Our short visit to Stockholm: A few details and many photos
Sep 16th, 2016, 12:04 PM
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Our short visit to Stockholm: A few details and many photos
We haven’t been good in the trip report department lately, so this is a bit of an attempt to catch up—and to pay the community back for information we picked up here in advance of our trip.
Last year at the holidays, we made an impulse purchase of tickets to Stockholm for a five-night trip over our July 4th weekend (Merry Christmas to us). Due to work, family matters, and such, we haven’t been able to commit to a longer vacation this year. And a short trip like this allowed us the chance to travel with our 23-year-old daughter, who also doesn’t have much time given that she is in the midst of starting graduate school and getting her own career off the ground.
This was our first visit to Stockholm. We arrived at about 4 pm on a Thursday and left very early the following Tuesday morning. While we only had four-plus days, note that these were very long days. The sun rose at about 3 am and set around 10:30 pm.
<b>Accommodation: Residence Perseus, Gamla Stan</b>
This is, perhaps, one of our favorite-ever vacation accommodations. We stayed in the Glory II apartment, which has two bedrooms and is <b>very</b> spacious and comfortable. It is an apartment in which I could happily live—well almost, as I might prefer a slightly larger shower if I was actually living there. The location is terrific. We walked pretty much everywhere, including to and from the Arlanda Express station. Although this is right in the middle of Gamla Stan, Baggensgatan is one of the quieter streets with no (or few) shops and little foot traffic even during peak hours. Highly recommended!
http://www.residenceperseus.com/index.html
<b>Weather</b>
In a word, gorgeous. Highs around 70F and mostly sunny. I think we experienced just one quick little bit of rain, and at the time we were safely under umbrellas at a restaurant.
Last year at the holidays, we made an impulse purchase of tickets to Stockholm for a five-night trip over our July 4th weekend (Merry Christmas to us). Due to work, family matters, and such, we haven’t been able to commit to a longer vacation this year. And a short trip like this allowed us the chance to travel with our 23-year-old daughter, who also doesn’t have much time given that she is in the midst of starting graduate school and getting her own career off the ground.
This was our first visit to Stockholm. We arrived at about 4 pm on a Thursday and left very early the following Tuesday morning. While we only had four-plus days, note that these were very long days. The sun rose at about 3 am and set around 10:30 pm.
<b>Accommodation: Residence Perseus, Gamla Stan</b>
This is, perhaps, one of our favorite-ever vacation accommodations. We stayed in the Glory II apartment, which has two bedrooms and is <b>very</b> spacious and comfortable. It is an apartment in which I could happily live—well almost, as I might prefer a slightly larger shower if I was actually living there. The location is terrific. We walked pretty much everywhere, including to and from the Arlanda Express station. Although this is right in the middle of Gamla Stan, Baggensgatan is one of the quieter streets with no (or few) shops and little foot traffic even during peak hours. Highly recommended!
http://www.residenceperseus.com/index.html
<b>Weather</b>
In a word, gorgeous. Highs around 70F and mostly sunny. I think we experienced just one quick little bit of rain, and at the time we were safely under umbrellas at a restaurant.
Sep 16th, 2016, 12:09 PM
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<b>Highlights, in no particular order</b>
<b>Gamla Stan</b> in the early morning and late evening, with few people around. And it wasn’t just about the reduced crowds—the light was also really nice then.
The quiet corner of Södermalm along the <b>Monteliusvägen cliff walk</b> (great views), and just off of that walk in the area on and around Bastugatan (old houses).
The <b>Nordiska museet</b> (cultural history and ethnography). Not originally on our plan, but we stopped in when we encountered a long line at the Vasamuseet—and ended up spending several hours. A very interesting array of displays.
http://www.nordiskamuseet.se/en
The <b>Vasamuseet</b> (salvaged ship from the 1600s). Also fascinating and unusual, with interesting displays on about five levels. Get here early, as lines form during the middle of the day and there are no advance sales (at least that was the case in early July).
