Oh, Stockholm!

In the year 2009, I ended up travelling a lot overseas, courtesy to a great stroke of luck in which I ended up being taken from my Engineering College in a small place called Ettimadai and completing my final semester in Stockholm, Sweden. For the first few times, I had to consult Google Maps to know exactly where this place was. But anyways this post isn’t going to be about my geographical misadventures, rather I thought its time I put down what Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, is like (even though its been nearly 2 years later). Here goes!

At first, there’s not much you might know about Stockholm. Those interested in Current affairs may remember the Nobel Prize ceremony, others devoted to materialism and fashion may know about H&M and PUB (Paul U. Bergstrom). However the first impression I got of the city was its picturesque nature. This is a city spread out over 14 islands and you get an impression of constantly crossing water even if you’re in the middle of the city. It is also the only city in the world where you can jump in and take a swim, since the water’s that clean (although I didn’t attempt to do so, being so close to the Arctic Circle, its guaranteed that the waters will be close to an icy 5-10 degrees)!

Just like every city, Stockholm has its sites to see, places to be and events to participate in. However it is the beautifully maintained architecture throughout that struck me as amazing. Many a time while walking through the various streets you will find something that will strike you as beautiful, majestic, serene and even ancient. Be it the cobblestoned pathways of Gamla Stan with their tunnels between buildings where a refreshing cup of coffee is a ritual, or the busy streets near T-Centralen where modern skyscrapers hide in their recesses quaint markets selling everything from Antique books to Football jerseys, or taking a walk through Djurgarden when you travel on antique trams and chat up with the driver about where to get the best view of the city, Stockholm does not cease to surprise you with such charms.

Since I will be unable to cover every place in detail here, I shall describe just a few areas of the city:

1. Gamla Stan and the Royal Palace

This consists of the original city built during the 14th Century and is a separate island in the city. The Parliament building is also contained here. The entire island has been preserved as much as possible since the beginning of the 20th century and is a treat to walk around. As mentioned before, it is a strict no vehicle area and consists of cobblestoned streets lined on both sides with shops and cafes. A lot of good antique, crystal, and the usual souvenir shops are present on the main street, but when you go off into the tiny alleys, you find buildings dated nearly 250 years old including houses, cafes and churches. The palace itself was rebuilt about 150 years ago and houses the royal family of Sweden. Overall an amazing place to get lost from the hub-bub of a city and explore life in a different time zone.
The Nobel museum is also here, and among the various artifacts and displays it was interesting to see Rabindranath Tagore’s writings and photos of him arriving in Stockholm to receive his Nobel Prize. One of the popular souvenirs here is the Nobel Medal Chocolate biscuit, since it is illegal to make duplicates of the Nobel Medal in any other metal!

2. Stockholm City

The city is a good mix of the modern and the quaint. A walk from Stockholm Central leads you down Klarabergsgatan where on one side you pass Gothic churches like Klara Kyrka and on the other you find established names in fashion like Ahlens and H&M. Sergels Torg is informally considered to be the centre of the City and it consists of a pillar made of crystal, which is lit up at night. Towards the Concert House is Hotorget, known for its weekly markets and is known to be a shopping district. A little further away is Ostermalmstorg, where fine dining and partying go hand in hand. Some of the best restaurants, pubs and night clubs are situated here and its not rare to find people hanging out here at any time of the day or night. The Stockholm City Hall is also situated near the Central Station, where every the Nobel Prizes are distributed in a grand ceremony. Don’t forget to check out the Golden room here, a room covered entirely in Gold Mosaic!

3. Djurgarden

This island is a treat of its own, in the fact that it can be considered to be a retreat away from the city. Connected by a nearly 100-year old tram service, it contains many museums, including the Vasa Museum, where a 16th Century Warship is preserved as is, and the Nordic museum. The two best attractions here are Skansen and Grona Lund, the former being a huge outdoor museum showing various aspects of traditional Swedish life in the countryside, and the latter being an amusement park, good for a day out experiencing an adrenaline rush (mine came from the Free-fall which happens to be the second tallest structure in Stockholm!). There is also a vast public garden where most people bring their families for picnics or take a quiet afternoon off on their private yachts, just to unwind.

4. Skarholmen

The only way to describe this is as the “Shopping Capital”, it’s a place where everything is just defined to be “BIG”. Anything you want will definitely be available here, and considering that people from outside Sweden get a tax refund, it’s a pretty good bargain!

Getting around was never a problem as all places are connected by public transport. This includes Suburban Trains, Metro Trains, Buses, Trams and Boats. And since these are all linked, its much easier to get an unlimited travel card and use it. Plus the boat journeys are when you really get to know how the entire city is laid out.

Also since Sweden was a neutral country in World War II, it was a nation to which refugees poured in seeking asylum. Due to this, you find a huge ethnic diversity of people making a living in this city. Having a socialist economy where the state provides education, healthcare and insurance for its citizens has only ensured that many more nationalities call this city home.

On the whole an amazing place to visit and also completely off the usual tourist trail in Europe. Best times to be here are during the months of April-June when the entire country is celebrating the end of Winter and the arrival of Spring (or Midsommer). In case you are going do let me know, and I might just join you. Valkommen!