<\/p>\n
July 26, 2016<\/p>\n
|<\/p>\n
Lindsay Liles<\/p>\n
Many people know Stockholm as the “Venice of the North,” due to the fact it’s made up of fourteen islands and connected by 57\u00a0bridges. Before visiting, I didn’t know much more about it than it was\u00a0the land where gorgeous people and delicious meatballs\u00a0come from. After visiting Stockholm, I can honestly say it’s all of these things and more.\u00a0With a blend of the 13th century Old Town and modern day architecture you won’t find in many places, Stockholm is romantic, breathtaking, and fabulous! I won’t pretend to know everything about Stockholm but here is a guide to spending 3 days in what is now one of my favorite places in the world.<\/p>\n
THREE DAYS IN STOCKHOLM: DAY 1<\/p>\n
From the moment we arrived to Stockholm Central Station via the train from Oslo, we were overwhelmed with excitement to explore and couldn\u2019t wait to drop off our luggage. While there is the T-Centralen Metro station you can connect easily to via an underground walkway, we opted to take a cab to our hotel because we were tired of dragging our luggage around. After a very pricey ride, we learned the hard way that taxis are not regulated in Sweden and you need to be very careful about which cab you take. Throughout our time in Sweden we found 150000 Cab and the yellow cabs to be the most reasonably priced but even these were at least $20 USD a ride. I would stick with public transportation if you can.<\/p>\n
The Berns Hotel\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n For our first two nights in Stockholm we opted to stay at the Berns Hotel, which is a historic hotel right in the center of Stockholm. While the rooms aren’t huge, they are trendy and comfortable. The hotel is also home to a fantastic bar, nightclub, and restaurant that has attracted guests such as Rihanna, Bill Gates, and even the Dali Lama!\u00a0After checking in to our hotel and getting dressed well enough to fit in with the beautiful people of Stockholm\u00a0we decided to spend our first day exploring Gamla Stan.<\/p>\n Gamla Stan<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gamla Stan, the Old Town, is one of the largest and most well preserved medieval cities in Europe. It was also where Stockholm was founded in 1252. When walking on the\u00a0cobblestone streets\u00a0through the colorful buildings of Gamla Stan, you feel like you’re stepping back in time. The main square in Gamla Stan is called the\u00a0Stortorget, which is the oldest square in Stockholm. There are many people hanging out in the square, dining, or having a fika. (By the way, having a “fika” means having a coffee. The Swedes love coffee and often pair it with sandwiches or pastries.)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Stortorget<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gamla Stan is full of boutiques, tourist shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants. V\u00e4sterl\u00e5nggatan and \u00d6sterl\u00e5nggatan are the district’s main streets and you can spend a large part of your day strolling around. There are\u00a0many churches\u00a0in Gamla Stan including the Stockholm Cathedral and\u00a0Riddarholm\u00a0Church, which is where Swedish monarchs\u00a0were\u00a0buried. (Riddarholmen Church is located on Riddarholmen Island, which is adjacent to Gamla Stan.)\u00a0There are also attractions such as the\u00a0Nobel Museum and\u00a0the Royal Palace. The Royal Palace is absolutely beautiful and I highly recommend visiting it. I could just picture myself living here…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Royal Palace\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The Stockholm Cathedral<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n As we were walking the streets of Gamla Stan my husband discovered a Viking Bar called, “Aifur Krog & Bar.” He’s a huge “Game of Thrones” fan and insisted we stop in for some Mead. If you’ve never had mead it’s an alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey with water. It’s pretty disgusting in my opinion and\u00a0I don’t think I’ll ever drink it again but this bar is\u00a0definitely worth stopping by. Don’t worry,\u00a0they have regular wine and beer too!