http://www.vasamuseet.se/en
<i>On the subject of museums, there are many more from which to choose. Had the weather not been so nice, we probably would have visited a few more (Fotografiska, perhaps at the top of the list)…but as it was, it was hard not to be outdoors and preferably near the water. </i>
Anywhere on a boat. We went to <b>Drottningholm Palace</b> one morning and to <b>Vaxholm</b> on another afternoon. We happened to pick those two destinations because the boat rides weren’t too long (about an hour each way) and in opposite directions. I’m sure any of the other destinations across the archipelago would have offered yet other nice experiences (next time!). We did not book either in advance and had no problem walking up for tickets.
http://www.stromma.se/en/stockholm/e...r-own/vaxholm/
http://www.stromma.se/en/stockholm/e...ngholm-palace/
The row of old boats moored on Skeppsholmen shoreline.
Views from the <b>Stadhus tower.</b> This is another place to arrive early if you want to avoid the ticket line (there are limits on how many people can go up the tower at each entrance time). As we discovered, though, if you go up the tower at one of the first time slots of the day, you will find the view towards old town to be straight into the sun—so not as good for photos.
<b>Gamla Stan</b> in the early morning and late evening, with few people around. And it wasn’t just about the reduced crowds—the light was also really nice then.
The quiet corner of Södermalm along the <b>Monteliusvägen cliff walk</b> (great views), and just off of that walk in the area on and around Bastugatan (old houses).
The <b>Nordiska museet</b> (cultural history and ethnography). Not originally on our plan, but we stopped in when we encountered a long line at the Vasamuseet—and ended up spending several hours. A very interesting array of displays.
http://www.nordiskamuseet.se/en
The <b>Vasamuseet</b> (salvaged ship from the 1600s). Also fascinating and unusual, with interesting displays on about five levels. Get here early, as lines form during the middle of the day and there are no advance sales (at least that was the case in early July).
http://www.vasamuseet.se/en
<i>On the subject of museums, there are many more from which to choose. Had the weather not been so nice, we probably would have visited a few more (Fotografiska, perhaps at the top of the list)…but as it was, it was hard not to be outdoors and preferably near the water. </i>
Anywhere on a boat. We went to <b>Drottningholm Palace</b> one morning and to <b>Vaxholm</b> on another afternoon. We happened to pick those two destinations because the boat rides weren’t too long (about an hour each way) and in opposite directions. I’m sure any of the other destinations across the archipelago would have offered yet other nice experiences (next time!). We did not book either in advance and had no problem walking up for tickets.
http://www.stromma.se/en/stockholm/e...r-own/vaxholm/
http://www.stromma.se/en/stockholm/e...ngholm-palace/
The row of old boats moored on Skeppsholmen shoreline.
Views from the <b>Stadhus tower.</b> This is another place to arrive early if you want to avoid the ticket line (there are limits on how many people can go up the tower at each entrance time). As we discovered, though, if you go up the tower at one of the first time slots of the day, you will find the view towards old town to be straight into the sun—so not as good for photos.
Sep 16th, 2016, 12:13 PM
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<b>Getting around</b>
We took the Arlanda Express to and from the airport. Since we had just light carry-on luggage due to the short trip, we walked to our apartment on Gamla Stan (about 15 minutes). The walk was easy enough, although we did get caught up in a construction zone near the station and also the fun of rolling bags on cobblestones in Gamla Stan.
https://www.arlandaexpress.com
One lesson learned and a small tip for anyone with the unfortunate need to take the first (4:35 am) Arlanda Express train to the airport (hooray for 6 am flights): The doors to Central Station are not open at that time of the morning; you’ll need to find the specific Arlanda Express entrance just past the Radisson Blu. The good news was the sun had been up for over an hour, so we had plenty of light as we tried to make our way around the station to find this entrance.
Around town, we walked….a lot. We used the handy Djurgården ferry a few times. There is a Metro system and trams that we could have used but never did.
<b>Food & Drink</b>
Our daughter is vegetarian, so that factored into our choices. Mostly, we ate within a relatively short distance of our apartment and picked places based on convenience, what caught our eye while out walking, and what sounded good at the time.
There was a small grocery two short blocks from our apartment, where we were able to buy breakfast foods and snacks.
