14 - My experience in Stockholm

HOW TO GO THERE ?


If you live in Turku that really easy beaqcuse the ferry leave from Turku. So you just have tot take the city bus to go there it's really easy. This time the travel time is really long this is why I did the travel by night on the ship and I booked on little room to sleep there. If you booked your travel really early prices are really correct. 

ABOUT STOCKHOLM

Built along the river and spanned by some fifty bridges, Stockholm appears at first contact as a relaxed Venice of the North, distilling a real sweetness of life, alternating nature and culture, tradition and "branchiness"... 
Forgotten is the image of the distant capital of a cold and boring country. Obsolete, the legendary reserve and institutionalized moderation. Stockholmers show as much energy in adopting new trends as they do in defending their traditions and royalty.
Stockholm takes care of its inhabitants: well-organised public transport, accessible to all, disabled, elderly, mothers with strollers. No dog droppings, no unregulated rubbish bins, "clean and tidy" dominates, without it being a burden... This permanent ecological concern has made Stockholm the first "Green Capital" of Europe.
Stockholm is a capital where art is also omnipresent: in the metro, in the streets, on squares and even in museums...

STORTORGET

Stortorget is a square in Gamla Stan, the historic centre of Stockholm. It's the main square in the old town, when you stand by the fountain, looking up at the colorful facades, you will easily see why these houses are the most photographed buildings in Stockholm. It was the center of the medieval city. It has on its sides many shops, as well as the old building of the Stockholm Stock Exchange, home of the Swedish Academy, and the Nobel Museum and the Nobel Library. This square was the site of Stockholm's bloodbath in 1520, when members of the Swedish nobility were executed on the orders of the Danish King Christian II.

STORKYRKAN

The Storkyrkan, Stockholm's cathedral, is the second oldest church in Stockholm. The story goes that the founder of the city, Birger Jarl, built on the highest point of Stadsholmena wooden chapel during the 13th century. The building burned down and on its site a larger church was built, which was inaugurated in 1306. Enlarged, raised and embellished in the Gothic style during the 15th century, it became the "Cathedral with 5 naves". Numerous ornaments and works of art were placed here from the 17th century onwards. The visitor can therefore see pieces such as St. George Slaying the Dragon, a sculpture made of oak and elk horn by Berndt Notke from Lübeck at the end of the 15th century. In Stockholm, this fabulous representation is associated with the victory of the Swedish knight Stern Sture the Elder against the troops of the Danish king Kristian I in 1471. The altar consists of a triptych of silver and ebony carved in 1650.

STOCKHOLM CITY HALL

Stockholm City Hall is the city council building in Stockholm, Sweden. It is located on the eastern tip of the island of Kungsholmen on Lake Mälar. Designed by the architect Ragnar Östberg, it was built between 1911 and 1923. It is a free reinterpretation of the medieval brick Gothic style town halls typical of northern European Hanseatic towns, such as those at Toruń and Gdańsk. This medieval style is also widespread in Sweden and is considered a national style. It consists of eight million red bricks and is organized around two large squares: the "City Court" on the outside and the "Blue Hall" on the inside. The walls of the "Blue Hall" were originally intended to be painted blue (hence the name) but Östberg changed his mind during the construction process and eventually kept the brick colour, which he found prettier. I didn't visit the interior for lack of time but just from the outside the monument is beautiful and offers a nice view of Stockholm.

GAMLA STAN

The lively little island of Gamla Stan is the old town of Stockholm. It's where I spent most of my time. With cobbled streets and colourful buildings dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, it is home to the medieval Storkyrkan Cathedral and the Royal Palace, the official residence of the King.  Elegant brasseries offer Nordic nouvelle cuisine, while nightlife venues include retro pubs and chic cocktail bars.