<\/p>\n Aifur Krog & Bar<\/em><\/p>\n To\u00a0get my husband back for making me drink mead, and call him Jon Snow for an hour, I decided we should go on a ghost tour. So, we head over to Stockholm Ghost Walk and purchased tickets for the 90-minute walking tour for about $20USD. They offer tours in a variety of languages and it was a great time! Not only did we hear about the ghosts in the city, but also learned about the city’s history and finally found the most narrow street in Stockholm-\u00a0M\u00e5rten Trotzigs Gr\u00e4nd! A word of warning the end of this tour is really freaky! They take you into a bone room…<\/p>\n M\u00e5rten Trotzigs Gr\u00e4nd<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n After our ghost tour we decided to head over to the famous restaurant, Gondolen, for dinner and drinks! Gondolen is run by\u00a0celebrity chef, Erik Lallerstedt, and has\u00a0a menu that is a nice blend of Swedish and international cuisine. Gondolen is located in Sodermalm and about a 15-minute walk from Gamla Stan. It is in an area considered\u00a0the “hipster part” of Stockholm.\u00a0Once you get to Gondolen\u00a0head up to the 11th floor and be prepared for the view to take your breath away! The food is wonderful and it’s a great place to enjoy a glass of\u00a0Ros\u00e9!<\/p>\n View from the ground of Gondolen\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Taking in the start of a Sunset at 10pm at Gondolen\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n After dinner we head out to watch the Euro Cup and get some much needed rest for Day 2 in Stockholm!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n THREE DAYS IN STOCKHOLM: DAY 2<\/p>\n On our second day in Stockholm we woke up with the\u00a0plan to tour some of the most famous attractions in the city. To start the day we decided to head over to the island of\u00a0Djurg\u00e5rden to explore the famous Vasa Museum. You can get to the Vasa Museum via taxi, ferry, metro, or tram. If you are in the city center\u00a0simply take tram 7 to\u00a0Waldemarsudde.<\/p>\n The Island of Djurg\u00e5rden\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n From the second we set foot on\u00a0Djurg\u00e5rden I was completely blown away. Everything is so green and beautiful its like living in Pandora. I literally just wanted to frolic around and sing “The Sound of Music,” but my husband stopped me, and reminded me,\u00a0we needed to go see the great and mighty warship THE VASA!<\/p>\n \u00a0The Vasa Museum\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Upon walking into the Vasa Museum we were shocked\u00a0by not only the size of this massive ship, but at how well it is preserved. In fact, it is the world’s only 17th century preserved ship. The museum offers free guided tours which I highly recommend taking because you learn things like, the Vasa was built between 1626-1628 and was sort of like the Titanic in that it sank on it’s maiden voyage. Basically, the King cared about looks more than functionality, (typical man), and made the shipbuilders create a really cool looking ship that couldn’t actually sail. So, the Vasa sank within minutes of its first voyage. Overall, the warship’s story is quite unique and worth checking out. Tickets are about $15USD and can be purchased at the door.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After leaving the Vasa Museum we\u00a0decided we had heard enough about death and were ready to celebrate life so we decided to “Take a Chance” and dance our way over\u00a0to the Abba Museum, which also happens to\u00a0include\u00a0the Swedish Music Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0The Abba Museum\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The Swedish Music Hall of Fame\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tickets for the Abba Museum are “money, money, money” at\u00a0about $23\/each. (See what I did there?)\u00a0I didn’t flinch at the price because I’m a neurotic Abba fan that enjoys loudly singing their music in the shower and attempting to wear jumpsuits that can only be called “Abba Inspired.” I do think even if you’re not a fan of Abba this museum is worth every penny because IT’S INTERACTIVE. Yep, you read that right, in this museum you get to a part of Abba music videos and even go on stage with this legendary band.\u00a0If you are shy in front of groups, there’s a bar when you walk in to the museum so grab a cocktail to calm your nerves\u00a0and get ready to sing “Mamma Mia!” One tip,\u00a0they shoot these videos with wide angle lenses so wearing a flowy dress like I did isn’t recommended unless you want to look extra curvy. I knew I should have packed a sparkly jumpsuit!