of Sweden, for which, I think, it is necessary to spend money.
And yes, since half of the places are museums - and the reader may not be a fan of art - I admit that by omitting them, it is realistic to accommodate the homeland of IKEA in 1-2 days.
My trip to Stockholm
For calculations: 1 Swedish krona (sek) ≈ 7 rubles. |
I first visited Stockholm at the age of 11, and the most vivid impression was the narrow streets, as from the book illustrations for Carlson, and the chocolate coins from the museum of fairy tales.
In the following years, I returned to my beloved city four times. I live in Moscow, so I travel through Helsinki by ferry. They are like floating hotels on 12 decks of bars, restaurants, clubs and the most comfortable beds. In fact, I have never met more comfortable beds :)
In Stockholm I was more often in winter, but in early autumn I was also lucky. The best weather for Stockholm is September and December. The fierce winds from the sea or the stifling summer heat have not yet come. And in December, there is Advent as a bonus - a few weeks before Catholic Christmas, when street fairs open.
A couple of times I lived in Stockholm itself, plus I was passing through and spent the night on the ferry, but I can advise accommodation - Scandic hotels, there are divine breakfasts. Diverse, dense and energized before long walks.
I have visited a large number of attractions that delighted or, conversely, disappointed; I checked on myself Arab kebabs and promoted museums. So, we write down what to see in Stockholm on our own.
By the way, I also indulge in excursions. Considering that it is now customary to book and buy online, of all the services I like Tripster - excursions in Stockholm are conducted by local (Russian-speaking) residents, and the prices are quite adequate, see:
Old city
The main attractions of Stockholm are located in this area.
The Big Square (Stor Torget) is, oddly enough, the main square of the Old Town. The Nobel Museum is located here. If the history of the award is not interesting, try the same ice cream that is served at the Nobel banquet, after delivery - 100 sek per serving.
I will also note the narrowest street in the city - Morten Trotzig Lane. The width is 90 cm, and at the height of the tourist season, the traffic jams are going hoo-hoo.
Iron Square (Jarn Torget) is famous for the sculpture of the "uncle with glasses". Nobody knows who he is, but they actively take pictures and rub their nose. In fact, it is the Swedish composer and poet Evert Toba.
Royal Palace
The main attraction of Stockholm! Outside - a gray austere structure, not a palace, but inside there are luxurious interiors. It is conditionally divided into 4 parts:
- the king's suite,
- the queen's apartments, in which they dine, relax and receive guests,
- part for ministerial affairs
- and the southern one - for celebrations, there is just a throne.
The palace is a working residence, so one wing is open for visiting: the apartments, the Treasury and the Three Crowns Museum.
Cost: 160 sek
Metro station: Gamla Stan
Riksdag
The Riksdag, or Swedish Parliament, is opposite the Royal Palace. The old wing houses a museum with over 4,000 works of art. Guided tours are available free of charge in English and Swedish.
Another free of charge museum is hiding in the Riksdag building - the Museum of the Middle Ages. How the townspeople dressed, tools, jewelry - everything about everyday life in the Middle Ages.
The boy looking at the moon
Not far from the Royal Palace, in the courtyard, the smallest statue in Stockholm is hidden. The little metal boy sits with his arms around his knees and looks into the sky. The townspeople love him very much and in winter they put on a knitted hat and a scarf so that they do not freeze. His magic power is simple - rub it and come back, or throw a coin. And it works! I rub his head on every visit and come back next year.
Town hall
Its spire is visible from almost every point in the city. And it is famous first of all for the fact that the Nobel banquet is held here. That is, after the presentation of the Nobel Prize, everyone goes to the town hall - to celebrate.
There is also the most comfortable staircase in the world (due to the height of the steps), the hall is completely made of gold and the blue room, which is actually red O_O. You can get to the Town Hall only with a guided tour. In summer they are held every half hour, in winter - every hour.
Ticket price with guided tour: 120 sek
Metro station: Rådhuset
Stockholm metro
There are three metro lines in total: red, green and blue. All the most beautiful stations are on blue. You can take it in the center of Stockholm, the stations are designated by the letter T.
On Kungsträdgården, it is also the Royal Garden - the ruins of a palace, a stream, small lakes. On Rådhuset - the decoration is similar to the excavations of an ancient civilization.
I advise you to spend more time on the metro. Tickets are divided into zones: for a solo trip for aesthetic purposes, a ticket for zone A for 45 sek is enough.
Junibacken Fairytale Museum
In the beginning, I told about my memory of chocolate coins, so this is from here. 17 years have passed, and barrels of chocolate gold are still in the store.
The museum is based on Swedish fairy tales: Pippi Longstocking, Carlson - all of them are presented in the form of installations and dioramas. They get into a fairy tale on a fairytale train, however, it looks more like ski lifts for 3 people.
After the trip, you go out to the playground, where there is a large Pippi house and a spotted horse. Climbing is interesting even for adults, I checked.
Ticket: 195 sek
Location: Djurgården Island
Skansen Ethnographic Museum
My favorite museum! Both in winter and in summer, it is very interesting to walk along it. Take a free card at the entrance, you can't see everything without it.
A large area was allocated for buildings of the 17-18 centuries, illustrating the life of the Swedes at that time - houses, churches, etc. An artisan lives in each house: a baker, glassblower, blacksmith, you can go in and try something.
