South Sweden Tour - Day 19

South Sweden Tour - Day 19

This morning, we took the subway into Stockholm.

Our first stop was 'Gamla Stan' - the Old Town of Stockholm. Here, the winds of history really blow in your ears. And that's not just a metaphor, it was literally very windy with strong gusts throughout.

Small boutiques, nice restaurants, cafés, and old-style pubs alternate with stylish cocktail bars. The Nobel Prize Museum is also located here.

'Tre Konor' was the name of the medieval castle that once stood in Gamla Stan. Around it, merchant houses, warehouses, noble palaces, and churches were built.
The castle burned down in 1697, and in its place now stands the massive royal palace.

The palace is a combination of a royal residence and a royal workplace.

Near the palace, we started a sightseeing tour with a 'Hop On-Hop Off' bus.

We passed by the Old Town with its cobblestone streets (very hard to walk on) and colorful buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Next, we went to Kungsträdgården, a park in a shopping district with the best department stores in the city (not good for our wallets) and the Strandvägen with exclusive residences.

After that, we saw the Vasa Museum from the outside, home to the only preserved ship from the 17th century in the world, along with other museums, such as the Nordiska Museum and Junibacken (Astrid Lindgren).
Then we arrived at the ABBA Museum and the amusement park with rides.
We passed by 'Skansen', Stockholm's open-air museum with country houses and neighborhoods from all over Sweden dating back to the mid-19th century.
Next, we reached Karlaplan Square, right in the heart of Stockholm's most exclusive area.
We also passed by the Stureplan Entertainment Market, where the high class likes to meet and party all night, as well as Stockholm's COOLSTER Bar. The temperature remains at -5°C throughout the year.
Next, we went to the city hall, an important building in the city. A total of 8 million bricks were needed for the building with its 106-meter high tower. The Nobel Prize dinner is also always held here.
Finally, we came to the Free Port and cruise terminal as well as Stadsgården Cruise Terminal.
It was a truly beautiful and informative tour.
From the palace, where we got off again, we plunged back into the Old Town.
It was a lovely day, but by the evening, we both agreed that we had had enough of the big city for now. Tomorrow we plan to visit the Vasa Museum before heading back to quieter areas on Tuesday.