<\/p>\n My Husband and I performing in an Abba Music Video<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n After the Abba Museum my husband and I strolled around\u00a0Djurg\u00e5rden. There is much to see in Djurg\u00e5rden,\u00a0including 22 museums, one of which is\u00a0the world’s first\u00a0open-air museum\u00a0called the Skansen, and Grona Lund, which is an amusement park. Skansen and Grona Lund both seem\u00a0like a great place for families. You could easily spend over a week in\u00a0Djurg\u00e5rden and my husband and I will be\u00a0back!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Grona Lund \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n After a day of exploring we were ready to relax and grab a cocktail so we made our way to the\u00a0world famous Grand Hotel!<\/p>\n \u00a0The Grand Hotel Lobby<\/em><\/p>\n The Grand Hotel is a 5 star hotel that was built in 1874 and sits right on Stockholm’s waterfront. It is\u00a0home to\u00a0Mathias Dahlgren\u2019s Michelin star restaurant\u00a0and the well known Cadier Bar so it is no surprise it is frequented by celebrities, royalty, and high profile guests.\u00a0This hotel oozes elegance. Everything is covered in gold- even the bathrooms!<\/p>\n \u00a0The Grand Hotel Bathroom\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n We were able to get a table with a spectacular view of the waterfront, which was the perfect place to end our afternoon. If you like champagne I highly recommend trying a Ruby Royal-\u00a0delicious! After a few cocktails we went back to our room to relax and get ready for dinner at Riche!<\/p>\n Restaurang Riche<\/em><\/p>\n I was really excited for dinner at\u00a0Riche because Riche is a Stockholm institution I have read about for years!\u00a0Riche was founded in 1893 after the Cafe Riche in Paris but it has seen many changes over the years and now is a hip bistro. There is a restaurant, bar, and nightclub in the space so guests can come enjoy dinner, drinks, and dancing! I highly recommend the Swedish meatballs and French Onion Soup.\u00a0They also have some wonderful French\u00a0Ros\u00e9!<\/p>\n \u00a0The Bar at Riche\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Riche was the coolest place in the 1980’s in Sweden but is still a place to see and be seen that is full of beautiful people! I literally sat at the bar and pointed people out to my husband going “hot, hot, really hot, stunning, beautiful,\u00a0hot.” Being in this bar is like living in an episode of “Gossip Girl.” I personally love the quirky decor and wine glass chandeliers. (Hmm, how can I get one of these in my kitchen?) Needless to say it wasn’t hard to\u00a0pass time\u00a0dancing\u00a0the night away at Riche and then bar hopping around\u00a0\u00d6stermalm.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n THREE DAYS IN STOCKHOLM: DAY 3<\/p>\n After a wild second night in Stockholm we took full advantage of sleeping in before we switched hotels to the Nobis Hotel right down the street in Norrmalmstorg Square. Why the switch you ask? No reason other than we like to experience different hotels in the cities we visit and we both really like SPG. (And no, they aren’t paying me to say that! But if you want to SPG hit me up ;))<\/p>\n The Nobis Hotel<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Nobis Hotel\u00a0has a trendy lobby, nice\u00a0bar,\u00a0a\u00a0delicious\u00a0Italian\u00a0restaurant\u00a0called\u00a0Cainas Bakficka, great service and very comfortable rooms! After getting settled in we decided we wanted to go explore Stockholm’s City Hall, which is known locally as the\u00a0Stadshuset.\u00a0From our hotel we could easily walk to City Hall but if you need to take the metro you would get off at the Radhuset station. Something to note, I highly recommend taking the Metro in Stockholm as it is known as the longest art gallery in the world at 110 kilometers long. Below are some of my favorite parts of the Metro-\u00a0Instagram Gold!<\/p>\n R\u00e5dhuset Metro Station<\/p>\n 2\/3<\/p>\n Stockholm City Hall is\u00a0on the eastern tip of Kungsholmen Island and is most famous for being the place where the Nobel Banquet in held\u00a0on December 10th\u00a0every year. You can only visit City Hall on a guided tour, but English tours leave frequently, and only costs about $12USD per person. Check out their website for exact times as\u00a0the these change throughout the year.