Day Trip - Birka (Viking Town)

Rounding out my weekend as tour guide for my friend visiting from Wales... we took a trip to Birka for the day. Birka is considered to be Sweden's first town and was active (750-960 A.D.) in the Viking Age with a population of about 700 people at its height (around 3,000 graves have been found). Birka was an important trading center as seen by grave items found originating in the Middle-East and mainland Europe. Archaeologists don't know exactly why the town was abandoned, but, at about the same time, nearby Sigtuna rose in importance. Birka is located on the island of Björkö in lake Mälaren, about an hour and 45 minute boat ride inland from Stockholm. During the Viking Age the water level was much higher and Birka was directly connected to the Baltic Sea.

Today the island and archaeological site are on UNESCO's World Heritage list. If you go to Birka expecting to see the fabulous ruins of an ancient city like Machu Pichu, you will be disappointed. Birka was built mainly of wood and all that is left are the grave mounds and black earth and it takes a little imagination to envision what the town once looked like. Fortunately visitors are helped first by visiting the on-site museum where they have miniature replicas of what the town may have looked like as well as eager and knowledgable tour guides who take you through the grave fields and the site of where the town once stood. A recent addition to the site is a life size replica of part of the town, complete with working Vikings. It is made up of 4 or 5 dwellings, gardens and boats. The Vikings go about their business doing their daily chores including smithy work. One week in July they set up a Viking market as well. In my opinion it is the tour guides who make the trip extra special. They are all archaeology students and you can feel their passion for their work. There are hour long tours in both Swedish and English as well as a later tour designed for children. Speaking of which, this is a great trip to take children on! I sent a family of four from Germany there last week and it was a big hit. Otherwise I recommend this day trip for nature and history lovers alike...

Strömma is the company that runs the tours. They leave daily (mid May to mid September) from City Hall at 9:30am and you are back in town at 5pm (this gives you almost 4 hours on the island- enough time to take the tour, visit the museum and have lunch). There is a cafe on board the boat as well as a restaurant on the island. The cost of the tour is 295 SEK, half off for children between 6 and 11. Included in the price is the boat trips (with on board guide), museum entrance and guided tour of the island.

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AN day trip, history, museum, strömma, unesco

Renting Kayaks in Stockholm

Stockholm isn't called the Venice of the North for nothing! Central Stockholm alone is built on about 15 islands, so there is water everywhere. One fun activity to do on a sunny afternoon is to rent a kayak and paddle around the islands. Stockholm is at her most beautiful when seen from the water! Kayaking is fun and you don't need to be an Olympian to do it... good as a family outing. There are several places to rent kayaks by the hour/day and it is generally quite inexpensive. Depending on the place, you are looking at about 100 SEK an hour though it is sometimes cheaper if you take the kayak for half or full day.
When choosing a kayak rental place think about where you want to paddle! Stockholm actually strides the borderline between a lake and the ocean with the Old Town being the borderline. Everything to the east is the Baltic Sea and everything to the west is Lake Mälaren. If you want to paddle in the lake then I recommend Kafé Kajak located in Rålambshovs Park on the island of Kungsholmen. Or else you can head across the bridge to the island of Långholmen where you will find Långholmen Kajak. Here you will be able to paddle by a lot of parklands and beaches as well as cliffs where Stockholmers enjoy diving and sunbathing. If you want to paddle in the Baltic Sea area, then I recommend Djurgårdens Sjöcafé located on near the bridge leading from Östermalm over to the island of Djurgården.
Stay close to the island of Djurgården so you don't stray too far out into the shipping lanes! Lots to see here... beuatiful parks as well as great architecture on Strandvägen and the villas on the southside of the island. Another option is to paddle in the lake called Brunnsviken on the northern outskirts of Stockholm. Haga Park surrounds the lake with lots of interesting things to see like Haga Castle and Stockholm University... you also don't have to worry about larger boats! The place to rent kayaks here is Brunnsvikens Kanotcentral.
Their websites, that I've linked, are in Swedish so it is better to contact me directly at the hotel for prices and directions on how to get there as well as other practical information. Have fun!

If you are feeling more adventurous then you can do a full day of kayaking out in the beautiful archipelago. Stockholm Adventures offers tours all summer, Thursdays through Sundays. The price is approximately 1,000 SEK (depends on the day) and includes lunch. You leave Stockholm at about 9am and head to the town of Stavsnäs where you will be met by the guide. You will be back in Stockholm at around 6pm.

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AN archipelago, day trip, Djurgården, Haga Park, kayak

Day Trip - Skokloster Castle

The tour to Skokloster Castle goes on the same boat as the one to Sigtuna (see last entry below). After stopping at Sigtuna the boat continues on for 1 hour more to the castle. The cost is the same... 290 SEK for a round trip tour.