While the difficulty level of purchasing wine is not as great as in Norway (where we literally were once told it would be easier to get on a plane and fly home to buy a bottle of wine), one must still find a state-run Systembolaget to do so in Stockholm. We walked to one in Södermalm on our first evening to pick up a few bottles of wine for the apartment.
We took the Arlanda Express to and from the airport. Since we had just light carry-on luggage due to the short trip, we walked to our apartment on Gamla Stan (about 15 minutes). The walk was easy enough, although we did get caught up in a construction zone near the station and also the fun of rolling bags on cobblestones in Gamla Stan.
https://www.arlandaexpress.com
One lesson learned and a small tip for anyone with the unfortunate need to take the first (4:35 am) Arlanda Express train to the airport (hooray for 6 am flights): The doors to Central Station are not open at that time of the morning; you’ll need to find the specific Arlanda Express entrance just past the Radisson Blu. The good news was the sun had been up for over an hour, so we had plenty of light as we tried to make our way around the station to find this entrance.
Around town, we walked….a lot. We used the handy Djurgården ferry a few times. There is a Metro system and trams that we could have used but never did.
<b>Food & Drink</b>
Our daughter is vegetarian, so that factored into our choices. Mostly, we ate within a relatively short distance of our apartment and picked places based on convenience, what caught our eye while out walking, and what sounded good at the time.
There was a small grocery two short blocks from our apartment, where we were able to buy breakfast foods and snacks.
While the difficulty level of purchasing wine is not as great as in Norway (where we literally were once told it would be easier to get on a plane and fly home to buy a bottle of wine), one must still find a state-run Systembolaget to do so in Stockholm. We walked to one in Södermalm on our first evening to pick up a few bottles of wine for the apartment.
Sep 16th, 2016, 12:19 PM
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<b>How expensive was it?</b>
There’s a widely held view that Scandinavia is an expensive destination. Generally speaking, though, we didn’t find Stockholm to be any more expensive than Chicago, where we live. We splurged a bit on the particular apartment we picked (that was a choice, not a necessity), but dining, admissions, etc., were pretty much on par with what we’d expect to spend in Chicago. The caveat here is that we aren’t shoppers…so no comparative data on that front.
<b>Was five days too much?</b>
Absolutely not! In terms of museums and recreational activity out in the archipelago, we left a lot on the table. We could easily have stayed longer and not been bored. We loved the relaxed atmosphere and vibe. Hopefully, we’ll have a chance to return sometime.
<b>Photos</b>
Here are a few photos from our trip for anyone interested.
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/stockholm
And that’s it. We hope this is helpful to others planning a visit now or in the future.
There’s a widely held view that Scandinavia is an expensive destination. Generally speaking, though, we didn’t find Stockholm to be any more expensive than Chicago, where we live. We splurged a bit on the particular apartment we picked (that was a choice, not a necessity), but dining, admissions, etc., were pretty much on par with what we’d expect to spend in Chicago. The caveat here is that we aren’t shoppers…so no comparative data on that front.
<b>Was five days too much?</b>
Absolutely not! In terms of museums and recreational activity out in the archipelago, we left a lot on the table. We could easily have stayed longer and not been bored. We loved the relaxed atmosphere and vibe. Hopefully, we’ll have a chance to return sometime.
<b>Photos</b>
Here are a few photos from our trip for anyone interested.
http://onelittleworld.zenfolio.com/stockholm
And that’s it. We hope this is helpful to others planning a visit now or in the future.
Sep 16th, 2016, 11:45 PM
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Loved your report and pictures. We just returned from 5 days in Stockholm and we wished we had more. Such a pretty city and we oved the cruise of the archipelgo. Thanks for posting your trip report as it has brought back many wonderful memories.
Sep 27th, 2016, 06:43 PM
#13
Thanks for sharing . Great photos and many from a different angle.
Glad you made it to Drottninholm Palace.
Glad you made it to Drottninholm Palace.
Oct 6th, 2016, 04:43 AM
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We were in Stockholm in May of this year and loved it as well - I only wish I had known about Residence Perseus, Gamla Stan! Sounds wonderful and the location would have been great. We stayed at a nice older hotel in the center of Stockholm which was nice but we would have like to have been in the Gamla Stan.
Your photos are fabulous.
Your photos are fabulous.
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