EJ and Trish exploring Gamla Stan
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Oh Stockholm! The last stop in our Around-the-World trip and wow it did not disappoint! Maybe it was the cooler temps after Tokyo, Venice and Athens....but mostly I think just the quaint charm of the entire city won us over. I'm so glad we opted to pay a little more and stay in the historic Gamla Stan, as it really did add to the entire experience. Getting lost through the cobblestone alleys, marveling at the history of the buildings, a bike ride across the city, a boat ride through the archipalego, exploring museums, eating lingonberrries, swedish meatballs and sipping hot chocolate in one of the many squares in Gamla Stan. Stockholm - I will be back someday!
EJ and Trish on the bridge to Djurgarden
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Out and About in Stockholm
Get lost in Gamla Stan
- Staying in Gamla Stan was like escaping the realities of life and stepping back in time for a few days. You can't help but try to imagine what it was like to be one of the medieval European dwellers walking through those same cobblestone alleys back in the 13th century.
- We stayed at the First Reisen hotel. Great location on Gamla Stan and nice (but small) rooms.
- I highly recommend giving yourself plenty of "buffer time" on your trip to just relax and enjoy weaving in and out of all the alleyways in Gamla Stan. You might think you've seen it all in a couple hours - but just keep on exploring. You'll constantly find new tidbits, like Marten Trotzigs Grand, the narrowest alley in Stockholm (that we walked past many times prior to realizing its significance).
- There are lots of great shops to explore on Gamla Stan - fun for souvenir shopping
- The Nobel Museum was a highlight. Save it for a rainy day, as it's a great indoor activity. Nice set up of the small museum, and interesting tidbits to discover about all the Nobel winners over the years.
**On mobile device, click any photo to enter gallery with captions
Biking
- How do you go to Stockholm and not ride a bike?! I always love booking a city bike tour for our first day in a city to help get the lay of the land. Not only did it help us get our bearings, but it was a highlight of the trip! Not to mention we lucked out with an absolutely beautiful, sunny day.
- Our group rode through Gamla Stan and around the Royal Palace, we stopped outside City Hall along the water, and then continued to island hop our way around Stockholm admiring Sodermalm and biking all around Djurgarden, which included highlights of Skansen "outdoor museum" and a quick snack pit stop at a beautiful botanical garden.
- Read more about the tour on the Viator link
Vasa Museum
- Another highlight - the Vasa Museum! And trust me...if you know me, I don't often rave about museums. I'd much rather be outdoors. But wow - this was a cool museum. It's not very often you have an capsized ship from 1628, so well preserved, sitting inside a museum.
- They have free tours, maybe 30 mins each. Look at the info board when you get there and try to get on one to capture some of the history about the ship. Then just walk around on your own - going up and down the floors to see different exhibits and view different parts of the ship.
More Stockholm
- We really wanted to get on the water, as the 30k island archipelago is such a large part of what makes Stockholm so unique. We booked a tour through our hotel in the morning, for an afternoon departure. It had great potential to be fun, but the 1906 Ostana ship was just so crowded! You couldn't even find a spot to sit...it was just a matter of being crammed up against the outside railing to try to get a view of the islands we were passing.
- Here is what we booked. Maybe just a simple water taxi between islands would have been sufficient.
- Lastly, just some more photos from around Stockholm as we walked between islands
Food and Drink
- Ok...so everything is expensive. And I mean expensive! Just stop thinking about the price of your meal and drinks so you can properly enjoy your vacation! Trust me, stop caring for a few days - you can eat PB&J sandwiches when you get back home.
- Side note - Gamla Stan really quiets down at night. So if your body clock is off from traveling around the world - just know that it's hard to find a good restaurant late at night. We struggled with that, but never-the-less still enjoyed what we did find.
- We also really wanted to go to Den Gyldene Freden, the oldest restaurant in Stockholm, but it was booked. So make a reservation early if you want to go there!
- Around Gamla Stan - We ate lunch at Fem Sma Hus, enjoying an outside table on a nice sunny day. Dinner at Osterlanggatan 17, enjoying a shrimp louie salad. Fish n Chips at O'Connell's Irish Pub - well earned after our bike ride. And finally on a rainy night when we were tired of walking and looking at menus - having no luck at finding a restaurant with availability...Lilla Paris Bistrot saved the night!
- Save room for a sweet bite at the Nobel Museum. You can order the famous ice cream dessert served at the Nobel Banquet.
- For a nice lunch right on the water at the boat docks, Glashuset Kajplats 18 was perfect! Beautiful setting and a wonderful shared meal of shrimp salad and fish n chips with a refreshing Aperol Spritz.
- Don't forget to enjoy a famous hot chocolate and cinnamon roll at Chokladkoppen! Right in the center of Gamla Stan, near the Noble Museum. Try to get a table on the patio in the square.
- One night we meandered our way over to Sodermalm to eat at Meatballs for the People. Yes, I know its touristy...but it was still fun and delicious! We enjoyed the taster plate of meatballs so we could try more variety.