Skokloster Castle is one of many castles and palaces scattered thoughout the Mälar Valley and perhaps the most well preserved baroque castles in the world and a monument to Sweden's Age of Power. Completed in 1676, the castle was built by Carl Gustav Wrangel and later came into the posession of the influential Brahe family. Wrangel was quite the collector and the armoury is filled with an amazing display of weaponry and even exotic objects from around the world. The baroque interior design is spectacular... hard to know where to rest your eyes with all of the magnificent furniture, tapestries and paintings. You are met by a guide at the boat dock who takes you through the castle, explaining the contents of the castle as well as about the Wrangel and Brahe families. The grounds are beautiful, especially considering that the castle is located in the Skohalvön nature reserve. There is a gift shop and a café for lunch on the castle grounds as well as a nearby church. You have two hours in all before the boat heads back to Stockholm. You are back in town at around 6:10pm.

The tour runs Wednesday through Sunday from July 3rd to August 22nd.

You want to go to Skokloster Castle on your own? Take the commuter train north to Bålsta and then get on bus #311 for Skokloster. The trip takes approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. Click here for more information on public transportation.

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AN boat, castle, day trip, history, museum, Skokloster, strömma

Day Trip - Sigtuna

(EDIT: Strömma does not offer this tour anymore... but you can still visit the town on your own. Info at end of this article) I had the pleasure today to try out two new day trips that Strömma are offering Summer 2013. They are Sigtuna town and Skokloster Castle. The tours both leave on the same boat from in front of City Hall (Stadshusbron), you just choose if you want to get off first at Sigtuna or continue on to Skokloster. The cost is the same... 290 SEK for a round-trip ticket.

Sigtuna is located just north-west of Stockholm on the way to Uppsala. It was an important trading center and is considered the first city in Sweden. Sigtuna had its golden age between the late 900's and the mid 1200's when Stockholm rose to prominence. The city layout looks today much like it did back in its heyday with the main street (Stora gatan) still in place... though the buildings are mainly from the 17 and 1800s.

The tour starts by boat at 9:45am and the trip to Sigtuna takes approximately 2 hours. It is a beautiful trip through the forests and farmlands surrounding Lake Mälaren, sometimes going through narrow waterways and draw bridges. There is a cafeteria onboard serving light refreshments and a guide is there to explain the history of the countryside passing by. The tour continues on land with a guide who takes you through the charming streets of Sigtuna as well as seeing the church, ruins and runestones that are scattered through the town (the county has the highest concentration of runestones in Sweden). You then have some time on your own to explore, shop and eat lunch. Entrance to the Sigtuna Museum is included in the tour price. All in all you have 4 hours in the town before the boat picks you up for the trip back to Stockholm. You are back at about 6:10pm.

The tour runs Wednesdays through Sundays from July 3rd to August 22nd.

Would you like to visit Sigtuna on your own? Take the commuter train north to Märsta, there get on the bus #570 going towards Hässelboskolan. The trip takes approximately 1 hour. Click here for more information on public transportation.

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AN boat, day trip, history, museum, Sigtuna, strömma

Day Trip - Finnhamn

Last week I visited one of my favorite islands located in the Outer Archipelago... Finnhamn. Along with my visiting parents, I took one of the Cinderella boats out. We opted for a short visit, taking the same Cinderella boat back when it returned 1½ hours later... though one can stay longer and take the evening boat back. There are also several forms of accomodations if you wish to stay the night. Everything from camping in your own tents to renting a cabin to staying at the hostel. The island has a nice restaurant as well as a store selling food and other necessities needed for camping or having a picnic. There are several trails criss-crossing the island and it's a perfect place to take a nature walk. Whenever I come here, I usually take a nice walk to the other side of the island through the beech trees and meadows before ending with a nice herring lunch overlooking the water.

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AN archipelago, day trip, Finnhamn, strömma

