Foillsichte: 17.08.2018
[English version below]
We both agree on Stockholm: it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and so far our favorite on the trip!
It's hard to escape the charm of this city, which captivates everyone with its beautiful architecture and enchanting natural landscape (archipelagos).
This time we deliberately chose a hostel in the middle of the historic old town, Gamla Stan. Castanea Old Town Hostel is located just a few hundred meters from the German Church in an old building. It extends over the second floor and impresses with its really nice and familiar atmosphere. Thanks to the hospitality of the staff, we immediately felt at ease, only the beds were probably not as comfortable as in Danhostel Aarhus ;) #DanishBedStoreandstuff
The hostel is really suitable for everyone, especially if you have a great interest in the beautiful old town. If this interest exists, then the Free Walking Tour, which starts daily at 10 a.m., is just right. We thought it was a general Stockholm tour, but in the end it turned out that it was only focused on Gamla Stan (the old town). So a lot was told about some well-known, important and old houses, which was definitely very interesting! However, in our opinion, it can get boring after a while, as there is hardly any variety. But if you are more interested in the history of this 13th century neighborhood, then the tour is just right.
By the way, the changing of the guard is highly recommended! This takes place daily at lunchtime in front of the royal palace in Gamla Stan. You will be treated to a real show with music, horses, etc., so don't miss it! By the way, we were also very impressed by the great blue uniform of the guards. ;)
You can enjoy a view of the city despite major construction sites from the island of Södermalm, where we also walked again at night. Despite the rain, we had a beautiful view of nightly Stockholm. Another great view can be seen from the City Hall, which is also worth seeing, from which you can look out onto the beautiful backdrop of Ridderholmen.
Other highlights include the Vasa Museum, the ABBA Museum and the Nobel Museum. All three are highly recommended and definitely worth a visit if you have the time!! Unfortunately, we did not have it...
But we still had time to visit the Icebar Stockholm! For both of us, it was our first visit to an ice bar and we were very excited! Unfortunately, the price is a bit overpriced for the actually very small room and the very small drink. Nevertheless, it was worth the money for us and we made full use of the time in the icy room at -5°C. On average, it is said that a person spends about 20 minutes in the bar and we were there for 45 minutes, we would probably have stayed even longer if we hadn't had to catch a ferry ;)
By the way, the ferry took us overnight to Turku, Finland. The exit from Stockholm was great, as the sun set behind the city and we were able to enjoy an priceless panorama.
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So far, Stockholm is our favorite city we've traveled to during our journey. Stockholm stretches across 14 islands and consists of 30,000 archipelago islands. It really really is such a beautiful view!
In Stockholm we stayed right in the heart of the old town Gamla Stan at the Castanea Hostel. It is a small and cozy hostel with a very friendly staff and everything you need. It has a nice common room and a small kitchen where you can prepare your food.
And again a Free Walking Tour!! :) We can recommend this tour as well, even though it was a little bit monotonous - it was mainly about the old town Gamla Stan. After that we visited the Royal Palace, a few churches and the City Hall. We highly recommend attending the changing of the guards. You will be presented with parades, music and horses, etc. and it lasts for about 45 minutes. It's very special and in our opinion one of the best changing of the guards!
If you are looking for a nice view over the city, just walk to the City Hall. There you have a perfect view towards Gamla Stan. Take some pictures! :)
Stockholm also has a few interesting museums to offer: the Vasa Museum (a famous warship), the Nobel Prize Museum and the ABBA Museum. Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to go inside, but if you're interested, you should definitely consider a visit. :)
In the evening we took a short walk around the city. Once again, we enjoyed a beautiful view of the city and the river.
The Icebar is another highlight in Stockholm. The bar is made of 40 tons of sculpted ice - just like the drinking glasses. Inside, it has a constant temperature of -7°C.
Just buy an entrance ticket, put on the warm coat and thick gloves that they will give you, and step into a slice of northern Sweden's polar magic.
In the evening we left Sweden by night ferry. We were able to enjoy such a beautiful view over Stockholm with a wonderful sunset, and we passed so many cute archipelago islands.
We really left our hearts in Stockholm and we will definitely come back some day!