Sweden

Want to see one of the cleanest, most beautiful capital cities in the world?

Viking Line brings you to Stockholm, and PoBS Team brings Stockholm to you!

Stockholm, often referred as “The Venice of the North” earned its’ name from the fact that it sits on 14 islands, connected by 57 bridges all in all. The city is packed with stunning built architecture but also with natural wonders, as it is located between Lake Mälaren and the Stockholm Archipelago, a cluster of some 30000 islands, skerries and rocks. Once you take a walk around the city and discover its’ sights and hidden gems, you’ll understand why Stockholm attracts so many tourists all around the year!

Sounds good, but I’m only here for a few hours, so what’s worth taking a look at?

Stockholm’s beautiful old town is certainly worth visiting, with all its’ colorful buildings, busy main square and rich selection of bars, cafés and restaurants. Gamla Stan – as the locals say – is close to the city center, and also to the harbour where our ship will be waiting. Once you are there, why not take a walk around the Royal Palace as well, which is located in the same area? The building is still the Swedish royal family’s official residence up until this day. Once you are done in Gamla Stan, and you still fancy some walking, you could visit the Royal National City Park not too far from the city center. In the same area, you will also find the Skansen open-air museum with stunning old houses, as well as the Aquarium & Baltic Sea Science Center.

Which museums are worth visiting?

If you are a museum-person, we’ve definitely got you covered! There is really no other place like Stockholm, as the city is packed all around with exciting museums to visit. You could go to the famous Vasa Museum, which is understandably being the most visited one in Scandinavia: it is hosting the only preserved 17th century ship in the world, which sank in the Stockholm harbour on its’ first voyage. Other than that, you can also choose to go to the ABBA Museum instead, which is telling the story of Sweden’s most successful musical group. Other excellent options could be Fotografiska, the Nordic Museum, Swedish History Museum, Nationalmuseum, Nobel Prize Museum or the Viking Museum, but there are smaller, more specialized places as well, such as the Snus and Match Museum or the Avicii Experience.

Want to make it as budget-friendly as possible? 

The City Museum, Medieval Museum, National Sports Museum, Swedish Holocaust Museum and the Living History Forum doesn't have any entrance fees.

How about grabbing a bite or drink?

Don’t miss the Swedish “fika” experience, and take your chance to visit a café when you are having a break. Sweden has a strong coffee-culture, which is often consumed with a small snack alongside the drink. The city center has plenty of amazing cafés to spend some free time in: Vete-Katten, Chokladkoppen, Fika & Wine, Cykelcafé Le Mond, Alskade Traditioner, Sosta Bar or Greasy Spoon, just to mention some. 

In addition, by Sweden being an environmentally-friendly country, there is no need to worry in case you are following a vegan diet either. Stockholm is well-equipped with all sorts of options to choose from: Delivore, Fern & Fika, Mahalo, Verte or Full Soul Vegan and are all places for you to explore!

Did you know these facts about Sweden?

- Among the Nordic languages, Swedish has many similarities to Norwegian and Danish, while being more distantly related to Icelandic and Faroese.

- Sweden has the largest population among the Nordic countries, being the only country in the region with a population over 10 million people.

- Sweden is also the largest country in the Nordics with its’ 450,295 km2 land area.

- Sweden loves to recycle: Only 1% of the waste ends up in landfills, 50% is being recycled or composted and 49% is being used to produce energy. To keep the energy production running, Sweden actually has to import waste from abroad. Isn’t that crazy?

- Not only the country, but people of Sweden love recycling too: the sport of plogging – which is a concept of jogging while picking up litter – originates from Sweden, which derives from the expressions of plocka upp (pick up) and jogga (jog).

- Surströmming is a delicacy which originates from Sweden. This lightly salted, fermented Baltic Sea herring is very well known for having one of the most putrid smells in the world.

- Sweden is home of the Nobel Prize! Named after Alfred Nobel, who was a Swedish inventor and also the initiator of the award, Nobel Prizes are given out annually in Stockholm, for the most honourable accomplishments in various fields.

Historical timeline of Stockholm: