Length: 7 days
Tour Company: Over the Horizon
Tour: Sweden Self Guided – Stockholm
Traveler: Dave
Places visited:
1 – Stockholm
2 – The Royal Apartments
3 – The Treasury
4 – The Royal Chapel
5 – Gustav III:s Antikmuseum
6 – Museum Tre Kronor
7 – Storkyrkan
8 – Riddarholmskyrkan
9 – The Royal Armoury
10 – Vasamuseet
A quick flight from Helsinki lies Stockholm. I flew with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) and the process was nice and easy with self check in and bag tagging at the airport. Once the bag tag is put on the checked bag, you take it to the belt, scan it, and it takes it away for you. You can then proceed to security which was super quick and easy. There were 4 security lines, each fully staffed, and barely anyone in line. I was through security in 2 minutes and off to find a quiet place to sit until I had a gate assignment for the flight.
Entering Sweden through Stockholm Arlanda Airport is no issue when coming from Finland as there is no need to clear immigration. Signs for baggage claim were well-marked and easy to follow. Once in the baggage area, check the monitor or your flight and belt number.
After getting my bag, I headed for the train station to get my ticket into Stockholm. The Kiosk has multiple languages and a quick link button for Arlanda Express to Stockholm Central Station. This is a high-speed train and gets you to the central station in 20 minutes once you leave the airport (need to stop at all the terminals). The ticket from the airport is 280 SEK ($33.31), which is pretty expensive, but the fastest and easiest way to get into Stockholm. The train takes about 20-25 minutes to get from the airport to the central station. Seating is open, so grab a seat and relax all the way to Stockholm.
Stockholm
I came across this new hotel called Hobo Hotel. The hotel is close to the central station (about 10 minutes), close to all the sites (also about 10 minutes), and attached to a mall. They have just a few different room types, and they are fairly small. I opted for one with windows (they do have some without) and it is fairly good-sized. The bathroom is a bit over-sized, but it is a handicap accessible room, so larger doors, more space between things, etc. The hotel features a bar/restaurant, laundry, and a free gym. It’s quite nice and I recommend staying here if you’re in Stockholm. The prices were reasonable and they even had a discount for more than 3 nights when booking through their website (vs booking.com or other site). I feel like the hotel was built a little too quickly as this whole area is new and being built up. There are certain details that a hotel shouldn’t miss. Things like doors not closing properly, gaps between tiles )to be fair, it was just 1 tile) in the shower, when using the water, the pipes in the walls bang and you can hear them tick as they expand, the laminate wood floor sounds like it has sand/dirt under it as you walk on it. The hotel was really nice, but the lack of attention to these details sort of ruin how good it could really be. If you have no issues with these sort of things, it’s a great hotel with a great location and I’d recommend staying there. If those sort of things are a no for you, then you may want to try somewhere else.
For a PrePaid SIM card, I chose to go through Telia. I went down to their shop and got the 99 SEK ($11.78) 100 minutes talk, unlimited text, 0.5 GB plan, but it had a 1 GB data bonus, so I ended up with 1.5 GB data. Setup was pretty easy as I used the WiFi at the hotel to look up the APN information:
Name: SE – Telia Web
APN: online.telia.se
Proxy:
Port:
Username: <blank>
Password: <blank>
Server:
MMSC:
MMS Proxy:
MMS Port:
MMS Protocol: WAP 2.0
MCC:
MNC:
Authentication Type: PAP
APN Type: default, supl
Leaving Stockholm, I traveled to Göteborg via train with SJ. The train departed from Stockholm Central Station and takes about 3 hours to cover the 460 km (286 mi). I booked a first class ticket because the cost was reasonable (665 SEK / $79.50), considering 2nd class was 490 SEK ($58.60). The train was scheduled to depart at 12:14, but arrived at 12:15 and we actually departed around 12:30. With a few delays along the way, we arrived in Göteborg about 40 minutes late.
