Christmas Markets in Stockholm

Middle of Gamla Stan




 The dates and times here are for 2013- for 2011, click here!

Now that the holidays are around the corner, Christmas Markets (julmarknader) are starting to pop up around the city... and today your intrepid blogger braved the first winter storm to visit the market in the Old Town to make a report. The christmas market that is located in the main square of the Old Town (Stortorget i Gamla Stan) is the quintessential market and the first to open for the season. It is open daily from 11am to 6pm until December 23rd. Here you can purchase ceramics, hand-made candles, Swedish christmas decorations, arts & craft of the Sami, winter accessories, sausages, fresh baked bread and mustards & jams. There's a lot to snack on as well... hot dogs, waffles, candy and Swedish mulled wine (glögg). It's the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit! Free entrance and just a 12 minute walk from the Rival Hotel.

Santas and...



Another great market is the one at Skansen which is located on Djurgården. This christmas market is open on Saturdays & Sundays from 10am to 4pm up until Christmas. Otherwise there are a lot of Christmassy things going on during the weekdays... Skansen, as always, is the perfect place to experience Swedish traditions. There is an entrance fee to enter the park.

angels.

Kungsträdgården, located right in the middle of the city, has a christmas market as well which is open on weekends, but from the 4th of December will be open daily from 11am to 6pm. The advantage of this market is that it is a stone's throw from serious shopping, like the NK department store, and Santa Claus (jultomten) visits every Saturday & Sunday during the markets opening hours. You can also take in some outdoor ice skating as well. No entrance fee!

A market quite close to the Rival Hotel is located in SoFo. During the autumn it is a farmers market but for the first three Saturdays in December (10am to 3pm) it turns into a Farmers Christmas Market.
Other markets include the one at Beckmans School of Design on Decemebr 11th & 12th and the market at the Royal Stables on November 26th through 28th. Contact me for more detailed information.




wreaths

Another option is to visit a christmas market outside of the city... plenty to choose from! Strömma Sightseeing offers day trips to the island of Utö. They serve breakfast on the way out and, after 2½ hours visiting the market and village, they serve a Christmas buffet on the boat trip back. The trip lasts from 10am to 6pm and costs 850 SEK. There are also markets going on in Sigtuna on the 4 Sundays leading up to Christmas, Dalarö from November 27th to December 19th and in Jungfrusund on the weekend of December 4th & 5th.



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AN archipelago, christmas, Gamla Stan, shopping, Skansen, tradition

Restaurant- Le Bar Rouge



le entrance!

le interior!

I kicked off my weekend with an after-work visit to Le Rouge with friends. Located in the Old Town (Gamla Stan), Le Rouge is one of celebrity chef Melker Andersson's restaurants and is his homage to all things French. The restaurant is actually divided into two... the restaurant proper, Brasserie Le Rouge, with entrance via Brunnsgränd and then the bar, Le Bar Rouge, with the entrance on Österlånggatan. The interior design in both is fantastical and the same... Paris at the turn of the century. Lots of red velvet with gold fringe. A cross between Moulin Rouge and a French brothel (in the best way possible)... you keep waiting for Nicole Kidman to swing by on a chandelier! We spent our evening at Le Bar which is a watering hole for Stockholmers and a great place to meet over a glass of champagne. The menu here is as French as it is in the restaurant though a bit more relaxed and you will find all your favorites... chevré chaud, moules frites, duck paté and steak tartare. What I really like about their menu is that they have several typical dishes in appetizer form which are great to combine with each other and have with cocktails. If you are more in the mood for a traditional and relaxing dinner, then head next door to their restaurant... otherwise Le Bar is the perfect place for a drink and a bite to eat after sightseeing in Gamla Stan! Easy (10 minute) walking distance from the Rival Hotel, both the bar and the restaurant are open everyday except Sunday.

Click here for other restaurant recommendations...

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AN Gamla Stan, restaurants

Restaurant: Who is Mr French?

Gorgeous waterfront promenade... Mr French can be seen on the right.

This past spring there was a piece of news that hit like a thunderbolt among people working in the Stockholm restaurant world... "Pontus by the Sea", long a mainstay restaurant in Gamla Stan, had been sold. Who bought it? What were they going to do? It wasn't long until we found out that the new name for the restaurant would be "Who is Mr French?". Does that mean they will be serving French cuisine? Why the mystery? And who exactly is this Mr French character?

Outdoor summer area with great views. (photo provided by Mr French)

You might wonder why there would be so much curiosity regarding the sale of a restaurant... after all, it isn't that strange that a restaurant is sold/bought. Well, it mostly has to do with the location. The restaurant has arguably the best location in Stockholm: right on the waterfront of Gamla Stan. The views of the boat-filled harbour from the restaurant are especially nice during the summer (they have a fantastic outdoor bar & lounge)... but during the winter they have the additional advantage of being located adjacent to the city's official Christmas tree.

Cozy indoors...

