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| The prow of the Vasa. |
Working as a Concierge, I get asked one question over and over again... "What should we not miss when we are in Stockholm?". While there are many things I think people visiting Stockholm should definitely see (like
Gamla Stan,
Fotografiska,
Djurgården, the
Archipelago,
Östermalms Saluhall and more), my #1 answer to that question is
The Vasa Museum. I did write about the museum way
back in 2013 when I first started this blog, but it is time for an update.
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| Entrance to the museum with tell tale masts sticking up through the roof. |
The museum is built around
the royal warship Vasa, which sank in 1628 while leaving Stockholm harbour on her maiden voyage. Sometimes I notice guests' eyes glazing over as I explain this... often with the comment "Oh, we aren't interested in boats". But this really is much more than just
a boat. To start off with, the Vasa lay on the bottom of Stockholm harbour for 333 years, remaining amazingly intact and in surprisingly good condition, before being salvaged in 1961. Its condition is mainly due to the fact that the cold, brackish water of the Baltic kept away shipworms which usually destroy wooden ships in warmer, saltier seas. A jaw dropping 95% of what you see today is the original ship.
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| Model depicting how the Vasa looked when launched. |
It is magnificently huge! Walking in to the museum, the ship (69 meters long and 52 meters high) will take your breath away. The condition of the ship also means that a lot of the detailed wood/artwork can still be viewed and enjoyed. But what really makes this museum special, in my opinion, is how informative and well planned out it is.
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| Ornamental detail. |
Visitors can view the ship, top to bottom, from the museum's 7 floors. There are several informative exhibitions spread out on the different floors... like what the ornaments and decorations symbolized, what life on board was like, how the ship was salvaged and how the ship functioned in a naval battle. One of my favorite exhibitions there is
"Face to Face". Several skeletons were found on or near the ship and through modern forensic science we are able to know quite a lot about the people who sailed on the Vasa (appearance, diet, sickness and general lifestyle).
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| Size perspective... see the people in the bottom left-hand corner? |
The museum
was recently expanded as it was originally built to take 600,000 visitors a year and now sees more than 1.2 million visitors a year! Part of this expansion is a new exhibition room on the ground floor. I saw it now for the first time when I took my visiting father to the museum last week. Entitled
"Meanwhile", this high-tech, interactive exhibition takes a look at what else was happening in the world during the time of the Vasa (early 1600's). Did you know that Barbary pirates from Morocco abducted about 400 people from Iceland in
two different raids in 1627? I found it very interesting and it did help to put the Vasa sinking into an historic perspective.
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| Part of the new exhibition "Meanwhile". |
So... don't miss this amazing and very unique museum when visiting Stockholm!
Located on the island of Djurgården, it is easy to get to from the
Rival Hotel. There are regular ferries (
Djurgård ferry) going between nearby Slussen and Djurgården and the trip just takes 10 minutes. Open 7 days a week, entrance is 130 SEK and free for children up to the age of 18 and for holders of the Stockholm Card.
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| Vasa's stern. |
niscent of the "It's a Small World" ride at Disneyland except that instead of a boat you are in a train and passing by scenes out of Astrid's sagas. There are a couple of children's theater performances where you can meet Pippi and her friends, as well as a nice restaurant/café and gift shop. One special note for the gift shop... they have many favorite Swedish children's books translated into several languages.
ey are that young!). Otherwise she had a blast! The theater performances are all in Swedish however the guide for the ride is available in several languages. Junibacken is open from 10am to 5pm Tuesday through Sunday (everyday during the summer months) and the cost for adults is 125 SEK (low season) and 145 SEK (high season) and for children over 2 it is 110/125 SEK. Free entrance with the Stockholm Card.
and toys to honey, jams, vegetables and candy. There will be plenty entertainment in the form of song, dance, games and performers. The market takes place on both Saturday and Sunday 11am to 4pm. While you are there, take the opportunity to wander around the zoo and see the Scandinavian animals. Entrance costs 100 SEK (40 SEK for children and 80 SEK for seniors). Free entrance with the Stockholm Card. To get there: Bus 47 or a street car/tram from Normalmstorg or else the Djurgård ferry from Slussen or Nybroviken.
in Swedish)... a tasty Swedish caviar from northern Sweden. A true Swedish delicacy! The restaurant Riche is having their annual Bleak Roe Festival (Löjromsfestivalen) this week... which means a menu filled with creative uses of the roe, besides the traditional toast with creme fraiche, onion and chives. The fishing season starts September 20th... so the roe will be at its freshest this week! Riche is located in the downtown area and is open for dinner Monday through Saturday. The closest subway is Östermalmstorg (red line).
the city... not only is the ship impressive to see, the museum built around the ship is manificent as well.
portant and the grand and ornate Vasa was to be its centerpiece. Unfortunately, she was too grand and ornate... top-heavy and unstable she sank minutes after setting sail in 1628 on her maiden voyage. She was found again in Stockholm harbour in the 1950's. The cold brackish water of the Baltic meant that shipworm hadn't destroyed her and she was nearly perfectly preserved. The ship was raised and the museum built around her, opening for the public in 1990 and quickly becoming the most visited museum in Scandinavia.
artifacts found with the ship on display as well. Whenever a guest tells me that they have one day in Stockholm and ask what they shouldn't miss... I always say the Vasa Museum.
and follow the signs for Rosendal. Their summer opening hours are from 11am to 5pm weekdays and 11am to 6pm on the weekend.
Stockholm and the paths are well marked with kilometer markers and maps. My favorite is the one that goes around Djurgårds Canal... it is 7 kilometers long, though there is a bridge along the way if you would just like to do a five kilometer walk/run. The walk takes you along both sides of the canal through leafy forests, wetlands, parks and embassy village. Along the way you will find a few cafés, restaurants and ice cream kiosks if you want to take a break. I did the whole walk a few days ago with friends and it just took a couple of hours (with a stop or two).
re Södermalm (11 km- and perfect if you are staying at the Rival Hotel), Kungsholmen (9 km) and Brunnsviken/Haga Park (12 km). All three of these paths are through green areas (mainly), along the water and with plenty of interesting things to see... and, of course, there is nothing saying you have to do the whole course!
e borderline. Everything to the east is the Baltic Sea and everything to the west is Lake Mälaren. If you want to paddle in the lake then I recommend Kafé Kajak located in Rålambshovs Park on the island of Kungsholmen. Or else you can head across the bridge to the island of Långholmen where you will find Långholmen Kajak. Here you will be able to paddle by a lot of parklands and beaches as well as cliffs where Stockholmers enjoy diving and sunbathing. If you want to paddle in the Baltic Sea area, then I recommend Djurgårdens Sjöcafé located on near the bridge leading from Östermalm over to the island of Djurgården.
Stay close to the island of Djurgården so you don't stray too far out into the shipping lanes! Lots to see here... beuatiful parks as well as great architecture on Strandvägen and the villas on the southside of the island. Another option is to paddle in the lake called Brunnsviken on the northern outskirts of Stockholm. Haga Park surrounds the lake with lots of interesting things to see like Haga Castle and Stockholm University... you also don't have to worry about larger boats! The place to rent kayaks here is Brunnsvikens Kanotcentral.
When tourists ask me what they should see/do if they are only in Stockholm for one day, I usually say that they shouldn't miss The Vasa Museum and, especially if it is good weather, Skansen.
in traditional dress there to explain a little about the building and the traditions.
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