After arriving, I crossed the main street to the Hotel Opera, which was home for the next 2 nights. I booked a standard single room and it is quite small at 10 sq. m (108 sq. ft), of which 1/3 of that is the bathroom. The room is available in the hotel’s “classic part” (old part). It has a single bed, 105 cm (41 in) wide, work desk, cable TV, desk, coffee maker, WiFi, and bathroom with shower. For some reason, my room did not have a coffee maker, but that didn’t bother me as I don’t drink coffee. First impression at the front desk has you feel that this will be a good hotel for the price, especially considering it was the same price per night as the hotel in Stockholm, which was MUCH nicer in comparison. The walls, doors, and windows do nothing to stop noise from neighbors or outside. The shower is a corner of the bathroom with an L-shaped shower curtain that leaves you barely enough room to move. My shoulders literally touched the tile wall and the curtain at the same time. The shower head is barely above my head, and I am by no means tall at 173cm (5’8″).
The location of the hotel is great since it’s attached to the mall and is across the street from the Central Station. There are quite a few restaurant choices in the area and Göteborg is not the biggest city, so it’s quite easy to walk to anywhere. In spite of the location, I would not recommend staying at the Hotel Opera if you’re in Göteborg. The value for price is just not there and luckily I was only there for 2 nights on my way to Oslo from Stockholm. Had the room been 50% of the price, then it would be a better deal.
A few of the places I visited for food and drinks were:
STOCKHOLM:
Harry B James: OK, where to begin. I really, really like this place. I mean, what’s not to love about a bar, restaurant, and music club that is focused on 80s Rock?! Beyond their impeccable taste in music, the food is great, the bar has an extensive selection of beers, wine, and spirits, and the staff is friendly. They serve burgers, bbq, traditional meatballs, sandwiches, salads, etc. I actually ate here on 3 separate occasions because I enjoyed it so much. I 100% recommend Harry B James and if I lived in Stockholm, I could definitely be a regular there. Food costs were 300 SEK ($35.65) for a double burger with fries, beer, and a soda, 378 SEK ($44.92) for meatballs, beer, soda, and a dessert, and 184 SEK ($21.87) for a regular burger with fries and a soda.
Ristorante Rodolfino: A quiet, little Italian restaurant across the street from the Bonde Palace that actually had that they are run by Italians on their chalkboard sign outside. I figured, run by real Italians, a Linguini al Frutti di Mare on special, let’s check it out. Now, the service was a bit lacking, but the food was molto bene (very good for non-Italian speakers). The seafood included muscles, calamari, baby octopus, scallops, etc. and all were very good. In addition to this dish, they serve starters, salads, pasta dishes, pizza, fish, meat dishes, various sides, desserts, beer, and Italian wines. Total price for the pasta and a Pepsi was 230 SEK ($27.33), which isn’t bad considering that includes VAT.
The Hairy Pig Deli: On the recommendation of a friend, I headed over to give this small, dark, old, charming place a try. I opted for the smoked pulled pork sandwich with 2 tapas. I chose the salt and vinegar roast potatoes and a Russian salad (which I had no idea what it was). For those that don’t know, Russian salad is a potato salad with carrot, egg, pickle, peas, ham, parsley, and mayonnaise. I wish that I had known that so I wouldn’t have ordered 2 potato dishes, but it worked out. I was a little concerned with the “tangy” bbq sauce as I can’t have anything with much spice to it (I know, it is as horrible as it sounds), but thankfully, it was not spicy at all. It was quite nice actually. As for the pulled pork, it was fantastic, soft, flavorful, juicy, smokey, etc. The pairing of the pulled pork with some slaw on top and a few thin slices of cucumber all set in a baguette, plus the tapas, was an amazing blend of flavors. Well done, Hairy Pig Deli, well done. I also recommend The Hairy Pig Deli to anyone who visits. Total cost for the food, a house made honey lemonade, and a Fanta was 350 SEK ($41.60).
