STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

Stockholm was our 4th stop and it was also where we were going to ring in the new year. We arrived on the 30th and had until the 3rd to explore the city. Zach, a friend who worked with PJ while stationed in Texas, flew over to celebrate the new year with us and explore the city.

Stockholm is built on 14 islands which are connected by bridges. The greater Stockholm area has a population of about 2 million people and in the winter months can see only 6 hours of sunlight a day! It is home to the worlds latest spherical building, the Ericsson Globe as well as to the Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, and literature. Stockholm is also considered one of the most livable cities in the world, which I can see after being there for only a few days. It is a beautiful city with so much to discover! 

What are the odds?!

Norrmalm

The first area that we explored was the Norrmalm district, which is the more modern city area. This area came about in the 1960s when there was a 'renewal' campaign. It is still developing and is full of shopping centers, boutiques, hotels and restaurants. Our first night we ate dinner at Bakfickan, which also happens to be in this area. Their Swedish meatballs are delicious!

We also had our New Years Eve dinner in Norrmalm at KonstnarsBaren. It was delicious and beautiful on the inside and out!

Norrmalm is also home to the train station. Right next to the station is Ice Bar Stockholm. It was built in 2002 and is the world's first permanent ice bar. It is -5 degrees and is made from ice taken from the Torne River in northern Sweden. I would say it was a good one time experience, although I do think the ceiling could have had ice or something instead of the structure being exposed.

View from our hotel

Konserhuset [Concert Hall} neoclassical 
style by Ivar Tengbom

Konserhuset [Concert Hall} neoclassical 
style by Ivar Tengbom

Kristallvertikalaccent - 37.5 meters tall

Kungstradgarden

Bakfickan

Hotorget

Sergels Torg with Hotorgskraporna in the background 

Hotorgskraporna - five modern high-rise buildings, erected in the 1950s

Sergels torn - designed in 1957

Gamla Stan + Riddarholmen

The next area that we explored was Gamla Stan. This is the Old Town. It was built in the 13th C and grew around the fortress of Tre Kronor [where the royal palace is now located]. It is a maze of narrow cobblestone streets with a medieval feel. The Old City is tucked between the Baltic Sea and Lake Malaren and is full of shops, restaurants and bars. We spend New Years Eve on the bridge watching the fireworks over the water.

Stortorget Square is the heart of Gamla Stan and it is also where the Stockholm Bloodbath took place:
"Today Stortorget is a peaceful square, but it was once the scene of one of the darkest episodes in the history of Stockholm. In 1520, shortly after the Danish king Kristian II had conquered Stockholm he promised to grant amnesty to his opponents. The king organized a large banquet to which all Swedish dignitaries were invited. At the end of the festivities, he had eighty-two of the guests who had opposed his rule arrested. They were all beheaded at Stortorget the following day. This didn't deter the Swedish from revolting against the Danish occupation: just three years later Gustav Vasa liberated Stockholm." [Stockholm Bloodbath]

Stortorget Square - Stortorgsbrunnen [well] + Schantzka Huset [1650]

Stortorget To the right is Borshuset [former stock exchange building] 
Borshuset is also where the Nobel Prize of literature is 
announced and where the Academy holds its formal meeting.

Helgeandsholmen - House of Parliament

The Royal Palace

Jarnpojken statue - people knit him hats 
and scarves to keep warm in the winter

Storkyrkan [Stockholm Cathedral]

Marten Trotzigs grand
the narrowest street in Stockholm

German Church [Tyska Kyrkan] 

German Church [Tyska Kyrkan] 

Riddarhuset [Knights' House]

Parliament at night

KonstnarsBaren

NYE at The Cadier Bar - people were dressed to the nines

Happy New Year! 2015

Sodermalm

Hills boarder the water along Sodermalm, which lead to beautiful views over Gamla Stan and the city. This area is known to be more bohemian, filled with galleries and clubs. We found a nice coffee shop to warm up in while we were exploring the streets. We also found a fun Thai restaurant which included tiki lights, wooden walkways, and tropical cocktails. It became dark very early while we were visiting Stockholm, which was perfect for all of the impromptu fireworks that were shot over the water even a day or two after the new year!  

Katarina Kyrka

Ostermalm

Ostermalm is east of the city and is includes many shops, clubs, Svampen [the mushroom], Stureplan Square and Östermalms Saluhall. It is also home to the rich and sometimes famous, which is obvious by look of the buildings. It was previously a run-down area, but was updated in the 1980s.

Östermalms Saluhall was opened in 1888 and was built in only 8 months. It is a brick structure with a medieval tower which was built around a cast iron frame. The design was considered innovative for its time. The Swedish architect Kasper Salin designed the iron frame roof which was influence by the cast iron design of the Eiffel Tower. 

Inside, the market hall is full of cheese, sausage, fruit, fish and meat [including reindeer and moose!]. There are about 20 stalls and is considered to be the 'temple of food'.

The mushroom

Saluhall

Saluhall

Saluhall

Saluhall

fresh

PJ eating moose

Kungsholmen

We didn't do too much exploring in this area, but we did walk along Kungsbro Strand up to the City Hall [Stadshuset]. The City Hall is beautiful and is visible from many of the other islands. It is built with eight million handmade bricks and cost three times the estimated cost. The tower is 106 meters tall and is topped by a weathervane with three crowns (the kronor). The three crowns are also the national emblem of Sweden. The rest of the island is pretty much residential with some parks and shops. 

The Stadshuset [ City Hall]

Ericsson Globe

This is not so much a must-see, but a fun thing to visit. It is an indoor area surrounded by an outdoor soccer stadium and their tele2 arena. The globe has a feature called 'SkyView' and it is a giant glass ball that follows a track along the structure of the building.

If it had been warmer we would have liked to take a boat tour along the archipelago, but with the weather being what it was, we passed this time around. According to the website, June to August is the best time to visit.