Things to do in Stockholm: Skansen, Gamla Stan, the Vasa

Stockholm was the last stop on our Baltic Cruise, we only had a couple of days here before heading home so we tried to see as much of the city as possible and definitely hit all the highlights.

 

View of Stockholm from Skansen

Top Sights in Stockholm

Stockholm is not as compact as Helsinki but can be easily seen on foot and some public transportation, which is convenient and easy to use. During our short stay, we got to see and really enjoyed:

• Skansen
• The Vasa Museum
• The Royal Armory and Changing of the Guard
• Gamla Stan
• Harbor Cruise

And if you are arriving in Stockholm on a Cruise ship like we did, you will pass some of the most beautiful island scenery before entering the terminal. Stockholm is surrounded by islands, but we had to be up at 5:00 a.m. to be able to see them, it was well worth it!

Skansen

Skansen is an open air folk museum/park and a  great place for the kids.  It's a collection of historical Swedish "mini-cities", including homes, churches, post offices, etc. to recreate Swedish culture and life.  You see traditional crafts in action,  like glassblowing and pottery, and walk through beautiful gardens of all kinds, rose gardens, herb gardens, you name it.

There is also a zoo with the typical nordic animals, kids will enjoy the brown bears and cubs, the petting zoos, the pony rides... we easily spent a half day here.

The Vasa Museum

About a 15 minute walk from Skansen is the Vasa Museum.  The Vasa was a warship that sunk on her maiden voyage in 1628. It remained under the sea at the bottom of the Stockholm Harbor for 333 years until it was salvaged by marine archeologists in 1961 and it is in an amazingly well-preserved condition.

Most of what you see at the Museum is the original ship,  about 95%  of the original carvings were salvaged, very few pieces have been restored.  There's over 500 carved statues that decorate the ship.   The Vasa was named after Gustav Vasa, who is considered the Builder of the Kindom and Father of the Nation of Sweden. 

There is a film that explains how it was salvaged and gives you a very good insight of the enormity of the task.  The film is 25 minutes long and available in many languages.  Check times when you first arrive for the language of your choice. 

The museum is set up in 6 different levels, the film theaters you will find at the entrance level (which is actually level 4)  and throughout the different levels  there are many interesting exhibits about naval warfare, how a ship like Vasa was sailed, how ships were built at that time, for example.  The exhibit about life at sea is quite interesting for the kids, you get to climb on a full-scale model of the upper gun deck and take a look at original objects found on board. 

 Between the film, checking out the ship and the exhibits, we spent about 90 minutes.  There is also a coffee shop at the museum if you're ready for a break.

The Royal Armory and Changing of the Guard

The Royal Palace  is used normally for state functions and although this is the official Residence of His Majesty the King of Sweden, this is not where the Royal Family lives.  In between the official functions, the Royal Apartments are open to the public. 

The highlights here are the Royal Armory and the Military Parade and Changing of the Guard that takes place every day around noon.

In the vaults of the palace cellars, the Royal Armory is a great collection of medieval suits of armor, weapons, royal and coronation gowns, equestrian outfits, and royal carriages, all beautifully displayed.  It gives you a glimpse into five centuries of Swedish royal history, from Gustav Vasa to the present King Carl Gustaf XVI and all exhibits are made for and belonged to the Royal family. 

The Royal Armoury is set up in three parts.  At the entrance level start the permanent exhibits which  house relics like the armor and weapons made and used by Gustav Vasa, Gustav II Adolf's horse, wedding and coronation gowns worn by the royal family through the centuries to the present day, Crown Princess Victoria's coming out dress takes center stage at one of the exhibits.  Also one room dedicated to the Royal Nursery, it contains toys, clothing, christening gowns, etc, of the little prince and princesses.  Probably one of the best collections we've seen in Europe and great for the kids that are into Knights and Royal paraphernalia.

Following the Permanent exhibits are the Temporary exhibitions, this is also where you find a Play and Learn Exhibit, a hands on play room that offers games and activities for children.  Here kids can try on a full armor, the heavy crowns and royal gowns, great fun for little princesses and brave knights!

The final section of the Royal Armory contains the Royal Carriages, the Royal Mews finest are housed here at the Royal Armory.  They have been used for celebrations from coronations to royal weddings.

After the Royal Armory, we headed to the Palace's outer courtyard before the military parade arrived.  The parade arrives at the palace around noon, you need to check the schedules because the time depends on the day of the week and the time of the year.

Get there a little early if you want to grab a good place as it gets quite crowded.  The entire thing lasts about an hour, from the guard changing to the marching band concert, it is a lively and entertaining event with a pageantry and festive atmosphere. 

Gamla Stan

After the Changing of the Guard and Marching Band concert we went to explore the rest of the Old Town. Gamla Stan is a Stockholm's historic Old Town with the narrow cobblestone streets, charming homes, antique shops, churches, and historic monuments.

There is a lot to see and little surprises here and there.  We followed the Gamla Stan self-guided walk on Rick Steves' Scandinavia.  It takes you through the narrow alleys, to the churches and cathedrals, interesting spots like the Iron Boy and the Rune Stone, and points out some great viewpoints along the walk. 

Stockholm Harbor Cruise

Stockholm is surrounded by water, a great and relaxing way to see the city is on a boat tour.  There are several tours offered, some depart from across the Grand Hotel, and some from the pier around the City Hall.
Some are short and last about 50 minutes, others more comprehensive last about two hours.

Some boat tours are covered by the Stockholm Card (see below), others offer discounts with the card, check routes and itineraries as they all offer different sections of the city, some might be of more interesting to you than others.

Another alternative is the hop-on-hop-off boat, with stops at all the above sites we covered, or you can take it for the 50 minute loop as a quick orientation tour.

Seeing Stockholm with the Stockholm Card

We got a Stockholm Card, they had them at the front desk at the hotel, and it covers entrance to the parks and museums as well as public transportation for 24 hours (bus, metro and ferry) and discounts for the harbor cruises. They also have them for 2-3 days if you are staying longer.  The card is pricey, but if  you are planning to visit at least two of the major sights, the Vasa and Skansen for example, then you definitely will get your money's worth plus the convenience of just hopping on and off  the public transport without having to hassle with tickets, small change, etc. 

If you use it the first day at say, 11:00 a.m., you have until the same time the next day to enter the last site.  We de-boarded our ship around 8:00 a.m. and by the time we were checked-in and settled in the hotel, it was 11:00 a.m. before we took our first bus ride and headed over to Skansen.  We later used it to get in the Vasa Museum, and finally for the Harbour Cruise that night.  Then the next day, we were at the Royal Armoury at the Palace by 10:30 a.m. and were able to use the card there as well.  So if you time it right you can get a lot of mileage out of your Stockholm Card and it certainly makes it very convenient to get around, we highly recommend it!