GÖTEBORG:
The Barn: I came across The Barn while looking on Google for places to eat. It had good ratings and was about a 10 minute walk away from the hotel. I headed arrived at 17:10 (they open at 17:00) and the place was quickly filling up. Nothing says the food is good like a restaurant that is almost full, inside and out, within 10 minutes of opening. I grabbed a seat at the bar and browsed the menu. Their big sellers are the 4 burgers that they offer. In addition to the burgers, they have a few sides to choose from (additional cost), appetizers, salads, and 3 entrées (grilled pork loin, smoked char, and a beef tri-tip). There is a full bar, with their own beer and schnapps that they brew close by, and the draft beer is served in small copper mugs. I went for their Svinet burger that has maple syrup bacon, BBQ glaze, pickled red onion, and mayo with a side of mac and cheese with Sivans “farmer cheese”, chives, and bread crumbs. Sivans is a local farm that has produced cheese for 5 generations. All main raw materials come from western Sweden, produced and refined in the Västra Götaland region. To drink, I went for an amazing toffee and caramel shake. The staff is super friendly and make the experience that much better. I definitely recommend visiting The Bard if you’re in Göteborg, but make sure to get there when they open.
Stockholm attractions that I visited:
The Royal Apartments
The Royal Apartments are similar to the reception rooms in Copenhagen in that they are just plain ugly and too overdone, while others are grand, but not pompous. For me personally, I would not want a bedroom that has 400 pieces of furniture and trinkets laying about. It’s too much and too chaotic for a room that should be for rest. Unfortunately, for preservation reasons, the rooms are kept rather dark and flash photography is not allowed, so it’s tough to take good pictures and really get a look at the details in these rooms. Definitely worth a visit though. There is a combo ticket for the apartments, the treasury, Gustav III:s Antikmuseum, and Museum Tre Kronor for 160 SEK ($19.00) or you can get a ticket for those 4 plus the Riddarholmskyrkan for 180 SEK ($21.50). I asked for a combo ticket and was given just the 4 places for 160 SEK and didn’t realize there was another option until I arrived at Riddarholmskyrkan and saw the person in front of me with 5 spots on their ticket. I recommend getting the combo ticket for all 5 locations.
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
The Treasury
The Treasury is where they keep the regalia (crown jewels and other decorative crowns, medals, swords, etc. Unfortunately, no pictures are allowed inside the treasury, but they were quite extravagant, as most crown jewels are.
The Royal Chapel
The Royal Chapel (Slottskyrkan) is a small, but beautiful chapel within the royal palace that was completed in the mid-1700s. This chapel is used for the Royal Court Parish mass every Sunday. All are welcome, but the parish consists of the Royal Family, employees of the Royal Court, and their families. The chapel is free to visit and is open from 10:00 – 17:00 every day, May – September, but church services are at 11:00 on Sundays.
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
Gustav III:s Antikmuseum
Gustav III:s Antikmuseum is one of Europe’s oldest museums, which first opened in 1794. King Gustav III purchased several of the museum’s sculptures during a journey to Italy at the end of the 1700s. Shortly after Gustav III’s death it was decided that the collection of over 200 sculptures, would be shown in honor of the deceased king. museum consists of two stone galleries in the palace’s north-western wing, with a beautiful view over the Logården. The sculptures are placed in the gallery exactly as they were originally exhibited. The museum is open to visitors during the summer months. Although the sculptures are not Swedish, they are still quite amazing.
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
Museum Tre Kronor
Museum Tre Kronor is dedicated to the original Tre Kronor Palace in Stockholm, which was destroyed in a violent fire in 1697. As early as end of the 900s, the Vikings built a wooden blockade where the palace is located today and by the 1100s, a defensive fort had been constructed. Featuring objects that were rescued from the fire and newly created models, the museum depicts the Tre Kronor Palace’s transition from defensive fort to the Renaissance palace of today. To access the museum you have to pass through the 5 m (16.4 ft) thick wall from the 1200s. It is also very dark in this museum and with no flash photography allowed, pictures were tough to take. It’s an interesting museum to see though, so make sure to stop by if in Stockholm.
