Sweden -

One day in Stockholm

Gosia — Sat, 09 Mar 2024 21:27:42 +0000

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 ?

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Malmö – very subjective narrative

Gosia — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 17:15:22 +0000

We visited Malmö on the way from Copenhagen to Poland. We spent all day on sightseeing this city, and even we managed to go to Jakriborg (here is the post about this unique city). I’ve mixed feelings about this city. Usually, I try to assess objectively places which I visit and find differences which create a unique atmosphere. I do want to say that Malmö is an interesting city. Unfortunately, by and large it isn’t. Naturally I would be very unfair, presenting this city as a “tourist nightmare”. Generally you can find here some interesting, historic places, which I show you in this post. But overall impression is similar to disappointment with relation between Polish zloty and Swedish korona purchase power. So, as regards prices… Bread costs 30 SEK (1 SEK = 0,10 EUR or 0,11 USD) 6 eggs – 20 SEK Butter 11 SEK 500 grams of cheese – 80 SEK Apples – 27 SEK Bottle of water (0,5 l) 16 SEK Coke (1,5 l) – 20 SEK Famous cinnamon buns Kanelbulle – 9 SEK Not to mention alcohol prices. Low prices are in the suburbs or outside the city. For example, dinner in above mentioned Jakriborg, cost us 75 SEK + beverage 20 SEK. Besides prices, there’s one thing which is blatantly obvious. The streets are very dirty. We arrived in Malmö on Monday morning at 10 o’clock so it’s hard to justify this fact by weekend parties. So what we can say about this city? Firstly, it’s very hard to evaluate city’s architecture. Gamla Staden known as the Old Town has a very chaotic architecture. Buildings are different both historically and culturally. It’s no wonder, because around ¼ residents don’t have Swedish nationality. This third largest Swedish city is inhabited by more than 170 nationalities. The city center is Stortorget Square with the Town Hall (Rådhuset) form 15th century. In the middle of the square you can see the satute of the King – Charles X Gustav. There’s also a very interesting building – Apoteket Lejonet – the pharmacy from 16th century. Inside the pharmacy you can see a very interesting, antique décor. Close to it, there’s Kompanihuset – the red building which belonged to Danish East India Company. A little bit farther is St. Peter Church which is the oldest such a building in the city (dated back to 14th century). I don’t want to undersell its gothic architecture but the most interesting thing here was a table with coffee and tea. It turned out that it isn’t a special practice in Swedish churches but it’s only a treat for homeless people and tourists. Apparently, they took into account our shop dilemmas 😉 Some architectural gems are situated at Östergatan street. There’s an old warehouse from 1620 so called Diedenska huset and the oldest building Thottska huset built in 1558. Across the street, there’s St. Gertrud – the compound of 19 buildings founded by rich merchants between 16th and 19th century. The second place where we can see an old, interesting architecture is cobblestoned Little Square – Lilla Torg, which is surrounded by colorful townhouses. Malmö has a lot of parks too. Close to the city center, there’re two big parks – Kungsparken and Slottsparken. They’re a lot of canals where Swedish spend their spare time. Walking along beautiful alleys you can reach the old castle – Malmöhus Slott. Inside you can visit numerous museums and aquarium. Maybe our impressions were caused by Copenhagen, which had been really impressive. However we hope that we managed to present more interesting side of this city. ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