- A printing house with old printing presses is printing the park's newspaper
- Milkshakes are available at the milkman's house
- And get a fresh bun at the baker's!
In the north of the museum-park there is a mini-zoo where typical northern animals live: deer, bears, wolves or owls (well, it's a bird, yes :)). Nearby is a children's zoo with pets - piglets, geese, guinea pigs and seals (ordinary)! A separate word about aviaries. Cats live in an apartment with an armchair, blankets and a TV. Guinea pigs - in a large aviary with tunnels that open onto the lawn outside. I recommend that you set aside at least half a day for Skansen.
Entrance ticket in winter (until April 30) - 160 sek; in summer - 220 sec
Location: Djurgården Island
Vasa Ship Museum
Swedes are very patriotic and even unpresentable historical events can turn them for the better. So it is with this museum. Errors in construction led to the fact that the ship - the hero of the museum - sank, barely leaving the port. It lay at the bottom for about 300 years and was raised in the 60s. He was parked at the pier and a tourist attraction was built around.
When you see the hulk of the ship, it is breathtaking! Alas, Vasa is destroyed. They predict a maximum of 8-10 years of life for him, so it is a must to visit.
The museum is interactive. You will learn about the history of the ship, gaze at objects raised from the bottom, listen to the life of sailors on the ship. Or interactively build your ship, distribute the weight and set sail. The museum has a lot to do for both adults and children.
Ticket: 150 sec
Location: Djurgården Island
ABBA Group Museum
Opened in 2013. I have been in it twice and will gladly go again, although not an ardent fan of the group. Anyone will be delighted.
There are originals of stage costumes, and instruments, and the interior of the apartment where work on the songs took place, and souvenirs with symbols that everyone loves so much - T-shirts, mugs, key rings.
A ticket to the museum activates interactive playgrounds. Can:
- sing in karaoke,
- make an arrangement,
- create a stage outfit - and see everything on the museum's website.
But the coolest attraction is to sing on the same stage with ABBA. There are three songs to choose from, holograms of the participants appear on the stage, and oops! get ready to ignite the crowd!
The museum is expensive, entrance ticket: 250 sek (+ audio guide in Russian for 20 sek). Important! You can buy online or locally using a bank card, cash is not accepted.
What to see in Stockholm in 3 days?
In 1 day: you can explore the Old Town with the Royal Palace and shop on the Drottninggatan promenade.
In 2 days: in addition to the Old Town, you can spend a whole day on the museum island of Djurgården (Vasa, Junibakken, Skansen). In addition to museums, there is a beautiful embankment.
In 3 days: you can see everything described above, plus visit the Drottningholm palace (the royal family lives in it), and if you wish, go to the neighboring cities of Sigtuna and Uppsala. Or maybe take the train to Oslo?
My advice
And now some life hacks.
✓ The very first and foremost thing to buy in Stockholm is the Stockholm Pass. A card that allows you to visit certain museums free of charge, incl. Vasu and Junibacken. Plus, go to the Royal Palace and Drottningholm Palace (no card - 290 sek), take a boat ride along the canals (no cruise card - 250 sec) and go to the Grunalund amusement park (no card - 130 sec). This treasure will cost 1250 sek for 3 days. Advantageous if you add up all the entrance tickets!
✓ Red Hop-on Hop-off buses are also good for exploring the city. They run through the city center near the main attractions and always follow the same route. You can get on and off the bus wherever you want. The ticket is valid all day, there is an audio guide in Russian. Travel card for 24 hours: 341 sec, three days: 394 sec.
✓ Free guided tour of Stockholm is possible, but you need to know English or Spanish. Do you own? Then - Free Walking Tours Stockholm.
✓ What I do not recommend spending 100% on - an amphibious bus. The whole trick is going into the water to the epic music from "Pirates of the Caribbean", but it only lasts 5 minutes. Next comes the usual 70-minute walk on the water for 315 sec.
✓ A good bank card for withdrawing cash without commission or paying in cafes / shops in Sweden without terrible conversions is a debit ruble Tinkoff Black and a dollar account linked to it. Why Tinkoff and why dollars - everything in this article.
✓ In terms of food, Stockholm is problematic due to prices. After trial and error, I tell you where to eat:
- MAX is an analogue of McDonald's, but cheaper and with a large assortment
- Seven Eleven is a chain of stores with cafes. The portions are impressive, the food is delicious and fresh
- Arab kebabs on Drottninggatan street. There is no need to take risks on other streets, and low-quality cafes will not stand in the center.
- Purchase groceries at the supermarket. Many have cookery, and the products themselves are packaged so that they can be eaten on the street.
✓ What to see in Stockholm from the shops on Drottninggatan street:
- TIGER - small items store at affordable prices, stationery, interior items, accessories
- H&M - Sweden is the birthplace of this brand, only Drottninggatan has 3 stores with different collections. They differ from the Russian not only in assortment, but also in quality
- The Ahlens City shopping center is full of mass-market brands, including those that are not in Russia. On the basement floor there is a large deli with culinary
- Gallerian shopping center - youth democratic brands and designer jewelry
How to get from the city to the airport?
How to get from Arlanda airport to the city center? The most convenient and fastest way is the Arlanda Express high-speed train. Flies in 20 minutes, ticket price from 299 sek. A more budget option is commuter trains, 50 minutes and 140 sek one way.
Thinking about a taxi? Hmm, then you have to count on 500 sek. Or a little more .. Sweden, though!
