7.4.1 Stockholm area

Stockholm was originally established (c. 1250) by Birger Jarl as a defense
outpost against the Baltic pirates on one of the channel islands that now
make up Old Town. The city gained importance during the late Middle Ages as
an exporter of metals, timber, and furs from its hinterland, but was still
second after Uppsala in importance. Following the Stockholm Bloodbath and
the subsequent overthrow of Danish rule in 1523, Stockholm became the center
of the new Swedish kingdom. Under Gustav II Adolf (ruled 1611-32) Sweden
became a major European power. His daughter and successor Christina (ruled
1632-54) established Stockholm as an intellectual and cultural center.

Stockholm is sometimes known as the Venice of the North. It is the cultural,
educational, and industrial center of Sweden. The heart of the city is built
on 13 small islands at the junction where Lake Mälaren joins the Baltic Sea.
Remnants of medieval Stockholm survive on three small islands known as Gamla
Stan (the Old Town). They are Stadsholmen (The City Island) , Riddarholmen
(Knight Island), and Helgeandsholmen (The Island of the Holy Spirit). The
islands are closely connected and form the "Staden mellan broarna", or "city
between the bridges".

Stadsholmen has old gabled houses and narrow streets not found in other
sections. Facing the water is the Royal Palace, which was completed in 1760,
and is open to tourists. Nearby is the Storkyrkan (cathedral), the oldest
building of the city (although the exterior is baroque), which houses e.g
the famous medieval sculpture of St. Georg and the Dragon by the German
sculptor Berndt Notke.

Cobblestone streets wind up from the palace to the old Stortorget, or Great
Market, the site of the Bloodbath of 1520. Eighty-two Swedish noblemen were
executed in the market by Danish King Christian II. Close to Stadsholmen is
Riddarholmen, where many of the Swedish rulers have been buried in
Riddarholmskyrkan. On the tiny Helgeandsholmen, or Island of the Holy
Spirit, where the House of Parliament stands.

North of the Old Town are Norrmalm, the modern business and theater
district, and Östermalm, a resedential section. Södermalm, a manufacturing
center, is in the city's southern section, across the bridge leading from
Old Town. The Town Hall, which is Stockholm's symbol, and most of the city
government offices are on Kungsholmen, a large island west of Norrmalm.
Stockholm is famous for its cleanliness and for its large number of parks
and open spaces. On Djurgarden (a peninsula reserved for parkland and a
cultural center) is Skansen, an open-air museum.

The University of Stockholm, founded in 1877 as a private institution, was
taken over by the state in 1960 and is now the country's largest university.
The Nobel Prizes are awarded annually in Stockholm, with the exception of
the Nobel Peace Prize, which is presented in Oslo, Norway.

Major museums include the National Museum (of art), the Moderna Museet
(Museum of modern art), the Vasa Museum (where a magnificient, 17th Century
royal warship Vasa is on display; it sunk in the harbour on it's first
journey in 1628 and was well preserved in the water for over 300 years until
it was lifted in 1961. It's a must for every Stockholm visitor), the
Historical Museum, the Nordic Museum, the Museum of Natural History (with
Cosmonova omni theatre), the Museum of Naval History, the Skansen outdoor
museum, the medieval museum, and the Royal Armoury (Livrustkammaren) where
all sorts of fascinating artifacts from the history of the kingdom are on
display, including crown jewels.

In August each year we have the Stockholm Water Festival, an annual cultural
and entertainment event sponsored by the city council and local business
life. The one and a half week festival offers special exhibitions, concerts,
shows, fireworks, an impromptu shopping mall in the Old Town with street
restaurants, outdoor movie shows, activities for children, etc. The offcial
guide of the festival each year lists more than 1 000 festival events.

The Stockholm archipelago with tens and tens of thousands of islands is very
popular in the summer. You can take the white Waxholm boats to the
archipelago. A popular area for summer houses.

