Feb 24, 2010

Stockholm - tips for a summer trip

Swede summers are short and the best of it the end of June, when sun shines till late at night. RyanAir operates flights to Skatsa airport, around 100-km far from Stockholm.You can get to the capital by train, for the station of Nyköping (7 km far from the airport). SAS airlines provide a wide range of flights to the city hub (Arlanda), which is in turn connected to the centre by a quick train service (Arlanda Express). I have always chosen the second option: public transports and cabs fares are quite expensive and you might lose the price advantage when you end up far away from the city.
Stockholm - as well as the Country in general - is very safe, you won't generally end up in a black-spot filthy hotel. Make sure you are close to a subway station if you are not downtown, that may be confortable as the suburbs stretch far from the centre.
After a yummie Swede breakfast, you can go for "classics" on your first day. Head to Gamla Stan, the medieval district, and take your time to fool around. Literally: forget about your mobile phone switch off your blackberry, stop browsing for a wi-fi zone. Just enjoy. The medieval town hosts two examples of sacrated Nordic architecture (Storkirkan and Tyskakirkan), as well as the Royal Palace. This last is astonishingly elegant, not withstanding its simplicity, in line with the generally sober atmosphere that one can breath in the Country. It's the place where Nobel prizes are delivered (apart from the Peace reward which is held in Oslo) and you can find a museum about the history and chronology of this international ceremony. Being a small island, it offers panoramic views of the town in front of it: don't miss the chance to give a glimpse to the City Hall building which stands a few sea miles away, in front of Riddaholmshammen. Gamla Stan is not only culture. It offers also a caleindoscope of cozy shops: while noising around the small alleys you'll bump into vintage clothing, hand-made jewelries, second-hand comics dealers, calm cafés.
If you are lucky enough on your second, you'll find one of those sunny yet cool days that I love about Stockholm as I have a break from the stifling Milan summer, don't be a couch potatoe and walk down sea-sided Strandvagen to Djurgarden.  
There you find a huge green area and Skansen: a conglomerate of outdoor attractions which are worth visiting. Skansen area have been hosting festivals and celebrations since long time ago. It offers both historical buildings to sightsee, a fabolous zoo of Scandivanian animals and other uniqueness pearl like Astrid Linger-dedicated theme park. If it were to get rainy (chances are, weather is variable), you may be interested in visiting the Vasamuseet. Everything but a boring museum. You will admire the remains of an original Vasa boat are on exhibition. Beside the awesome vessel, those of you who are fond of history (as I do) will enjoy the reconstructions of a Vasa village and the explanations about th way Scandinavian sailors lived and travelled back in the past.
Stockholm is actually plenty of museums, still, you might prefer to skip them and privilege a shopping session or some sport on the days you're left with (I strongly recommend to do so!).
Being a spoilt Italian lass, I have a tendency for the "Shopping malls other than Milan's? Yeah...of course...", with the only exception of Paris. Stockholm was a surprise in that sense. Not a city for luxury brands clients, though plenty of convenient casual outfit shops: the value for money gets higher when it comes to winter clothing and shoes. Just consider that on my first time there, I ended up fighting with my suitcase lock because of the three coats I had bought in the boulevards around T-centralen station. Not mentioning the glam brown boots I got last year for 70 euros! The area between T-centralen and Ostermalmtorg is a tough battlefield for a shopaholic (carefully gaze the map: that'll be your playing ground)! Enormous H&M flagship stores, local brands'shops, department stores where you can find whatever: from clothing, to house stuff, from perfumery, to bakeries (a shopping session has to imply an epicurean lunch break, especially on holiday). I had one of the best times in my life as I finally fell in a blue armchair of a café, throwing a set of plenty shopping bags on the floor next to me and ordered a kannelbulle (typical Swedish cinnamon roll) and a large cappucino!
And then, enjoy the people and the relaxed atmosphere of this city: you'll fall in love with it and wish to be back.

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