If you are planning on traveling to Stockholm, I suggest you have these things on your must see list. The top few are my personal favorite! :-) You won't regret doing anything on this list though.
1) Skansen on the island of Djurgorden
--This is a must see for animal lovers and those that want to learn some history about Sweden. In Skansen they have an amazing zoo of Swedish animals. Get there before noon, as they are very active in the morning and you get to see them feed the animals throughout the day. Feeding time is at 2...after that, the animals go to nap. There are also great views of the city as well as little Swedish towns here. At the bottom of the park, you will find Little Africa and the Aquarium. It costs a little more to go in, but standing outside of it and watching the Lemurs just as good. You will also find Viking rune markers around the park where Vikings wrote stories and remembered their dead.
2) Gamla Stan
--This is the island of the royals. There are beautiful buildings and cobblestone streets everywhere. The Storkyrkan cathedral there is where royal people were knighted, buried, and got/get married. You can see all the grave stones on the floor. Also in Gamla Stan is the old town square. There you will see a red building with 92 white stones, symbolizing the 92 Swedish nobility executed by the Danish king. This is known as the Stockholm blood bath. They say when it rains, you can still see red on the streets from the blood of those that were murdered. Here is also the royal palace that you can tour, and the parliament building. However, don't be fooled by the guards standing outside. They are guarding nothing as the royal family doesn't live there anymore. They moved to another palace outside of Stockholm.
3) Churches
--They are everywhere! Go inside them when you find them. They are beautiful! Most are free and open to the public for prayer, but we went in and explored and took pictures. Just don't turn the flash on! If you are religious, you should totally attend a mass! They are really special and don't take very long. Go to the Storkyrkan mass if you can!
4) Sodermalm Lookout Point
--The walk to it can be tough, as the path is very steep. The view of Stockholm is unbeatable though. Just do it! You will find many treasures on the way there as well, as Sodermalm has beautiful buildings.
5) Nordic Museum (Nordiska Museet)
--This can be found as you enter the island of Djurgorden. It is a huge building and hard to miss! It costs 100 crowns to enter. We were actually not able to go into it as it was closed when we left Skansen. It houses Swedish cultural history, including a section on the Sami...native people in the north of Sweden.
6) Stadhuset
--We also didn't have time to go here, but it looks like a sweet building. This is where the Nobel Prize ceremony is held every year. You can go into the tower here for 100 crowns for a beautiful view of Stockholm. There is also a museum somewhere in Stockholm that showcases all the work of the Nobel Prize winners Google it and see where it is and comment below! Maybe we can find it :-)
7) Hotorget Market and Hotorgshallen
-- These are both markets where you can buy goods and food. The strawberries are delicious and a must! They are so sweet and juicy. Hotorgshallen is an underground international market. If you are looking to buy/try cuisine from all over the world, this is where to do it. We had fun just walking around and looking at everything. If the smell of fish makes you nauseous, don't go down there.
8) Drottingsgaten
--A cool street with restaurants, shops, and street performers. If you like to shop, go there! We also bought delicious gelato and Godis/candy on this road. If you walk long enough, you will find yourself in Gamla Stan :-)
9) Sergelstorg Shopping and Kulturhuset
--This is kind of like their city center. Kulturhuset has a very neat model of Stockholm as well as some interesting art galleries. The art galleries are free to enter if you are under 25 years of age. The art will definitely...spark some thoughts.
10) Bike/Kayak rental...boat tour if you have more money to spend
--This is just a different way to see the city. A lot of sightseers like this option as there were often lines.
One more for good measure...
11) Vasa ship
--this is now a museum, also on the island of Djurgorden. You can see the top of the ship from most places on the island. A few hundred years ago, king Vasa built this ship as a symbol of how powerful Sweden was. It was decked out with gold and expensive decorations, so much that it sank as soon as it left the harbor! It laid there until they had the technology to pull it back up, and turned it into a museum!
Go to Stockholm...Just do it! There are very few tourists and short lines...if any! You will not regret it. It does get cold in the winter, sometimes -20. We went in the summer and it was perfect!
I wish you safe travels...ta ta for now!
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