I was invited there last week for dinner as well as a meeting with their marketing director to hear about their concept and what they have planned for the future. The dinner was delicious... with a blend of French and American cuisines on the menu and a nice selection of shellfish. It was very interesting to hear about their concept and grand plans. When Mr French purchased the restaurant, it was just a few weeks ahead of the busy summer season. They didn't have enough time to make the changes they wanted to in the locale before summer kicked off. So they refurbished the outdoor area first and this winter (January & February, 2014) they will close for a complete change to the indoor area. Can't wait to see how it will look! When they reopen, they will announce the name of the owner (a secret so far) and the restaurant will change its name to just Mr French.

Gamla Stan waterfront with the official Christmas tree (last year).

Another one of their plans is to really build up their cocktail business by hiring some of Sweden's best bartenders and creating an innovative cocktail menu. In the meantime, they will be open as usual this autumn and will be serving the traditional Christmas buffet (julbord) during the month of December. With the restaurant's proximity to the Christmas market in Gamla Stan, it is the perfect place to end a day of Christmas-y activities. It is an easy 15-20 minute walk to the restaurant, through Gamla Stan, from the Rival Hotel. I will be sure to write about the restaurant after their reopening in March! Click here for my collection of restaurant recommendations/reviews.

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AN Gamla Stan, restaurants

Restaurant Pastis

It has been awhile since I have written about any restaurants. This isn't because I have been a recluse, more because the restaurants I have visited in the past few weeks have been repeats of favorite restaurants I have already written about... like celebrating my birthday at Boqueria and a work dinner at Bistro Süd. But this past weekend I have visited a couple of new (for me) restaurants!

Pastis on the cobble-stone streets of Gamla Stan.

First out was a dinner with a friend at Pastis in Gamla Stan ("the old town"). For those of you who don't know, pastis is a very French, anise-flavored liqueur with well known brands including Pernod and Ricard. As the name suggests, Pastis is French styled bistro reminiscent of the charming, neighbourhood restaurants found in most French villages. It is a small, cozy restaurant (I counted 20 seats indoors) with tables close to one another and French belle epoque prints decorating the walls.

The food and wine are, of course, French as well. My friend and I opted for the same dinner... a bruschetta with duck rillette as our appetizer followed by Moules Marinières (mussels cooked in white wine, cream and garlic) for our main course. For dessert we shared a selection of French cheese. All of it delicious! The menu, like the restaurant, isn't huge... but there are plenty of French favorites to be found, like Chèvre Chaud, Steak Tatare, Poulet la Comtesse and Crème Brulée. But of course!

Moules Marinières! Mmmm...

A perfect restaurant for francophiles as well as those of you who wish for a taste of the Continent while visiting Scandinavia. Pastis is located in Gamla Stan, next to the statue of St George slaying the dragon, and is a mere 15 minute walk from the Rival Hotel on Södermalm. As I mentioned, this is a small restaurant so booking in advance is recommended! If you will be staying at the Rival, contact me for help. Otherwise send them an e-mail at info@pastis.se. Click here for other restaurant recommendations.

Stortorget at night... a two minute walk from Pastis.

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AN Gamla Stan, restaurants

Royal Celebrations, Half Marathons and More This Weekend!

DN Stockholm Half Marathon, photo by Bengt Aronsson

Another busy weekend in Stockholm! To start off with... The annual DN Stockholm Half Marathon will be held on Saturday, September 14th. Over 17,000 runners from all over the world will be running a course set in the streets of the city. The race starts at 3:30pm at Gustav Adolfs Torg and will take runners on 21.1 kilometers through the western parts of Stockholm, including Södermalm where the Rival Hotel is located. In fact, the course runs along the street St Paulsgatan which is adjacent to the hotel. Nice with a little life in the neighbourhood... but this can mean some traffic troubles: no parking and hard for taxis to get to the door. Stick with walking, ferries and subways and you will be fine! This advice goes for the rest of the city as many streets will be closed off. The finish line is the same as the starting point... Gustav Adolfs Torg.

Race course from www.stockholmhalvmarathon.se 

If that wasn't enough... King Carl XVI Gustaf is celebrating 40 years on the Swedish throne this year and this weekend (September 13th to 15th) is the official jubilee celebrations. On Friday an exhibition on the king's 40 years on the throne will open in the Hall of State in the Royal Palace, located in Gamla Stan. The exhibition will run until February 2nd next year, so plenty of opportunities to visit the exhibit if you are coming to Stockholm later this year. Two official events will be held on Saturday evening. First a celebratory dinner, hosted by the government, will be held at the Nordic Museum (Nordiska Museet), located on the island of Djurgården, followed by a concert in the Concert Hall (Konserthuset) in the downtown area. What this means for visitors is that the traffic snarls caused by the half marathon in the afternoon will be followed by some minor ones in the evening. But it is not all doom and gloom for visitors... on Sunday the king and City of Stockholm invites the general public to the Royal Palace to celebrate with dance. The festivities start at 3pm and run until 11pm. Music and dancing from around the world (big band, salsa, tango, jazz, folk and more) is the theme with many performances. No entrance fee! There will be a toast for the king at 3pm from the balcony at Lejonsbacken. Click here for a schedule (there is a Google translate option). Otherwise, if you are staying at the Rival Hotel, come talk to me or the Reception for further information.

www.kungahuset.se

And finally... a political demonstration and march planned on Saturday, starting at 1:30pm. They will gather in the park Humlegården and then march to Observatorielunden. Counter demonstrations are planned as well, so it would be best to avoid that area of the city (Norrmalm) during Saturday afternoon.