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Gothenburg – cheap trip

Gosia — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 20:48:47 +0000

The idea of going to Gothenburg appeared spontaneously, actually, as it usually happens it was connected with big promotion in Ryanair. Having the alternative between spending Valentine’s Day at home or going to Gothenburg for only 4 €, our choice was obvious. Of course, there’s one catch when you buy such cheap tickets. Usually it turns out that on the spot, especially in Sweden, prices aren’t promotional. In such situations, common sense tells us to resign, that the idea of spending romantic Valentines in the middle of winter in Sweden is ridiculous ant it’s only a matter of losing 4 €. Fortunately we’re neither rational nor romantic 😉 So, how to survive 3 days in Sweden on a tight budget? We had only one week to organize this trip, so it was a little bit too short to do it thoroughly. We hadn’t a big choice of hotels/hostels but those, which were available, offered “last minute” prices. We chose Linne Hostel, which is located very conveniently, close to the city center. For one night in double room, we paid around 40€, quite expensive, but taking io account Swedish conditions, it was a good price. In order to save money, the second night we spent at the airport. In comparison to other airports where we slept before, the Landvetter airport is ranked in the top 5. So why it’s so special? I don’t know if designers of the airport chairs had in mind the comfort of airport sleepers but they made a really good job! What’s more, the airport is very clean and eqipped with free WiFi as well as sockets. Additionally, apart from two other guys who were sleeping there, we had nearly all terminal for ourselves. In a word, perfect conditions to spend Valentine’s night 😀 Having chosen the accommodation, we had another problem to solve – transportation to the city. From the Landvetter you can choose buses operated by Fygbussarna or Swebus. Admittedly, Flygbussarna shuttles more frequently but the fare is higher and costs around 20€ for a round trip. So we’ve chosen Swebus, which offers return ticket for 12 €. Although Gothenburg isn’t a big city and it’s possible to see it on foot, we decided to buy a daily ticket which costs 10 €. It’s valid for not only buses and trams but also ferries which shuttle between Saltholmen Terminal and the Southern Gothenburg Archiepelago: Asperö, Brännö, Styrsö, Donsö and Vrangö. To get to the Saltholmen Terminal, you need to take the tram 11. For example, the ferry no. 281 to the islands: Asperö, Donsö, Styrsö and Vrangö, shuttles every hour. The whole trip takes around 2 hours. And how about food? Unfortunately, dining out in Gothenburg is very expensive. The prices in the restaurants, definitely spoil the appetite. On the other hand, there’re some places where it’s possible to eat “relatively” cheap. One option is the Sulhallen. Here you’ll find local products like: honey, sweets, cheese, meat or bread and a lot of eateries which serve tasty local dishes. For around 10€, you can taste here a beef in an onion sauce, smoked mackerel with potato salad or kebab. A little bit farther, at the Magasinsgatan 17 st., you can find some food trucks with cheap local food which costs around 10 €. To sum up, how does a 3-day trip to Gothenburg cost per person? Flight – 2 € 1 night in hostel – 20 € Daily ticket for transportation – 10 € 2 dinners – 20 € Transportation from/to the airport – 12 € In total: 64 € More on Gothenburg you’ll find here.

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9 and a half reason to visit Gothenburg

Gosia — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 08:10:41 +0000

Islands, islets and red houses So the Southern Archipelago in the flesh. Hop on a ferry and admire a typical Swedish countryside. Islands like: Asperö, Donsö, Styrsö, Vrangö and Brännö, surprise by their gaunt landscape as well as typical Swedish wooden red buildings. It doesn’t matter which direction you choose, the last letter ö in the name is essential 😉 2. Take a walk along the dock It’s worth taking a short walk along the dock, where you can visit floating museum. 3. Have a rest in the shade of palms Palm House, located in the strict city center is a cultish meeting place. Certainly there’re a lot of reasons why, but the most important is that every palm in the severe Swedish climate is at a premium. 4. How about fika in the atmospheric Haga? Haga in short can be described by cobbled streets, pastel, wooden houses, atmospheric cafes and antique little shops. Here in the center of a the city, you can feel a typical atmosphere from 19th century and buy unique souvenirs. After shopping spree, take a coffee break called fika in Swedish. Nothing tastes so good with coffee like kannelbullar – cinnamon bun. Taste it in the famous Café Husaren, for sure you’ll be surprised… 5. Change the perspective From the sea level climb the Skansen Kronan – rock stronghold from 17th century and admire beautiful Gothenburg panorama. 6. Red lisptick It’s actually called Lilla Bommen. It’s the most characteristic point in Gothenburg. It’s a skyscraper, which doesn’t resemble anything but Swedish called it red lipstick. 7.Drop into a bunker Visit the Aeroseum – the former secret military base from the Cold War times. It’s located close to the former Gothenburg airport, carved in a granite rock, several meters below the ground. Feel like a fighter pilot, seating behind the wheel and test yourself in the flight simulator. 8. How about a trip along Gothenburg canals? Gothenburg is crisscrossed with canals which match perfectly with the rest of the city. 9. Fish only in the church Where to go to eat a good fish in Gothenburg? Of course, to the Feskekôrka – fish church. It’s the biggest fish market in the city and called a church in view of its characteristic gothic façade. Although, the interior is much different than typical sacral one, the visit in this place will be for sure a spiritual experience for the fish lovers. 9 and a half reason for Surströmming Surströmming is a famous Swedish fermented herring. You can buy it in supermarkets but it’s possible that you’ll have to ask for it the shop assistant (they’re usually stored in the storage room). We paid for this delicacy around 10€. Was it worth it? Well, to cut the long story short, if you want to break out of your comfort zone… don’t hesitate, just do it! How does it smell? Maybe, let us present it graphically, imagine the long-term process of fermentation of the herring which is later put into the tin for further fermentation… The scale of this process is such a big that the tin has a typically convex bottom. The taste is the same as the smell, I would rather not describe it in detail. But, to make matters worse, when you want to forget about this traumatic experience, after eating it, the awful smell of your own breath accompanies you for at least a few hours (much to the delight of other passengers travelling with you by public transport – we’ve checked it). If you happen to like this delicacy, do not even think to transport it by a plane. The change of the air pressure may lead to explosion of the tin and the “marvelous herring aroma” guarantees emergency landing! Mind that even the process of opening it, pose a real challenge. Before all, in view of the possibility of the explosion and the terrible smell, never do it at home. According to the “safety procedure”, it should be done outside, preferably in the basin filled with water. ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

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How much does 6-day trip to Denmark and Sweden cost?