Stockholm Archipelago

Traversing Stegesund straights by Vaxholm

 One of the top destinations for summer tourists in Stockholm is the archipelago (called Skärgården in Swedish) stretching out from the city into the Baltic Sea. I have noticed, however, that tourists really don't understand just how large the archipelgo is. It is vast, about 1,700 square kilometers in size (150 kilometers north to south and 80 kilometers east to west) and made up of over 30,000 islands. I often get guests who think that they can see the whole archipelago in a couple of hours. While there are shorter tours that give you a glimpse of the islands, to really see the archipelgo you need a full day. Once again, the company Strömma gives you the most options of getting around. They offer both a shorter guided tour, which is about 3 hours long and takes you out to Vaxholm and back, and a longer guided tour, which is about 11 hours long and lets you see a large part of the archipelago. The shorter trip costs 220 SEK for adults (110 SEK for children 6-11yrs) and you can combine the tour with a meal. The tour does not stop at any of the islands. The longer tour costs 975 SEK and includes coffee, lunch and a dinner (488 SEK for children 6-11yrs). If you choose you can opt for a 2 course dinner (cost 1110 SEK and 550 for children 6-11yrs). On the longer tour you do stop at several islands and have a chance to explore a bit. Click here for a map showing some of the more popular islands. You can also explore the islands on your own, which I definitely recommend for those with a sense of adventure. The best option, in my opinion, are the Cinderella boats that travel from Stockholm to the outer archipelago and back. One boat goes to the island of Sandhamn before returning and another boat goes to Möja and back. Both boats stop at several islands along the way(there and back)... like Vaxholm, Grinda and Finnhamn. I often take a Cinderella boat and get off at one of the islands, explore and then jump back on the Cinderella boat on its return trip. Keep in mind... the farther out you go the less time you have to explore. The boats leave around 9am and get back around 5pm. There is a café and restaurant on board. It is quite inexpensive and you pay according to which island you disembark at, but no more than 300 SEK round-trip. Almost all of these islands have cafés, restaurants, trails and beaches. Lots to do and see! Strömma also offers daytrips to the island of Sandhamn (which some consider the quintessential archipelago village/island).



Cinderella boat arriving at Finnhamn

How ever you decide to see the archipelago, short or long, guided or on your own... you won't be disappointed! Truly a natural wonder of the world!

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AN archipelago, boat, day trip, sightseeing, strömma

Drottningholm Palace

Drottningholm Palace!

My parents are currently visiting me and the other day I decided to take them to one of my favorite places to visit: Drottningholm Palace. Not only is the palace the current residence of the king and queen of Sweden, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage site (one of three in Stockholm). The palace was built in the late 1600's and is a great example of European architecture of this period.

Interior of palace. Photo by: Alexis Daflos

While it is open for the public year-round, it is during the summer that one really should visit the palace. They have more generous opening hours (daily from May through September) during the summer and it is also the best time to explore the beautiful gardens surrounding the palace. The gardens are massive and contain both French & English influences, as well as fountains, sculptures, waterfalls, hedges and groves. On the grounds you will also find the Chinese Pavillion, built in 1753 by King Adolf Fredrik, and Drottningholm Theatre.

Part of the Chinese Pavillion complex

Another great reason to visit Drottningholm during the summer is the trip to the palace itself. Drottningholm Palace is located on an island in Lake Mälaren on the western outskirts of Stockholm. While you can get there from the city by a combination of subway and bus, the best way is by boat! The sightseeing company Strömma runs boat trips out to the palace all summer long. The boats (historic, turn of the century ships) depart from the pier adjacent to City Hall and the trip takes just under an hour.

Looking back at palace from the gardens

The boat ride takes you through the suburbs and countryside and is very relaxing & enjoyable, especially on a sunny day. On board you will find a restaurant and café. During the high season the boats depart every half hour which gives you the flexibility of spending the full day or just an afternoon at the palace. A round trip ticket costs 175 SEK and one can also purchase a combination ticket which includes entrance to the palace (320 SEK). If you are staying at the Rival Hotel, contact me and I can help you with booking tickets! Pictures taken by me, unless marked otherwise.

Strömma's boat to Drottningholm

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AN day trip, history, nature, royal, strömma, unesco

Day Trip to Saltsjöbaden

It's the high season here in Stockholm now with some great weather... and on these days many visitors want to head out to the archipelago to cool off. This can mean long lines to crowded boats. However, there is a way to get a feel of the archipelago without traveling by boat: the seaside resort town of Saltsjöbaden. It is located just south-east of Stockholm and is easy to get to using the commuter train line called Saltsjöbanan. The train runs twice an hour, traveling between Slussen (just a 10 minute walk from the Rival Hotel) and Saltsjöbaden. The trip takes 30 minutes and all SL tickets & access cards as well as the Stockholm Card work, otherwise it is 45 SEK for one-way ticket. As the trains go quite often, you can choose to spend a full or half day there.

I took the trip yesterday with my parents, just to get out of the city and enjoy a relaxing lunch by the water. Saltsjöbaden is a sleepy town and boat harbor. There is a hotel there and several restaurants, including Holmen and Aqua. Many Swedes go to Saltsjöbaden to enjoy the beach or go boating. There is a gated sandy beach area called Salsjöbadens Friluftsbad where they have slides, trampolines, a restaurant as well as changing areas. To get there, just walk down to the harbor and cross the small bridge to the island and then follow the path around to the other side. The price is 60 SEK for adults and 30 SEK for children between 7 and 15 years of age. On a budget? People do enjoy the sun and swim from the nearby rocky outcroppings.

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AN archipelago, day trip, swimming