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Top Attractions in Stockholm |
The Royal Warship Vasa
The Royal Warship Vasa lay at the bottom of the sea for well over 300
years after it sank on its maiden voyage in 1628. It was finally
salvaged in the 1960s with virtually all its treasures intact. Over
4,000 coins, carpenter's tools, sailor's pants, fish bones and other
pieces of archaeological interest were retrieved along with nearly
all of the ship's 700 original sculptures. After a careful restoration
process, the ship, now the oldest identified and complete ship in the
world, can be seen in the Vasa Museum in Stockholm. The Museum is the
top visitor attraction in Sweden and should be an essential part of any
visit to this fascinating city.
Website: The Vasa Museum
The Nordic Museum (Nordiska Museet)
The Nordic Museum contains fascinating exhibits of how people lived
in different parts of Sweden throughout the ages. There are more than
a million exhibits encompassing costumes, tools, furnishings and
dwellings.
Website: The Nordic Museum
City Hall (Stadshuset)
Climb to the top of Stockholm’s 106-metre high tower of City Hall
and see an astonishing view over the city. A stunning example of
20th-century architecture, it was built from red brick with marble
colonnades. The lavishly decorated Golden Hall was gilded from over
18 million pieces of gold-leaf mosaic. The Annual Nobel Prize banquet
is held in the ‘Blue Hall’ of the building.
Website: City Hall
Skansen
Skansen is regarded as one of Europe’s finest open-air museums
and provides a unique insight into the history and culture of Sweden.
It was also the world’s first museum, opening to the public in 1891.
It contains a collection of over 150 authentic houses and buildings dating
from the 19th century and earlier. You can see local craftsmen recreate
the crafts and skills of bygone Sweden in the Nordic Village. The Rose
Garden has fascinating information on the medicinal uses for herbs and
spices and the Zoo, with its rare species of Swedish and Scandinavian
animals, is an essential part of the visit. You will need a whole day
to get the most from this 75-acre park.
Website: Skansen
The Museum of Medieval Stockholm (Stockholms Medeltidsmuseum)
This museum is built around a number of ancient monuments discovered on the site
and excavated in the late 1970s. Experience medieval Stockholm with its brick-built
houses and shops, workshops, harbour and gallows. A stretch of the city wall
from 1530 remains intact and the Riddarholm Ship with its cannons, cannon balls
and gunpowder can also be seen. Visit the medieval harbour, hear a medieval
Roman Catholic choir and see how the medieval buildings were actually built
with examples of various walling techniques and cross-vaulting. There are
plenty of temporary exhibitions, slide-tape shows, guided tours and musical
programmes to complete the permanent displays. There are fine examples of
reproduction jewellery and ceramics. Books are on sale in the shop.
Riddarbolm Church (Riddarholmskyrkan)
Originally built in 1270 as a Greyfriars Monastery, Riddarbolm Church
soon became the burial place of Swedish kings and it is the second-oldest
church in Stockholm. A beautiful church with its ancient brick walls and
distinctive spire, it is renowned all over Sweden. There are three royal
chapels including the Bernadotte wing which belongs to the present ruling
family. Karl XIV Johan, the first king of the Bernadotte dynasty, is buried
here in an immense marble sarcophagus. The last king buried here was King
Gustav V who died in 1950.
Drottningholm Palace
Referred to as the “Versailles of the North,” Drottningholm is the
residence of the Swedish Royal family. The palace is full of exquisite art
and furnishings, and the park surrounding the palace is just as beautiful.
One of the best-preserved 18th century theatres, Drottningholm Court Theatre,
stands on the grounds. You can see opera performances throughout the season in
this intimate theatre. Tickets tend to be booked out well in advance.
Kungliga Slottet (Royal Palace) and its museums
The Royal Palace was built in the baroque style and has 600 rooms. The
present palace was constructed in the 18th century when the original 13th
century structure was destroyed by fire. Visit the Treasury which houses
the crown jewels, the Royal Armoury, the Palace Museum and the Museum of
Antiquities of Gastav III which contains the king's collection of Roman
sculpture. If you visit in the morning you can see the Changing of the
Guard each weekday at noon.
Website: Kungliga Slottet
The Kaknäs Television Tower (Kaknästornet)
The Kaknäs Television Tower is the tallest structure in Scandinavia,
standing at 508 feet high. Take an elevator to the observation platform
where you can see the whole city of Stockholm and the stunning archipelago beyond.
Have a meal or a coffee in the tower restaurant at the top.
The Swedish Museum of Natural History (Naturhistoriska muséet)
The Swedish Museum of Natural History is the largest museum in Sweden and
one of the ten largest natural history museums in the world. There are
fascinating exhibitions and educational programs presenting subjects
from the human environment to the Universe and DNA. The Cosmonova
exhibition houses an Omnimax cinema and one of the most modern planetariums
in the world.
Website: Swedish Museum of Natural History
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