It is always hard, if
not impossible, to put words to your passions. Passions are lived, they are
felt, but words just aren’t enough to explain states of soul and unbridled
palpitations. Stockholm is one of those cities that can pull at your heart
strings. At first glance, perhaps this is because it is perched on 14 islands
connected by bridges. But there is so much more! This may be a stock phrase, but
perhaps there’s no other to describe that the capital of Sweden offers quality
of life like few others. Stockholm is a city ‘made’ for people: cleanliness,
education, smooth-flowing traffic, mass use of public transport and bicycles,
policies that really protect and support the population...
The city is dubbed the ‘Venice of the North’ and it is not difficult to see why. Wherever you go, water is always on the horizon, blending with the green of the parks, with the architectural charm of the historic centre, with the subtlety of the new city, with squares and pedestrian streets, street markets, terraces...
Stockholm is one of those cities that can pull at your heart strings. At first glance, perhaps this is because it is perched on 14 islands connected by bridges. But there is so much more!
Gamla Stan is the old city centre, established in the 13th century by the Vikings, packed with narrow cobbled streets, colourful houses, museums, historic buildings and bridges. With its royal tradition, there just had to be a palace: the 17th-century, renaissance-style Kungliga Slottet, with its baroque and rococo interior. In the beautiful Stortorget Square stands the Nobelmuseet and, on the shores of Riddarfjärden Bay, stands the Stadshuset (city hall), the epicentre of the most remarkable legacy the Swedes have given the world: the Nobel Prize. To the east, on the island of Skeppsholmen, stands the Moderna Museet, with works by artists such as Kandinsky, Dalí, Magritte and Picasso, and further south we find the Skansen, a huge open-air museum, which illustrates Sweden’s social history.
Most bars can be found in Stureplan Square and on Sodermalm Island, refuge to musicians and artists. Norrmalm is a business district and also home to the most important buildings, such as the Royal Opera and the National Museum. The Vasamuseet (Vasa Museum), honouring Swedish Viking culture, the Storkyrkan (Stockholm Cathedral), which is the oldest building in the city, and the Katarina Lift in Slussen, which offers wonderful views of the entire city, are all sites not to be missed.
On the shores of Riddarfjärden Bay, stands the Stadshuset (city hall), the epicentre of the most remarkable legacy the Swedes have given the world: the Nobel Prize.
The IKEA furniture chain may have sent meatballs out into the world, but Swedish design and the nation’s food have much more to tell. The cuisine is one of the healthiest in the world, based on vegetables, fish and other seafood. For more caloric options there are trendy food vans and traditional pubs serving a huge array of delights. And you won’t have to feel embarrassed about not being able to read the menu, because they speak impeccable English in Sweden. Just as the harsh winters are not a problem, seeing as Stockholm is one of the most beautiful and pleasant cities in the world.
The city is dubbed the ‘Venice of the North’ and it is not difficult to see why. Wherever you go, water is always on the horizon, blending with the green of the parks, with the architectural charm of the historic centre, with the subtlety of the new city, with squares and pedestrian streets, street markets, terraces...
Stockholm is one of those cities that can pull at your heart strings. At first glance, perhaps this is because it is perched on 14 islands connected by bridges. But there is so much more!
Gamla Stan is the old city centre, established in the 13th century by the Vikings, packed with narrow cobbled streets, colourful houses, museums, historic buildings and bridges. With its royal tradition, there just had to be a palace: the 17th-century, renaissance-style Kungliga Slottet, with its baroque and rococo interior. In the beautiful Stortorget Square stands the Nobelmuseet and, on the shores of Riddarfjärden Bay, stands the Stadshuset (city hall), the epicentre of the most remarkable legacy the Swedes have given the world: the Nobel Prize. To the east, on the island of Skeppsholmen, stands the Moderna Museet, with works by artists such as Kandinsky, Dalí, Magritte and Picasso, and further south we find the Skansen, a huge open-air museum, which illustrates Sweden’s social history.
Most bars can be found in Stureplan Square and on Sodermalm Island, refuge to musicians and artists. Norrmalm is a business district and also home to the most important buildings, such as the Royal Opera and the National Museum. The Vasamuseet (Vasa Museum), honouring Swedish Viking culture, the Storkyrkan (Stockholm Cathedral), which is the oldest building in the city, and the Katarina Lift in Slussen, which offers wonderful views of the entire city, are all sites not to be missed.
On the shores of Riddarfjärden Bay, stands the Stadshuset (city hall), the epicentre of the most remarkable legacy the Swedes have given the world: the Nobel Prize.
The IKEA furniture chain may have sent meatballs out into the world, but Swedish design and the nation’s food have much more to tell. The cuisine is one of the healthiest in the world, based on vegetables, fish and other seafood. For more caloric options there are trendy food vans and traditional pubs serving a huge array of delights. And you won’t have to feel embarrassed about not being able to read the menu, because they speak impeccable English in Sweden. Just as the harsh winters are not a problem, seeing as Stockholm is one of the most beautiful and pleasant cities in the world.
