DESTINATION:
Stockholm
Set over 14 islands, Stockholm is a truly unique capital city and a fantastic destination for a short visit. Its 700 year history has seen the rise and fall of an Empire. Once one of the great powers of northern Europe in the 17th century with territory encompassing Denmark, parts of Russia and Poland, the Great Northern War from 1700 onwards saw the gradual incursion of Russian power into Swedish sovereignty. The 18th century saw the Swedish enlightenment and the fascinating rule of the ‘enlightened despot’ Gustav III before royal absolutism was abolished a hundred years later.
Sweden’s grand and varied history can still be seen in its capital and the surrounding area today. In particular, the lofty heights it reached in the 17th century were accompanied by building works and are displayed by Sklokloster Castle, built between 1652 and 1676 and the imposing Drottningholm Palace, which still houses the Swedish royal family.
Aside from this imperial pomp, modern Stockholm is a charming city and the old town is a delight to visit, made up of cobblestone streets and gothic churches, including the 13th century Storkyrkan whilst its art galleries and museums are some of Europe’s finest, including the Thielska Gallery, housing 19th and 20th century works from the likes of Eugéne Jansson, Carl Larsson, Bruno Liljefors and Edvard Munch, as well as the Moderna Museum of modern art.
Recommended duration - 4 nights/5 days
KEY VISITS (Recommended)
- ROYAL PALACE – the King of Sweden’s official residence and the setting for the majority of the monarchy’s official receptions. Here we will visit the Royal Apartments, the Treasury and the Tre Kronor (Three Crowns) Museum. The original palace dates back to the 13th century but was rebuilt following a fire in 1697. The palace we see today, designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger, is a wonderful blend of Italian and French architecture with pronounced Swedish influences. A highlight is undoubtedly Karl XI’s Gallery, which is used for royal banquets, and further points of interest include the opulent Hall of State, with a spectacular silver throne; the intimate Royal Chapel; the sumptuous marble Western Staircase; and Gustav III’s Museum of Antiquities. The treasury displays key items of State regalia, including King Erik XIV’s crown, orb and sceptre. The Three Crowns Museum chronicles the history of the Royal Palace over the centuries and includes models of the castle showing how it looked before the fire. It also houses several objects which were salvaged from the fire, including glassware and crockery.
- OLD TOWN (Gamla Stan) – to include a walking tour of its narrow, cobbled streets and numerous antique shops.
- STORKYRKA – the seven hundred-year old Cathedral which was the base for the Lutheran reformation in Sweden from the 1520s. The 15th century Gothic interior and Italian Baroque exterior are at odds with each other stylistically but this building is especially worth visiting for the extraordinary polychrome sculpture (oak and elk horn) of St George and the Dragon created by Bernt Notke in 1489.
- KAKNÄSTORNET TOWER – the major hub of Swedish television, radio and satellite broadcasts. It was finished in 1967, designed by architect Bengt Lindroos with a height of 155 metres, or 170 metres with the antenna included.
- HALLWYLSKA MUSEUM – built from 1892-7 for the vastly rich Count and Countess Walther and Wilhelmena Von Hallwyl and bequeathed to the nation in 1930. Amongst the many treasures amassed is a fine collection of 16th and 17th century Netherlandish paintings.
- NATIONAL MUSEUM KONSTAKADEMIEN – home of the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts, an independent organization that promotes the development of painting, sculpture, architecture, and other fine arts.
- ST JACOB’S CHURCH – situated on the edge of the Kungstradgarden (King’s Garden), the church is dedicated to St Jacob, the patron saint of wayfarers and is a protestant construction (1590-1643) with quite a pulpit!
- CHURCH OF HEDVIG ELEONORA – established in 1737 to give the Swedish Navy its own place for religious services. The dome was added in 1866-68 and the main bell is a war trophy from Denmark. The pulpit and altar, as in so many Lutheran churches, are the main areas of elaborate decoration within an austerely splendid interior.