<\/p>\n Stockholm City Hall\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The tour of City Hall is about 45 minutes long. On the tour you hear\u00a0a brief history of the building\u00a0and are allowed\u00a0to walk through\u00a0R\u00e5dssalen, where the municipal council meets. They also\u00a0take\u00a0you through the Blue Hall where the Nobel Banquet is held and the Golden Hall where dancing takes place after the Nobel Banquet.<\/p>\n A gorgeous ceiling in City Hall!<\/p>\n 4\/4<\/p>\n Overall, City Hall is quite breathtaking and now I have a new mission in life- to win a Nobel Prize! Can you imagine how fabulous that\u00a0party would be?<\/p>\n After our tour of\u00a0City Hall we decided we wanted to have a nice lunch\u00a0on the water because it was a picture perfect day in Stockholm. We decided to head to\u00a0M\u00e4larpaviljongen which is a well known cafe on a floating pontoon that offers spectacular\u00a0views across the waters of Riddarfj\u00e4rden.<\/p>\n M\u00e4larpaviljongen<\/em><\/p>\n M\u00e4larpaviljongen did not disappoint. The food was wonderful, the ros\u00e9 flowed freely, the views were everything you could hope for, and\u00a0the crowd was fantastic. Since this restaurant is on the water many locals pull their boats up and jump off. It adds to the fun, party\u00a0atmosphere. If this place were in Los Angeles I would be there every weekend! Tip- The bathroom is down stairs from the bar. Look for the portholes. I got really lost.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I think we would have stayed the entire evening at\u00a0M\u00e4larpaviljongen but the France\/Germany Euro Cup game was coming on soon and\u00a0their was one thing left I had to see before the day was over- the gilded crown on Skeppsholmsbron Bridge!<\/p>\n The Gilded Crown on Skeppsholmsbron Bridge\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Anyone who knows me\u00a0knows that I am obsessed with crowns, princesses, and the color pink so this bridge was a must-see for me! Skeppsholmsbron is located in central Stockholm and connects Blasieholmen to Skeppsholen if you want to find it yourself! Trust me, it’s worth the photo opp. And, the famous Lydmar Hotel bar is right next door. So, why not take a princess photo, grab a glass of vino and enjoy this view?<\/p>\n After my princess shoot we headed to Restaurang Grodan for dinner and to watch the Euro Cup! (Allez Les Blues!!!)\u00a0The steak I had was quite wonderful and it is a great place to watch a match. While this concluded our three days in Stockholm we know we’ll be back. It is impossible not to fall in love with this city!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PS- If you need to get to the Arlanda Airport take the Arlanda Express Train! It only takes 20 minutes and there is free Wi-Fi\u00a0on the train. It’s very affordable too! We hope you enjoy your trip to Stockholm as much as we did!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n XOXO,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lindsay & Christopher<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" July 26, 2016 | Lindsay Liles Many people know Stockholm as the “Venice of the North,” due to the fact it’s made up of fourteen islands and connected by 57\u00a0bridges. Before visiting, I didn’t know much more about it than it was\u00a0the land where gorgeous people and delicious meatballs\u00a0come from. After visiting Stockholm, I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/139.629.myftpupload.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/139.629.myftpupload.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/139.629.myftpupload.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/139.629.myftpupload.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/139.629.myftpupload.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=47"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/139.629.myftpupload.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48,"href":"https:\/\/139.629.myftpupload.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47\/revisions\/48"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/139.629.myftpupload.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=47"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/139.629.myftpupload.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=47"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/139.629.myftpupload.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=47"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}