Have a tour around Stockholm by sightseeing boat. Or see the city on a
regular boat trip. In that case, note Skeppsholmen and Kastellholmen,
formerly navy base. Then get the most condensed view of the old town.
Further out, note Waldermarsudde, home of artist late Prince Eugen, now
museum. Young artists will give concerts here summertime. Then a white
building with towers, home of late Marcus Wallenberg. Finally two beautiful
houses from baroque era on point Blockhusudden.

Drottningholm. Accessed by land or by boat. Home of the royal family.
Theatre with advanced scene mechanism from 18th century, in use today. Park
in the style of Versailles, with "Kina slott", romantic building in Chinese
style.

Open-air museum Skansen in Djurgården should preferably be seen when all
workshops are open which will not be until the end of August. At least some
of them should however be open every Sunday. Skansen also has a Zoo. You can
get there with the museum tram line leaving from Norrmalmstorg.

Suggested walks or bike rides around Stockholm

   * Along shore Norr Mälarstrand. Outdoor cafe. Then one will come to the
     City Hall. Enter the tower.
   * From Djurgården eastwards along the shore to Blockhusudden. Bring a
     picnic basket early in the morning.
   * On the hills of Södermalm, with red cottages dispersed among the stone
     houses. Fine views over the water.
   * Along the shores of Reimersholme. Then, on the way to bridge
     Västerbron, pass by 'Lasse i parken' (cafe in a red cottage). Go over
     Västerbron and again come to Norr Mälarstrand.
   * On Skeppsholmen and Kastellholmen. Museum of Eastern antiques. Youth
     hostel and outdoor cafe.

There is no particular restaurant area in Stockholm. Stureplan and around
however is somewhat of a meeting place. It is also close to water. In later
years the south side (Södermalm), especially around Medborgarplatsen, has
emerged as an important area of restaurants and pubs. There are over a
hundred of them within 5 minutes walking distance from Medborgarplatsen.
Plenty of choir concerts are given in the churches and the choirs are
generally very good. There are some places close to Stockholm which should
be seen, if possible.

   * Gripsholm castle, accessed e.g. with s/s Mariefred on a one-day trip;
     oldest part was built in the 1380's. Interesting because it's different
     styles inside reflect different epochs.
   * Home and orangery of the famous botanist Carl von Linne in Uppsala.
   * Hammarby, east of Uppsala. Summer resort of Linne, used by him for
     lecturing.
   * Österbybruk, north of Uppsala. The pre-industrial factories called
     'bruk' are peculiar for Sweden. A 'bruk' was a complete community. They
     are dispersed throughout middle Sweden. Österbybruk is very well
     preserved.
   * Skokloster castle at lake Mälaren, from about the same time as
     man-of-war Vasa. Armoury collection. (Rent a car in order to visit the
     previous four items.)
   * The remains of Birka in lake Mälaren. Birka could be considered capital
     of Sweden during the Viking age. Best accessed by boat.

Suggested one-day archipelago trips from Stockholm

   * Sandhamn on island Sandön. Have beefsteak lunch onboard on the steamer.
     From the harbour, walk southwards to village Sandhamn. Then follow the
     southern shore of the island to point Trouville. Find a suitable way
     back to the village. Be careful to enter the right boat back. Avoid
     Saturdays and Sundays.
   * Kymmendö. Strindberg's Hemsö. Restricted area. Ask for permission at
     the police office.
   * Rödlöga. Small formerly fishing village. Forest meadows and hardwood
     forest, very impressing that far out in the sea. It will however be at
     its best in early summer. The main island of this detached archipelago
     is rather small and will be walked around in one hour. Choose between
     Saturdays or Sundays.
   * Husarö.

If you have the time, stay over night somewhere. There are accommodations at
several places. Buy a smoked fish if there are not any restaurants. Check
restricted (military) areas on the map. Ticks is not a big problem, but ask
for advice if you are uncertain.