Gosia — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 17:52:22 +0000

Is it possible to organize 6- day trip to Denmark and Sweden on budget? In a fact the cost is a relative concept, what’s cheap for some for others is beyond reach. During our trip to these countries we tried to reduce the costs of transport and accommodation maximally. On the other hand it doesn’t mean that we lived there as hermits. We stayed in an apartment located in the city center, visited everything what had been planned, used public transport and tasted very good food. Was it cheap or expensive? Take a look and assess 🙂 Our trip was a little bit complicated because we wanted to visit Denmark and Sweden during holidays for the lowest price as possible. The best flight was offered by Wizzair on the route Gdansk – Malmö – Gdansk (return ticket – 18 € or 21 $). To Gdansk we flew by Ryanair (return ticket 9 € or 10 $). We landed there late at night se we had to stay in a nearby hotel (cost 10 € or 12 $) but it’s possible to sleep at the airport J Wizzair flights from Gdansk to Malmö are very comfortable as they’re scheduled early in the morning. Of course it’s possible to fly there from Warsaw directly. We chose the option from Gdansk because it was the cheapest during holidays, not to mention about direct flight Warsaw – Copenhagen which was really expensive. Additional attraction was the journey over 8 km long Oresund Bridge which connects Sweden and Denmark. To get from Malmö airport to Copenhagen you can use Neptunbus. Trip takes around 1 hour and costs 14 € or 16 $ (views of the Danish and Swedish coast are free of charge). We used Airbnb to find accommodation in Copenhagen. We stayed in a 2-bedroom apartment, equipped with every needed facilities and located in the city center. Three nights cost 77 € or 89 $ per person. Additionally we were able to cut costs of breakfasts or suppers by using the kitchen. From Copenhagen to Malmö we went by train. Trip takes around 30 minutes and costs 7 € or 8 $. In Malmö, we used traditionally Airbnb. For 22€ or 26$ per person we hired 2- bedroom apartment in the city center. From Malmö to the Malmö airport we went by Flygbussarna. One way ticket costs 11€ or 13$. To sum it up, how much we spent (per person)? Transfers: Flight Warsaw – Gdansk – Warsaw (Ryanair) – 9 € or 10 $ Flight Gdansk – Malmö – Gdansk (Wizzair) – 18 € or 21 $ Bus from Malmö to Copenhagen (Neptunbus) – 14 € or 16 $ Train from Copenhagen to Malmö – 7 € or 8 $. Bus from Malmö to Malmö airport (Flygbussarna) 11€ or 13$. Accommodation: Hotel in Gdansk – cost 10 € or 12 $ Copenhagen (3 nights) – 77 € or 89 $ Malmö (1 night) – 22€ or 26$ Total cost per person – 168 € or 195 $, so 28 € or 32 $ daily. ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

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Jakriborg – medieval ghost town

Gosia — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 06:36:13 +0000

Halfway between Malmo and Lund, somewhere in the middle of Sweden fields, there’s a sleepy town surrounded by a red rampart. After passing the gate which is the element of fortifications, one can see another, medieval reality. Pastel townhouses with soaring roofs, decorated with colorful windows and doors, winding along cobblestoned lanes, look fabulous. The town seems to be abandoned. There’s no residents or playing children, let alone tourists. In front of the house are bikes, on playgrounds you can see barbecues or even toys so someone must live here. There’s an absolute silence, you cannot hear even fast trains passing through nearby Hjärup station. Walk along the old town takes only 5 minutes. Only one grocery, restaurant and furniture shop prove that civilization exists here. In a word, ideal monopoly with no customers. After intensive sightseeing, we decided to go to the restaurants which also represents a kind of phenomenon. Only one person works here. He is a cook, waiter and barista at the same time. We thought that we would be welcomed with open arms as a sole customers. In a fact we couldn’t have been more wrong. The waiter was more interested in choosing his lunch from nearby smorgasbord! Finally, after one hour’s time we received our meals, which can be described as good but only in view of the price. Additionaly our „chessplayer reflex” waiter, reminded that I ordered a coffee just before paying the bill. So what underlies this fabulous, sometimes ludicrous city? This medieval town is in a fact a modern subdivision, built in the 90’s! It’s an alternative to modern, concrete estates. Additionally it’s a very good alternative in view of the low rental prices, which are the lowest in Sweden. Nowadays around 1000 people live here and a queue for rental is getting longer and longer. In view of increasing demand, Jakriborg originator – company Jakri AB is planning to build here more houses. The city will house around 7 thousand residents in the future. But there’re also some drawbacks. Everything here belongs to above mentioned company. Houses can’t be bought and every change of the buildings architecture must be consulted with the company. The idea of the modern subdivision also arouses a lot of controversies between architects who perceive it as a travesty of medieval town. But in our opinion the prospect of living here seems to be quite interesting 🙂 ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

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