Weekend in Stockholm

If you only have a weekend to visit Stockholm, on the firstday you should start with the unmissable attractions: first of all Gamla Stan, the picturesque city center that was the original core of the ancient city. In the narrow streets shops, restaurants and cafès are placed side by side with historical monuments of the Middle Ages. In this area there are Storkykan, Sweden's national cathedral, and the beautiful Royal Palace, where you can admire the amazing interiors and the famous Changing of  the Guard. There is also Stockholm's oldest square, Stortorget, neuralgic core of the capital's social life. The Nobel Museum, historical archive of the awarding of the famous Nobel Prize, is unmissable too. In this same area there are many restaurants that allow you to try the local dishes: you should taste at least once the famous meatballs accompanied by cranberries sauce.

Skansen, zoo and open museum at the same time, is not far from there. Inside of it, Swedish villages and old professions are re-enacted, offering a unique point of view of the traditional life of the country.
If you were passionated about her adventures where you were little, you should also visit Junibacken, the park dedicated to Astrid Lindgren, auctor of the Pippi Longstocking books. If you travel with children, it's an obligated stop ofthe Swedish city.

Furthermore, don't miss the classic visit to the Town Hall, with golden crowns on its spire, that hosts every year the sumptuous ceremony for the Nobel Prizes.

One of Stockholm's most interesting attractions is the Vasa Museum, Scandinavia's most visited one. Inside of it the Vasa Flagship is preserved, the only ship of the 1600s still existing in the world, sinked during its inauguration trip in 1628, recovered 333 years later and restored with greatcare. The ship is maintained whole and beside it there are exhibits that show what life was like on the Vasa and a video that narrates its story and the rastoration, available in different languages.

On the second day of your weekend, you can explore Stockholm's more modern area, starting with “Sky View – On top of the Globe”, a lift that will take you on the top on the Ericsson Globe, the tallest spherical building in the world (130 metres over the sea level) and will give you a breathtaking view of the city. The capsules leave every ten minutes and the whole tour lasts approximately half an hour.

The Moderna Museet is interesting too, it's the museum of modern art that hosts works by great artists such as Picasso, Dalì and Matisse, and many masterpieces of Scandinavian artists.

Since Stockholm is built on the water, admiring it from there is a wonderful experience. There are ferry boats for tourists that offer guided tours of the city from the water, with trips of different lenght according to your need and what you are interested in seeing. Some of them are actual cruises that will allow you to have dinner on the water with the lights of the city in front of you. If you do this at sunset, you'll have an indelible memory of the Swedish capital.

Tags: Weekend in Sweden