Places With a View Over Stockholm

Looking out at City Hall

You don't have to go far from the Rival Hotel to find a good vantage point to see the city. The hotel's neighborhood is on a slight rise that dominates the island of Södermalm so there are several viewpoints close by. Directly across the street (Hornsgatan) from the hotel you'll see gentle stairs leading up to a small, quaint neighborhood of cobblestone streets. At the end of the the lane you have Monteliusvägen which is a 500 meter long walking path that gives you great views of the Old Town, City Hall and Lake Mälaren. All pictures here are from Monteliusvägen.

Looking back towards the hotel

A little further away, about a 10 minute walk, you have popular Mosebacke Square which connects to Katarinahissen and there you have a view over both Lake Mälaren and the waterfront. Here you will also find the very popular restaurant Gondolen. The popularity is mainly due to the views... be aware that you should book a table here at least 2 weeks in advance. They also have a very nice bar where you can have a drink and admire the views without having to book a table.

Monteliusvägen

If views are your thing, then here are several other spots in Stockholm with great views: restaurant Och Himlen Därtill on top of the Skrapan "skyscraper", historical street Fjällgatan, the TV tower Kaknästornet with restaurant and bar and the newly built SkyView. This last one is a glass gondola that takes you to the top of the Globen Arena, which is located in the southern part of Stockholm. Someday soon I'll try the SkyView and come back with a report...

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AN park, restaurants, sightseeing, tip, view

Skansen

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.
Skansen is a combination park, outdoor cultural museum and zoo. It is located on a hill on the island of Djurgården (where many other attractions are located). Founded in 1891, Skansen is the world's oldest open-air museum and one of the most popular attractions in Stockholm. The founder, Artur Hazelius, had around 150 buildings (from churches to manors to farmhouses) from different parts of Sweden shipped to the museum piece by piece... so you get a real feel for traditional Sweden. The buildings are all open to the public and there are usually people in traditional dress there to explain a little about the building and the traditions.
Skansen is also the perfect place to see how Swedish traditions and holidays are celebrated (Easter, Christmas, Midsummer, etc;). They have great Christmas and Easter markets every year. I was just there on June 6th which is the Swedish national holiday... park-goers were there waving their flags and having picnics. The king and queen were also there in the evening, front-row at a traditional concert.
The zoo is spread throughout the park with everything from exotic farm animals to Scandinavian wild animals like wolves, seals, bears, moose and reindeer. It really is fun for the whole family!
Skansen is open daily, year-round and entrance costs 120 SEK (50 SEK for children and 100 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.

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AN children, Djurgården, museum, park, Skansen, stockholm card

All Saints' Day at Skogskyrkogården

All Saints' Day is celebrated in Sweden this year on the 3rd of November and the best place to celebrate this holiday is at the beautiful Woodland Cemetery (Skogskyrkogården). This cemetery, designed by Swedish architect Gunnar Asplund, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site... which denotes a place of special cultural or physical significance.

(c) Susanne Hallmann, Kyrkogårdsförvaltningen Stockholms stad

On this day many Swedes come to the cemetery to place lit candles on the graves of loved ones or light candles in general for loved ones who have passed. The Woodland Cemetery is a beautiful place year-round, but with all of the candles lit it becomes a magical place. On November 3rd they have longer opening hours: 10am to 8pm instead of 11am to 4pm for the rest of the week. There will also be choir and organ concerts in the Chapel of the Holy Cross (Heliga Korsets Kapell) between 3pm and 7pm. Just remember that it is a working cemetery and that you remain respectful of other visitors. Another tip... bring a flashlight if possible. The sun does set at around 3:50pm!

(c) Susanne Hallmann, Kyrkogårdsförvaltningen Stockholms stad

The cemetery is located on the southern outskirts of Stockholm and is easy to reach by subway. From the Rival Hotel you take the subway from Slussen, south in the direction of Farsta Strand. The cemetery has its own subway stop: Skogskyrkogård. Just follow the signs after exiting the station...

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AN architecture, park, tradition, unesco

Strömparterren Park

Down the stairs from Norrbro

After two years and almost 28 million SEK of renovations, Strömparterren has reopened! This is one of Stockholm's oldest parks (1832) and probably best situated... located on the island of Helgeandsholmen, nestled in the Strömmen (rapids connecting Lake Mälaren with the Baltic) and surrounded on three sides by the Royal Palace, the Parliament Building and the Royal Opera House. "Strömparterren" is a mix of Swedish and French words, basically meaning downstairs at Strömmen. The name does make sense as you have to go down stairs from the bridge Norrbro to get to the park, which is just a little above water level. This is a great place to sit, listen to the rushing water and admire the beautiful buildings surrounding you on all sides.

The Sun Singer by Carl Milles (minus the sun)

In the past the park has been famous for waterfront cafés, fishermen and live music. It is still a popular place for fishing and it is possible to see a fisherman reel in a salmon there. Trout, eel, perch and pike are other common fish caught here. These days the park is mostly known for the statue The Sun Singer (Solsångaren) by famed Swedish sculptor Carl Milles, as well as being the entrance to the Medieval Museum (Medeltidsmuseet). If the statue catches your fancy and you want see more... visit Millesgården, just on the outskirts of the city. There are plans to bring back live music by summer 2013 which, along with the museum's outdoor café, should be a nice addition to the city landscape.

The park with Palace to the left & the Parliament to the right

To get there from the Rival Hotel, it is a nice 20-25 minute walk through the Old Town or you can take either bus 43 or 55.

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AN history, park