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AN Gamla Stan, royal, sport, tourist information

Changing of the Guard

The changing of the guards at the Royal Palace, located in the Old Town (Gamla Stan), happens daily during the summer and is a popular event to watch. The guards actually march, accompanied by a military band, from the Army Museum or Calvary Barracks(when mounted) through the city before arriving at the Palace. At the Palace the ceremony takes approximately 40 minutes. The parade itself takes about half an hour and the ceremony at the Palace starts at 12:15 Monday through Saturday and 1:15 on Sundays and holidays. During the rest of the year the changing of the guards happens on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

After watching the changing of the guards, take advantage of being at the Palace and visit one of the many museums located there. Besides visiting the Royal Apartments, you can also visit The Treasury, Gustav III's Museum of Antiquities, and (my favorite) the Royal Armoury. Check the individual websites (linked here) for opening hours and entrance fees. The Stockholm Card gets you in all Palace museums for free.

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AN Gamla Stan, Museums, royal, stockholm card

Restaurant Den Gyldene Freden

Entrance on Österlånggatan

Den Gyldene Freden means "the golden peace" and refers to the Peace of Nystad, signed by Sweden and Russia (ending the Great Northern War) in 1721. Why name a restaurant after an almost 300 year old peace treaty? Well... that's how old the restaurant is! Den Gyldene Freden, according to the Guinness Book of Records, is the world's oldest restaurant still in the same locale... and most of the interior has been unaltered since the restaurant opened in 1722.

The restaurant has been the haunt of many cultural figures, like Carl Michael Bellman, Cornelis Vreeswijk and Anders Zorn, through the centuries... and was often named in their songs and poems. These days the Swedish Academy, which chooses the annual Nobel Prize in Literature, meets here for their weekly Thursday dinner. All of this history has made Gyldene Freden one of Sweden's most famous restaurants.

Great place to try fantastic Swedish meatballs.

But it is not just the history which attracts the customers... it is also one of the best places in Stockholm to try classic Swedish cusine and flavors. They have both a regular menu as well as a seasonal. It is also one of the best places to try the famed Swedish meatballs. This is just what I did earlier this week when I had a friend visiting from the States. The perfect meatballs with all of the classic accoutrements: potatoe purée, pickled cucumbers, lingon berries and a cream sauce. The restaurant has been awarded the Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand (good food and at a reasonable price) for several years in a row.

This picture, of the Middle Vault, provided by Gyldene Freden.

Den Gyldene Freden is located in Gamla Stan (old town) on the picturesque street Österlånggatan and is just a 10 minute walk from the Rival Hotel. For other restaurants serving Swedish cuisine... click here.

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AN Gamla Stan, restaurants

The Nobel Museum

The man...

Were you aware that the Nobel Prize is Swedish (though the Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo)? Were you aware that this is because the prizes were stipulated in the last will & testament of a Swede... Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite?

...and the prize.

If this is news for you or if your curiosity is piqued, then I have the perfect museum for you: The Nobel Museum. This museum is dedicated to both the man, Alfred Nobel, and the famous prize that he founded. It is not a large museum, but it is still quite comprehensive. There is an area dedicated to the life of Nobel as well as a permanent exhibition regarding the history of the prize which includes several interesting objects donated by Nobel Laureates.

They also have temporary exhibitions at the museum and the current exhibition is "Making Peace" which is a look, through photography, at the people and events that have been involved in the struggle for peace, including Nobel Peace Prize winners. This exhibit will run through November 17th.

Part of the Peace exhibit.

A couple of other interesting facts about the museum... make sure you look up when you are in the museum. Above the heads of the museum visitors is a moving conveyor belt of sorts with banners featuring Nobel prize winners. A fun idea! Another fun idea is found in the museum café. Make sure you take the time and turn your stool upside down. The bottom of every stool is covered with the signatures of past Nobel Laureates!

Look up and...

The museum is located in the old stock exchange building on the square Stortorget in the old town (Gamla Stan), just a 15 minute walk from the Rival Hotel. During the summer months the museum is open every day from 10am to 8pm. They have guided tours in English several times a day (free of charge), which I recommend. If you are interested in more Nobel atmosphere... make sure you visit the City Hall, where they have the famous Nobel banquet every year, as well as the Concert Hall (Konserthuset), where the awards ceremony is held.

...look down (under your chair).

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AN Gamla Stan, museum, Nobel