What do you do when you find yourself in one of the most beautiful capitals in Europe and only 24 hours to spare? You take in as much as possible, starting with the Stockholm in One Day Tour.
Stockholm represents the best of land and sea – a vibrant city surrounded by an idyllic Baltic archipelago and a large lake, rich culture and history, juxtaposed against an urban area of sleek design and trendy fashion.
Stockholm’s picturesque waterfront.
A Stockholm in One Day tour offers an insight into both of Stockholm’s landscapes – a comfortable coach tour around the city followed by a cruise of the picturesque canal and islands. The tour takes a total of 2.5 hours, and both parts of the tour were accompanied by a very detailed audio narration.
The first view on the bus portion was a glimpse at the towering statue of Gustavis Adolphus the Great, a larger-than-life character in Swedish history. Dubbed “the Lion of the North” he is regarded as one of the greatest military commanders of all time. The beloved expansionist king ruled Sweden from 1611 to 1632 and is credited with making Sweden one of Europe’s strongest powers. He also established Stockholm as the capital.
One of the highlights of Stockholm is undoubtedly the original section or Old Town, called Gamla Stan. Some of the buildings date back as early as the 1300s tilting towards each other on either side of the narrow, cobblestone alleys. We drove past examples of iconic medieval architecture, the Stockholm Cathedral, and the Royal Palace, all the while I was furiously snapping photos, taking notes, and making plans to return to explore this vibrant area on foot.
Our tour took us to Karlaplan, a circular park in the Östermalm section. This popular plaza with its center fountain was created during the 1980s in the image of Place de l’Étoile in Paris. Karlaplan was named to honor the many Swedish kings named Karl, e.g. Karl X Gustav, Karl XI and Karl XII. The park spills over into an area of exclusive, high-end homes.
Boats for cruising around Stockholm’s canals and islands.
Water rippling and sun beaming in the electric blue sky of the Swedish summer, the excitement was palpable as we departed the ferry docks on our canal boat headed for Djurgården, one of Stockholm’s most popular recreational islands. It’s easy to understand why the island is a favorite with both locals and tourists – the island hosts the Skansen open air museum, the Abba the Museum, the Vasa Museum and other museums and monuments along with historical buildings and the amusement park Gröna Lund.
The pier disappeared into the horizon as we drifted past Östermalm – where we’d been earlier – for a very different and dramatic water view of the region and its attractive ochre-colored buildings.
One of Stockholm’s many bridges.
The boat ducked under some of Stockholm’s many bridges, creating the perfect backdrop as testified by the endless shutter clicks.
The cruise ended back at the ferry docks in a pedestrian-friendly part of the city, inviting the departing tourists to continue exploring the waterfront. I walked along the harbor path, sharing the promenade with joggers, toddlers in strollers, and businesspersons speaking into cell phones. I gazed across the water at the buildings which seemed to hover on the water, creating a surreal vibe that I couldn’t help but breathe in and hold onto. Twenty-four hours in Stockholm certainly left me with a favorable impression and a strong desire to return for more!
- Conrtibuted by Patti Morrow