On a half-day trip from Stockholm one can go to Vaxholm. See the citadel
(open until 16.00) with gunnery museum and minute exhibition about the
Ytterby mine, known for ytterbium, yttrium, terbium, holmium, scandium,
gadolinium and lanthanum. The mine itself may be visited but is hardly worth
seeing and minerals may not be collected. Open air cafe in the citadel.

Check this URL for more info on Stockholm in the www:
<http://www.sunet.se/stockholm/>



7.4.2 Uppsala

The city of Uppsala, a major Swedish cultural center, lies about 70 km north
of Stockholm and can easily be accessed by train. Uppsala has a history
going well into the prehistoric era, it became the seat of the Swedish
archbishop in 1164 and a royal residence in the next century, although it
later lost much of its status and the king moved to Stockholm. The most
important sight is Uppsala cathedral (domkyrkan), Sweden's largest medieval
church, and a national sanctuary where e.g the king Gustav Vasa, philosopher
Emmanuel Swedenborg and the botanist Carl von Linné (Linnaeus) are buried.
The University of Uppsala (1477) is Sweden's oldest institution of higher
learning, and it's main building Gustavianum (1623) houses a couple of
museums. Uppsala castle overlooks the city from a high hill, and beside it
is the symbol of the city, Gunillaklockan (Gunilla's clock), which is played
daily 6 a.m and 9 p.m. Uppland's museum is located in an old mill by the
river Fyrisån. Linné's home museum (Linnés Hammarby) with a garden dedicated
to him are also in the city.

Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala), now a suburb five kilometers to the north of
the modern city, was the religious and political capital of the Sveas in the
Viking age. The three high burial mounds (kungshögarna) from the 6th century
belong, according to tradition, to the kings Aun, Adils and Egil; finds from
their excavations are displayed in Stockholm in the Historical Museum
(Historiska Museet). In a 1164 a church was built on the site of the famous
old pagan temple of which nothing remains, as a symbol of the victory of
Christianity in Sweden -- it was the seat of the archbishop until 13th
century when a new cathedral was finished. The restaurant Odinsborg, built
in "viking style", serves mead (mjöd).



7.4.3 Malmö

Located in Skåne, the southern tip of Sweden, 26 km across the sea (Öresund)
from Copenhagen, Malmö is Sweden's third largest city. It was chartered as a
city during the 13th century, at which time the region belonged to Denmark.
In 1658 it passed to Sweden. Originally, Malmö's harbor was poor, and the
city served mainly as a herring market until 1775, when the port facilities
were improved. After 1800, Malmö began to develop as an industrial city.

The center of Malmö is Stortorget square, by which are located the
governor's house (Residenset, 1720), the City Hall (Rådhuset, 1546) and the
statue of Karl X Gustav, conqueror of Skåne. St Peter's Church (S:t Petri,
1319), with a nicely sculptured interior and a 88m high green spire is also
in the center. The castle Malmöhus was first built 1434, and rebuilt
1537-42; now it houses a museum of archaology, history, natural history and
art. The Small Square (Lilla Torg) is one of the most beautiful in the
country, with it's houses from the 17th and 18th centuries. Other sights
include the Technical Museum, Charlotte Weibull's House, the City Theatre,
the Arts Hall, and the old Market Hall. In the summer, you may want to visit
the beach Ribersborgbadet.



7.4.4 Göteborg

Göteborg (Gothenburg), founded in 1621 by Gustav II Afolf on the site of an
earlier settlement, is Sweden's second largest city and chief seaport. It
prospered during especially during the Napoleonic Wars, when Göteborg
remained open while many other European ports were under the anti-British
trade blockade. Located where the Göta river empties into the Danish
straits, it was designed on Netherlandic fashion, with canals and bridges.
The Göta Gota Canal built in the 19th century runs between Stockholm and
Stockholm, and is a very scenic route indeed.

