One day in Stockholm

I spent one day in Stockholm and it was certainly not enough to see everything that the capital of Sweden has to offer. Actually, the reason I was there was my birthday, which I simply wanted to spend traditionally, traveling ? I didn’t care about a long trip and I was considering a budget option. Stockholm doesn’t seem to be cheap destination, but for me it turned out to be the cheapest option. However, the cheapest does not mean the most convenient. To save on expensive accommodation, I went to Gdańsk. There, after a short evening walk around the Old Town, I went to the airport for the night. Next day at 7.20 a.m. I was flying to the capital of Sweden. I had the whole day to explore Stockholm because my flight back to Modlin was at 8:15 p.m.

Stockholm welcomed me with wonderful, sunny weather. I started the trip with a walk towards the Old Town – Gamla Stan.

It was around 9 a.m. on Saturday and the city didn’t look deserted at all. The streets were full of teenage girls who had obviously spent the entire night waiting for some event. I immediately felt better when I thought that my overnight stay at the airport was much more comfortable. ?

On the way, I passed the Riksdag – the building of the Swedish Parliament. It is interestingly located on the small island of Helgeandsholmen.

Nearby is the oldest cathedral in the city – Storkyrkan. Unfortunately, I don’t have a photo of it because my attention was caught by the oldest toilet in Stockholm… It was built in 1890, and who knows, maybe it is even the oldest in all of Sweden.

Gamla Stan is both the Old Town and the name of the small island on which it is located. It is said to be one of the best-preserved medieval Old Towns in Europe. You can see interesting architecture in pastel colors here. While walking along the cobbled alleys, be sure to visit Mårten Trotzigs Gränd – the narrowest street in Stockholm. Apparently it is less than 35 inches at its narrowest point.

Stockholm surprises with its topography. Before coming here, I thought this city was flat as a flounder. However, there’re several hills where you can see the panorama of the city. One of such places is Skinnarviksberget – the highest hill in the centre of Stockholm. There you can admire the Old Town and the characteristic building of the Stadshus City Hall. The City Hall is a famous building in Stockholm because it hosts the annual Nobel Prize Gala.

There is also a Fjällgatan viewpoint on the way up the hill.

Monteliusvägen – the walking path leading to Skinnarviksberget – confirms that it’s the journey that matters, not the destination.

To make it easier for both residents and tourists to move around the city, there are many above-ground passages and footbridges, which are an additional attraction.

Ciekawym miejscem Another interesting place is the Katarina elevator, from its top you can see an interesting view of the city. The original structure was built in 1881 and was an innovative solution at that time. In the beginning, the elevator was powered by a steam engine, which was replaced by an electric motor only in 1915.

Stockholm is as captivating from above as it is from underground. An excellent perspective can be seen in the endless Brunkeberg Tunnel, reaching 231 meters.

However, the real works of art are the Stockholm metro stations. It is not without reason that the Stockholm metro is called “the longest art gallery in the world.” No wonder, I personally don’t know of a gallery that is 110 km long. I didn’t manage to visit all 100 stations, but the most interesting ones I saw included:

– Rådhuset, which looks like a hell cave,

– Tekniska högskolan, where you can see Newton’s hanging apple. I didn’t approach it any closer for fear that it would fall on my head ?

On the other side of the station, you have to watch out for the polyhedron hanging from the ceiling.

– Kungsträdgården is the deepest station in Stockholm. The escalators that seem to go on forever aren’t the only reason to visit it.

The station is kept in an ecological style and looks quite photogenic. However, what’s more interesting, it’s the only place in Northern Europe where you can meet the cave-dwelling spider Lessertia dentichelis. How this species ended up in such an unfavorable environment is hard to say. Probably i happened accidentally, it could have been transported here along with the equipment used to build the station.

This is an interesting place not only to buy local products, but also to eat breakfast or lunch

For lunch, it’s worth going to Mom’s Kitchen Nybrogatan, where traditional Swedish meatballs are served. I must admit that the price of the dinner set surprised me. I would never have expected to pay only PLN 65/ €15  for dinner in the centre of Stockholm.

JHowever, the highlight of my trip was a visit to the Vasa Museum, which was recommended to me by a friend. Its name comes from the name of the ship which is the main exhibit there. The ship was built in the 17th century, and its history was probably an inspiration for the builders of the Titanic.

The ship was designed as the flagship of the Swedish army. Apparently it was the best armed ship at that time. However, weaponry does not necessarily have to go hand in hand with balance. Immediately after setting out on its first voyage, it sank in front of the crowd that came to its inauguration. The shipwreck was discovered in the mid-20th century after over 300 years. It was brought to the surface and renovated. Today it can be admired in the Vasa Museum. I’m not a naval expert, but this museum is a must-see. The ship is incredibly impressive, especially due to its size and intricate decorations and details.

Speaking of the cruise, that’s another attraction in Stockholm. The capital of Sweden is actually located on 14 islands constituting an archipelago. The islands are connected by numerous bridges, and the city itself is often called the Venice of the North. Several ferry options are included in the price of a public transport ticket. A ferry cruise is an interesting attraction and allows to look at the city from a different perspective.

Due to little time, I went on a short cruise on line 80 from Nybroplan to Allmann Grand. On the way, I could see Kastellet Stockholm, located on the small island of Kastellholmen. The Swedish flag flies at the top of the citadel. According to tradition, when the country is at peace, the flag flies high, and in the event of war, it is lowered.

I finished my day in Stockholm with Fika. Fika is almost a Swedish ritual and this way Swedish people call coffee break. After a night at the airport and a whole day of sightseeing, I literally dreamed of coffee. I went to the iconic Vete-Katten cafe. I was convinced that I would lose a fortune there, but I thought that I could still save on accommodation and ordered a double espresso and kanelbullar – a cinnamon roll. The bill surprised me, the total cost was PLN 30/€7. Observing the increasing inflation in Poland, I do not rule out that maybe soon going on a one-day trip to Stockholm for dinner will not be such a bad idea after all ?