Day 10 - Stockholm (SE)

Today was a beautifuly sunny day and everything looked so different under blue skies although it was still very cold! We have got used to wearing multiple layers which take an extra 20 minutes to put on every time we go out! We look as though I have put on a few stone but we stay warm which is the most important thing!

First we headed south from our hotel towards the old town again and the Gamla Stan group of islands. En route we visited the magnificent City Hall which is located on the eastern tip of Kungsholmen island, facing the islands of Riddarholmen and Södermalm. It is famous for its grand ceremonial halls and unique pieces of art. It was designed by architect Ragnar Östberg and is built from eight million bricks - no we didn't count them! The 106-meter tall tower has three crowns, which is the Swedish national coat of arms, at its apex. The Nobel Prize banquet is held here on 10 December every year and it also houses offices for 300 people including the City Council. Guided tours are available and are not too expensive. Check the website for exact timings.

https://cityhall.stockholm/

Here are beautiful views across to the island of Riddarholmen which we visited yesterday.

Riksdagshuset (the parliament building) and the National Bank are on Helgeandsholmen (Helgeands Island). There are guided tours of the parliament available in English between September and June and they start at 13.30, every Saturday and Sunday. They are free of charge but have to be booked in advance - check the website for more information.

https://www.riksdagen.se/en/

 

We then went to the scenic green island of Skeppsholmen (Ship's Island), also known as 'museum island' since there are 4 museums here. It used to be a naval base for more than four centuries including shipbuilding and docks. We had a very enjoyable walk around the former naval dockyard and waterfront. It is a very peaceful area and a real oasis away from the hustle and bustle of central Stockholm.

We then went back to the main part of the city and saw the National Museum.

And here are some more general pictures.

We stayed at the Crystal Plaza hotel which was about a 20-minute walk from the station (or £9 Uber fare) and in a very good location to get to Gamla Stan and the main centre of Stockholm. Breakfast was included so we were able to really stock up for the day ahead and the 15-20 kms a day which we continued to walk (on our city days!). We found another food hall and we were again able to get a great evening meal for about £12 each. This food hall did not have the same atmosphere or choice as the one in Copenhagen but it was still perfect for us.