With the end of May, exams done and dusted and the summer sun finally arriving in London, it was time to visit Sweden. After Iceland in 2012, Norway in 2014 it was about time I visited the Nordic country most well-known for its interior design (IKEA!!!!).
However, after being trapped in the house slaving on exam papers, my itinerary covered more than roaming in museums and humongous jungle that are IKEA stores. With the help of a native Swedish friend, I set about foraging into the lesser-visited spots in Sweden:
YOUTUBE VIDEO: “WHAT TO DO IN SWEDEN”
FORTNIGHT IN SWEDEN ITINERARY
DAY 1: Flight from London Gatwick to Stockholm Arlanda Airport
DAY 2 -5: STOCKHOLM (Gamla Stan, Secret Stockholm Viewpoint, Stockholm Archipelago, Vaxholm, Djurgarden, Langholmen Beach, Skogskyrkogarden)
Day 6-9: GOTHENBURG (Freskekorka, Skansen, Southern Archipelago, Garden Society, Sodra Skargarden, Saluhallen)
DAY 10-14: MALMO (Oresund Bridge, Little Square, Lilla Torg, Malmohus Castle, Design/Form Museum)
This post will focus on my time at Stockholm, the first of three stops in Sweden. Having slept overnight at Gatwick Airport (in an effort to save the cost of an 70% increase in ticket cost for an early hours train), we arrived in Stockholm with barely awake.
My local Swedish friend got us each a Stockholm transport day pass and we immediately began to explore the amazing underground network of Stockholm.
Apart from being insanely efficient and on time, each station was genuinely a piece of art. The bare rock of the station has all been meticulously designed by artists – it feels like you’ve entered into a whole new world!
SECRET STOCKHOLM VIEWPOINT + MEETING SUPERMODEL MS SWEDEN
Our Swedish local friend then took us to a secret overhanging restaurant in the centre of Stockholm. After sneaking into the building like Tom Cruise (shuffling into the lift with people with security passes and climbing through windows) we made it into the exclusive restaurant.
Not only was the view spectacular – so were the people! I noticed a supermodel posing in front of a few photographers and some make-up artists and decided to ask her “are you famous?”
Turns out not only was she famous, she was actually the winner of Ms Universe Sweden 2013… I immediately asked for a photograph!
STOCKHOLM ARCHIPELAGO
A must visit of Stockholm is the Stockholm Archipelago. A group of picturesque islands which are located only half an hours journey from the city centre. The general atmosphere was incredibly relaxed with amazing views of the various islands and rivers.
SKANSEN
There’s no need to leave the city to experience Swedish nature, the urbanised island of Skansen. The island is a great vantage point looking across at downtown Stockholm. There’s also a fairly large amusement park if you’re running low on adrenaline.
GAMLA STAN
The annual Nobel Prize is awarded in the island of Gamla Stan. Also home to the Swedish king and royal family, the island has the perfect mix of history and authentic Swedish heritage.
A great place to start is the watching the guard change in front of the royal palace and Stockholm in the background. You should then walk downwards toward the old town in Stockholm, a great place to sit down for a coffee (or “Fika” as the Swedish call it) or go for some light shopping.
DROTTNINGHOLM PALACE
40 minutes from the city centre, Drottningholm palace is definitely worth a visit. Although you don’t really have to go in (hugely expensive and a massive rip-off) and just take in the sights from the outside. There’s also a beautiful insanely large back-garden worth walking for free. It’s a perfect place to go for an outdoor picnic on a beautiful summer afternoon.
Clement Ma 