- DROTTNINGHOLM PALACE – listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, parts of the palace are still used by the current Royal Family as a private residence. Its lavish architecture reflects many European styles of the day and highlights include Queen Hedvig Eleonora’s spectacularly ornate state bedroom, Queen Lovisa Ulrika’s Library, and the splendid staircase adorned with trompe l’oeil paintings. We will also visit the Drottingholm Castle Theatre which dates to 1766. The theatre was commissioned by Queen Lovisa Ulrika and designed by Carl Fredrik Adelcrantz. Although simple in design, the wooden theatre is one of the oldest of its kind and the original scenery is still in working order.
- MODERNA MUSUEM – which boasts one of the world’s finest collections of modern art from 1900 to the present day, including key works by artists such as Marcel Duchamp, Louise Bourgeois, Pablo Picasso, Niki de Saint Phalle, Salvador Dali, Carolee Schneemann, Henri Matisse and Robert Rauschenberg, along with more recent acquisitions of contemporary art. The collection also comprises photographic art from the 1840s onward.
ISLAND OF DJURGÅRDEN
- VASA MUSEUM – the impressive royal warship, Vasa, sank in Stockholm Harbour on her maiden voyage in 1628 and was not salvaged until over 300 years later (in 1961). She has since been painstakingly restored over a complex 17-year programme and can now be seen with her complete rigging at the Vasa Museum, which opened to the public in 1990.
- THIELSKA GALLERY – housed in the former residence of art collector and patron, Ernest Thiel. This is one of Sweden’s finest galleries and is beautifully set in walled grounds at Blockhusudden in the royal park of Djurgården. The gallery houses a unique collection of works of art from the 19th and early 20th centuries by leading artists of the period, including Eugéne Jansson, Carl Larsson, Bruno Liljefors, Edvard Munch, August Strindberg and Anders Zorn.
- SKANSEN MUSEUM – the first open air museum in the world, and a zoological park specialising in Scandinavian fauna. Founded in 1891 by Artur Hazellus (1833-1901) for the purpose of showing how people had lived and worked in different parts of Sweden in times gone by. Over the years about 150 historical buildings have been moved there from nearly every part of Sweden.
- WALDEMARSUDDE – the complex includes the Palace, built in 1903–1905 as a residence for Prince Eugen (1865–1947) and a gallery that was added in 1913. Architect Ferdinand Boberg designed both buildings in close cooperation with Prince Eugen. The Prince, son of King Oscar II and Queen Sophia, was one of the leading landscape painters of his time.
ALTERNATIVE VISITS
- ÖSTERMALMSHALLEN – a quality food market/delicatessen. The cast iron shell of this hall, which opened in 1888, is a fine example of late 19th century design, combining the utilitarian with the elegant.
FURTHER AFIELD
UPPSALA
- CHURCHES AT VENDEL AND TENSTA – these fascinating 13th century churches are home to some extraordinary 15th century wall paintings.
- UPPSALA CATHEDRAL – the tallest and largest cathedral in the whole of Scandinavia, it houses the reliquary of Erik the Holy. Many famous Swedes are also buried in the cathedral, including King Gustav I (Vasa), Carl Linnaeus and Nathan Söderblom.
- CAROLINA REDIVIVIA (University Library) – houses the famous Codex Argentus (Silver Bible), which is one of the most complete existing bibles written in the Gothic language. Also exhibited are rare maps, ancient manuscripts, illuminated works and the first ever book to be printed in Sweden.
- SKOKLOSTER CASTLE – located on a peninsula in Lake Mälaren. The stately home was built in Baroque Style between 1654 and 1676 for Carl Gustaf Wrangel – potentate, fashion connoisseur and big spender, who was an avid collector of art, antiques and nature specimens. The castle’s sumptuous chambers are home to a remarkable collection of paintings as well as furniture, textiles, silver and glass tableware.