In the center of the city are Gustav Adolf's square, by which the old Stock
Exchange is located. The City Hall was designed by Nicholas Tessin the
younger in 1672. The Östra Hamngatan and Kungsportavenyn streets lead to
Götaplatsen (Göta Square), in the center of which is the statue of Poseidon
by Carl Milles; the city theatre, concert hall and art musem (Nordic, French
and Dutch art from 19th and 20th centuries) are located by the square.
Ostindiska Huset (the house of the East-Indian Company), built 1750, houses
historical, archaeological and ethnological collections. The city museum is
housed in the oldest house of the city, Kronhuset, from the year 1653.
Kronan is a fortress with a war museum. Off the city lies Älvsborgs Festning
(Ävsborg Fortress), 1670, which can be accessed by boat. The old parts of
the city contain the also the cathedral (1633), Kristine Church (1648), the
law courts (1672), and the opera house (1859). There's a university (1891)
and Chalmers Technical University. The sports stadium Ullevi, with seats for
52,000 people, is Sweden's biggest; the indoors stadium Scandinavium houses
14,000. Two bridges go over the wide Göta River, Götaälvbron and the newer
Älvborgsbron.



7.4.5 Gotland

Gotland is the the largest island (3,023 km²) in the Baltic Sea and has a
population of 56,383 (1989), with the town of Visby as the administrative
center. It lies 80 km off the Swedish coast and can be accessed by daily
boats from the mainland. Close to it are a couple of smalle islands, Fårön,
Gotska Sandön and Karlsö. Gotland is a low limestone plateau with a
temperate, sunny climate. It developed rather early in prehistory etensive
trade contacts with the people of northern Europe, and had a very
distinctive culture, represented by e.g the numerous, beautiful picture
stones erected all over the island. By the 12th century Visby was an
important, independent town and a member of the Hanseatic League. The Danish
king Valdemar Atterdag brutally conquered it in 1361, and after that,
control of Gotland was disputed by several nations. Trade routes shifted,
however, and by the time Sweden gained lasting control in 1645, it had lost
much of its former importance and was impoverished.

Nowadays the island is a very popular summer destination, rich in sights
(including lots of medieval churches) and very good for a cycling holiday.
It has a beautiful, characteristic nature, and the old ring wall around the
medieval city of Visby, no doubt one of the most beautiful towns in
Scandinavia, is almost totally intact. An important event is the Medieval
Week (medeltidsveckan) arranged in Visby in August every year, with knights,
Medieval markets, etc. The Forntidssalen museum in Visby displays the
fascinating prehistory of Gotland, including picture stones and some of the
rich Viking age treasures that are constantly found in the island (metal
detectors are banned in Gotland!) Other absolute "musts" in and around
Gotland include the caves at Lummelunda, the rauk fields (peculiar limestone
formations on the coasts) and Stora Karlsö (an island off the south-west of
Gotland).



7.4.6 The rest of Sweden

In the north, people appreciate the beauty of the mountain range
("fjällvärlden"), where you can hike, fish, pick berries, ski (in the
winter) or see the midnight sun (in the summer and far north). There are
several big national parks here.

The province of Dalarna is the "home" of the traditional Midsummer
celebrations, where people dance around the Midsummer poles in traditional
folk dresses.

Jämtland is one of the latest provinces to have been incorporated in the
Swedish realm, and remains almost half-Norwegian both in customs and
language - and a great resort for hiking and skiing.

A popular route is Göta Kanal, on which you can go on boat from Norrköping
to Gothenburg and at the same time see a cross section of the mid-Sweden
country side.

Skåne (Scania) is the Swedish province that gives an almost Central European
impression. The landscape is very flat and much of it is farmed. You'll find
beautiful beech woods here and everywhere you see the traditional black and
white houses ('korsvirkeshus'). Many like to rent or own summer houses on
the Scanian country side. For more info on Scania, see section 7.6.

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