As a lifelong Abba fan, Stockholm was always going to be on my list of must-see destinations. I had to visit the Abba museum. Not sure the husband was quite so excited about it.
As a kid, I was mad about Abba, constantly singing the songs, ’cause everyone listens when I start to sing... I had the albums, the posters, the annuals. I played guitar, and Dad very optimistically bought me a book of Abba song music.
Don’t be silly, of course I was never good enough to play any of the tunes. I regret this lack of application now – the husband would love a quick lockdown rendition of Fernando by the barbecue, I’m sure.
This was my first trip to Scandinavia and it was March, so I had two expectations – the prices would make me wince, and the weather would be shocking. I’m happy to say I was wrong on both counts. The weather was mostly sunny and prices were London level. In my humble opinion, this is is a seriously nice place for a city break.
We stayed at the Story Hotel Riddergatan. The blurb says it’s urban and bohemian. No idea why I chose it, sounds way too cool for us. Needless to say, we were at least 10 years older than anyone else staying there and the hotel bar was the only place we actually winced when we got our bill. From memory about £20 for two drinks. Ouch! But breakfast was yummy and there was one of those cool old cage style lifts. We liked it.
If you get the train from the airport to the city on arrival, like we did, don’t be discouraged by first impressions. There are some quite uninspiring 60s and 70s shopping streets in the central City area. Who knew Bjorn Borg made undies nowadays?
Head for the waterfront is my advice. That’s where Stockholm shines. Water, water everywhere…
The Old Town, or Gamla Stan, sits on an island opposite the City. It’s a tangle of narrow, steep streets and a great place for wandering aimlessly, taking in the atmosphere and visiting one of the cosy basement bars and restaurants.
The City Square, or Stortorget, is the oldest square in Stockholm. It’s beautiful now, but it was the site of the so-called Bloodbath in 1520 when the dastardly Danes executed close to 100 locals. These things are never forgotten!
The main sights of Gamla Stan are at the eastern side of the island. The Royal Palace occupies a huge chunk of the Old Town – with 600 rooms it’s one of the largest palaces in Europe. Next door is the Storkyrkan, Stockholm’s cathedral which dates from 1279.
Downhill on the western side are some great bars and restaurants which come alive in the evenings, but a word of warning…the streets are cobbled. Ladies, do not make the foolish mistake of packing stilettos like yours truly. No accidents, I’m pleased to say, but the husband didn’t take kindly to me hanging onto him for dear life every night.
Östermalm is the most exclusive part of the city, home to the Historiska Museet – the Swedish History Museum – which tries to shatter the myth that the Vikings were brutal robbers. Why let the truth spoil a good story, you may ask? There’s nothing very sexy about being mild mannered traders, is there?
Along the waterfront here runs the swanky Strandvägen boulevard with its elegant mansions looking out over the bay and islands.
Across the bridge is the island of Djurgården with its parks and tourist attractions, including, you guessed it, the reason why I’m here. It’s not all about those famous Eurovision winners though, you can also visit the Skansen open air museum or the Vasa, a 17th century warship. As for me, I’m a woman on a mission.
The main attraction – ABBA the Museum is a really fun place to visit, although of course it does help if you’re a fan and you know all the words! You can get up on stage and sing with holograms of Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha and Frida. You can choose your fave song (Knowing Me, Knowing You in case you were wondering) and sing over a backing track in a booth by yourself. You can get on the dancefloor (complete with disco ball) and have the time of your life, digging the Dancing Queen. There are props, costumes, you can even jump in the Arrival helicopter. Yes, I loved it! The husband secretly enjoyed it too, although he refused to dance.
Obviously the sunshine helped, but one of the things I loved about Stockholm was how walkable it is. As you know, I live to walk, hence I get through a lot of shoes. This city is perfect for strolling. There are endless vistas across the water as you explore the islands that make up this green city. Bridges, causeways and cute little taxi boats make it easy to get from one to the other.
Given more time, I would certainly have taken a boat out into the archipelago to explore more of Stockholm’s islands. There are an incredible 30,000 of them so you can take you pick!
Winters here in Sweden can be extremely harsh, with temperatures dropping as low as minus 20. We were lucky to get such great weather in March, but you get the feeling that the Swedes take every oppourtunity to get outside when they can. Many of the bars and restaurants have outdoor areas and they were buzzing on this particular weekend.
So to sum up, visit Stockholm if you like the Eurovision Song Contest and the great outdoors. Expect glorious bayside panoramas and a lively social scene with the odd ouch moment when you get your bill. And take sensible shoes or hang on tight.
Steph's Travels 