European Vacation - Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm is one of the great European capital cities. Blessed with history, culture, and beautiful countryside as well as around 24,000 archipelago islands within easy reach, it is a watery, magical city.

Stockholm is one of Europe's leading economic regions with its high concentration of information technology, health care industry and research.

Stockholm is a vibrant place. There are adventures to be had at every corner—on the streets, on the stages, at the museums and in the parks. Experience the beauty of Stockholm from the water or the many faces of the city ashore.

Top Stockholm attractions include:

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. 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.
The Nordic Museum (Nordiska Museet) 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.
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.
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 Museum of Medieval Stockholm (Stockholms Medeltidsmuseum) 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, harbor 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 harbor, hear a medieval Roman Catholic choir and see how the medieval buildings were actually built with examples of various walling techniques and cross vaulting.
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 that 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 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.
Kungliga Slottet (Royal Palace) and its museums were 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 that 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.
The Kaknäs Television Tower (Kaknästornet) is the tallest structure in Scandinavia, standing at 508 ft high. Take an elevator to the observation platform where you can see the whole city of Stockholm and the stunning archipelago islands beyond. Have a meal or a coffee in the tower restaurant at the top.
The Swedish Museum of Natural History (Naturhistoriska muséet) 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.
Junibacken is an exciting fairytale house based on the children’s stories of Astrid Lindgren.