ome.	Stockholm	Me	Links
	Owerview

Let me show you a few sights from my hometown; Stockholm. The capital of the kingdom of Sweden and one of the truly beautiful cities of Europe.

The Old Town
	Stockholm was founded some 700 years ago on a number of islands between lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea. You can still see remnants from those days; particularly in the old part of town, fittingly called "Gamla stan", i.e. the Old Town. Most houses in this part of town are still built on mediaeval foundations and the streets follow the walls of the original fort. Some of the more noticeable buildings in the old town are of course the Royal Castle and "Storkyrkan", i.e. the Large Church and the house of peers, "Riddarhuset". The royal castle was built between the years 1690 and 1754 after a fire that destroyed the old castle "Tre Kronor", three Crowns. The building in the centre of the picture is the royal castle where you can see the chancing of the royal guard most days at noon. To the left is the house of parliament and in the bottom, right corner you can see the house of peers. In the background you can make out the Nordic museum, a fantastic building created to the industrial exhibition in 1897 and the roof of the Vasa museum containing a warship that sunk after a few minutes of her maiden voyage some 350 years ago. A must if you are in the area!
The water
	As Stockholm is built on a number of islands, you would expect to see a lot of water in and around the city. And truth to tell, you are never far from the water. This picture was take in the centre of town, a mere 100 meters or so from the central station and the hectic shopping and business districts. Despite being in the middle of city with a population of a million and a half, the water is so clean that you can not only swim in it (it may be a bit too cold for your taste!) but you can also drink it strait from the sea without any great risk (Well, maybe not recommended by the health authorities, but you can do it if you want to. Our mayor has done it several times in order to show visitors what pollution control is really all about). Should you be so inclined, you can also catch fish in the middle of town. You can see quite a few people catching their dinner that way. Just observe the local regulations on when and how you are permitted to fish. The tower in the back of the picture, is the tower of the city hall where the annual Nobel prize party is held.
The Ships
	The abundance of water is clearly reflected in the in the number of boats you can find in Stockholm. They come in all sizes and shapes; from the single person canoe that you may rent for the afternoon to the mammoth ferries who cross the Baltic sea destined for Helsinki or Åbo. You will be stunned by both the number and the size of the ferries; they are more than plenty, and most of them have, at one time or another, been called the largest combined car and passenger ferry in the world. To support the ferries you would think that we have a lot of trade with Finland, wouldn't you? As a mater of fact we have. However, the main reason for the number and size of the ferries is much simpler than that; tax free alcohol! Since both Sweden and Finland have excessive taxation on alcohol, one way (short of DIY) to get some cheap booze, is to take a trip across the Baltic sea. There are also the smaller ships who go back and forth in the archipelago, also a sight to behold if you have the opportunity. The three masted ship in the picture is an old cargo vessel which has been transformed into a comfortable youth hostel. Highly recommended.
The Parks
	Stockholm is not only water and ships, we have a few parks as well. One of them being "Haga parken" which is a popular place for family outings, music festivals and, occasionally, a theatre performance in the castle ruin. The founder of the park was the late king Gustav III, who was the last Swedish head of state to be assassinated before pri-minister Olov Palme was murdered in 1986. Gustav III who was very fond of theatre, opera and art in general, was shot during a masquerade in 1792. For those of you who may believe in progress, it can be mention that the police found the assassin of Gustav III after only three days (remember it was a masquerade!) whereas after more than 13 years of investigations, the murderer of Olov Palme is still at large… The tent-like structure in the back of the picture, was, together with two similar but smaller buildings, erected to be stables and housing for the kings guard. One other remnant from the days of Gustav III, is the Royal Pavilion, (Information only in Swedish, a royal prerogative I'm afraid!) where you can see some excellent examples of 18th century architecture. Make sure you don't miss the Butterfly house, "Fjärilshuset", where butterflies of every shape, colour and size will flutter around you as you walk around in the greenhouse.
More about Stockholm
	There is a lot more to be said about my hometown, Stockholm. Here are a few links who can provide you with more information, should you so wish.
	City of Stockholm Official information about many aspects of Stockholm Rival A weekly publication about what's going on in town Stockholm Information Service Good information for tourists
	Back to top Last updated; August 1999. All pictures copyright Hans Gustafsson 1997, 1998 & 1999.