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
Storkyrkan
Storkyrkan (The Big Church) is located next to the Royal Palace, at the South West corner. It was first mentioned in a written source dated 1279 and, according to tradition, was originally built by Birger Jarl, the founder of the city itself. For nearly four hundred years it was the only parish church in the city. It became a Lutheran Protestant church in 1527. The parish church since the Middle Ages of the Nikolai parish, covering the whole island on which the Old Town stands, it has also been the cathedral of Stockholm since 1942. Because of its convenient size and its proximity to the earlier royal castle and the present royal palace it has frequently been the site of major events in Swedish history, such as coronations, royal wedding and royal funerals. The most famous piece in the church is the wooden statue of Saint George and the Dragon from 1489. The statue also serves as a shrine, supposedly containing relics of Saint George and six other saints. The Saint George is a symbolic representation of Sten Sture (a Swedish statesman from the late 1400s and early 1500s), the dragon is the Danish King Christian I, and the Princess is Sweden. There are a lot of beautiful pieces of art in this church, including the structure itself. Definitely worth a visit. Entry is 60 SEK ($7.18) and hours vary by month (click here for more detail)
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
Riddarholmskyrkan
The Riddarholmskyrkan (Riddarholmen Church) is the final resting place of the Swedish kings and is Stockholm’s only preserved medieval monastery church. With the one exception of Queen Christina, all succeeding rulers of Sweden from Gustav II Adolf (died 1632) to Gustaf V (died 1950) are buried in the Riddarholmen Church. There are also Kings from the middle ages buried here, such as Magnus Ladulås and Karl Knutson Bonde (died 1470). The church is primarily a burial and memorial church and is open to the public during the summer and fall. It can also be viewed year round at concerts, Order of the Seraphim bell ringings or by special arrangement. Pictures may be taken, but are tough to take due to the amount of light and not being able to use a flash. It’s interesting to see so many kings buried in one place. My combo ticket was not valid for the church, as I bought the wrong one. The woman at the counter saw me checking my ticket for entry to the church and asked if I had the ticket already. I told her I had purchased the wrong one and it didn’t include the church. She said that’s OK and allowed me to go in without paying the extra. Worth a look to see the medieval architecture and the royal coffins/tombs.
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
The Royal Armoury
The Royal Armoury’s oldest artifacts are the sets of royal state and ceremonial weapons that were stored in the old Three Crowns Palace during the 16th century. Today it is a museum with the ceremonial costumes of Sweden’s royals, ceremonial props for parades and royal carriages. Again, photography is allowed, but without flash. Pictures are very hard to take with the low lights and the thick glass protecting the items. There are some very well-preserved weapons, suits of armor, costumes, etc. in this 8 roomed museum. There is also a kids’ play area at the very end, and to get out of the museum, you need to walk back through to the entrance. It’s worth stopping in as part of the palace combo ticket.
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
Vasamuseet
Based on a recommendation from a cousin’s friend, who is Swedish, I took the walk over to the Vasamuseet. The Vasamuseet (Vasa Museum) is dedicated to the story of the mighty ship, Vasa, who, on August 10, 1628, set sail on her maiden voyage, making it just 1,300 m (0.8 mi). Still within sight of the shipyard where it was built, Vasa tipped to port from a gust of wind and water poured in through the open gun-ports, which were just used to fire off as they set sail. Within minutes, the ship is lying on the sea bed 32 m (105 ft) below. Thousands of Stockholm’s inhabitants witness the tragic scene, together with several foreign ambassadors. The ship was designed to be the most powerful battle ship built, having 2 main gun decks and 64 cannons. 445 men were on board, of which 300 were soldiers and had no job on board but fight when needed. In all, 30 men died during the sinking and the rest were able to swim to shore or were picked up by boats in the area.
The ship is remarkably well-preserved after being at the bottom of the sea for 333 years and is about 98% original. It is 69 m (226 ft) long, 11.7 m (38 ft) wide, 52.5 m (172 ft) tall, and had a draft of only 4.8 m (16 ft). This is what sealed the fate of the Vasa. It was too tall, too narrow, was top-heavy from all the cannons and did not have enough weight in the stone-filled keel to keep it from tipping over. It’s an interesting story, the ship is really fascinating to see, and there are even colored models (based on paint samples on the original ship) showing exactly what the ship looked like as it set sail on her maiden voyage. Entry to the museum is 130 SEK ($15.50) and once inside, guided tours in multiple languages are available every 30 minutes, if you’d like. It’s worth the hike over to the museum and is apparently one of Stockholm’s busiest attractions.
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
I hope this gives you some inspiration to take a trip to Sweden. For photos from the entire trip, check out all my albums on Facebook.
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