The key to getting a handle on Stockholm is to understand that the city is made up of 14 populated islands linked by tunnels or bridges, writes BERNICE HARRISON
THE MOST eye-opening episode in Jamie Oliver’s new season of European cookery programmes wasn’t his visit to Venice or the Pyrenees – sure they had great food and beautiful scenery, we all knew that – it was Stockholm. Even Jamie seemed bowled over and genuinely astonished by what he found in Sweden’s capital, saying in his sign-off that it simply seemed a brilliant place to live.
In the previous hour he had rustled up a series of traditional dishes, and it was the mouth- watering freshness of everything that leapt off the screen from the fish (and the stunning variety) to the vegetables – and the delicious way the Swedes put them together. The scenery helped too – the Baltic lapping up on the shores, stunning old buildings and the sense that everything worked in a very low-key but seriously sophisticated sort of way.
Right now, the city is in celebratory mode, with signs everywhere of massive preparation for the wedding on June 19th of Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling – her “commoner” fiance who was her personal trainer. The day I visited the cathedral in the old town where the pair will be married, workers were on their knees, using cotton buds to clean the magnificent silver and ebony altar.
The celebrations begin in earnest on June 6th with the Love Stockholm festival, which features several outdoor events and concerts, mostly free, and the talk is that there isn’t a bed to be had in the city, with royals from all over Europe and neighbours from other Nordic countries coming to see the wedding.
THE KEY TO getting a handle on Stockholm is to understand that the city is made up of 14 populated islands linked by tunnels or bridges, so getting around is easy. The public transport includes an underground and an excellent bus service. Ferries run with the same frequency as buses and most things are within walking distance – it’s a city for comfortable shoes.
There’s an old town (Gamla Stan) on the island of Stadsholmen, which is Europe’s largest and best preserved medieval city where most visitors begin their trip, but I started mine by following in the footsteps of Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomquist, the fictional creation of Stieg Larsson in his compelling Millennium crime trilogy.
The demand of mostly French and Italian readers for a walking tour of the locations mentioned in the book led the City Museum to produce a map and train guides, and it’s become quite a tourist magnet. It works because it takes you off the beaten track a little – never a bad thing when discovering a new city.
The first lunch of my three- day trip was in Kvarnen (Tjärhovsgatan 4), the traditional bar/café that Lisbeth and her punk friends hang out in (grilled herring and mash – a classic). That day ended with the most unusual and completely terrifying tour I’ve ever been on – walking on the roof of the old (but still in use as civic offices) parliament building. Fitted with a harness and a hard hat we took the lift to the 7th floor, then walked up to the attic where a trapdoor opened out out onto a narrow metal walkway sitting on the roof tiles. No railings at all, although we were clipped loosely on to a cable that ran along our feet.
The view from the various platforms that punctuated the walkway was stunning – over the chimneys, down the Baltic, some of the palaces – and just maybe worth the terror. The super-calm guides told us the oldest climbers they’ve had were two American octogenarians, which I think is called putting it up to you.
I stayed in Södermalm, the largest and most populous island, in a Scandic hotel right beside the trendy new SoFo area, crammed with vintage shops, small cafés and within walking distance of the old town.
It’s worth noting when figuring out your budget that Swedish hotel rates include breakfast and it’s not a measly continental affair. It’s massive – everything from cold meats to muesli buffet, enough to let you skip lunch.
The thing that makes Stockholm really special is that while it’s clearly a sophisticated and very design-conscious modern city (that incidentally doesn’t flaunt its wealth) it’s so close to nature. On a sunny May afternoon, there were kayakers paddling away in the Baltic, children fishing off piers, most of the islands have beaches and one of the largest, Djurgården, is given over almost entirely to nature with the massive Skansen outdoor museum, folk park and zoo.
Traditionally, wealthy locals had summer houses out on the islands in the archipelago – some still do – and several of the outlying islands are within easy reach of the city by ferry. After a day spent mostly indoors in the beautiful City Hall – being mesmerised by descriptions of Nobel prize-giving ceremonies and the meals that accompany them – visiting the Vasa museum to see the 16th-century sailing ship and to experience a very 21st-century museum, and browsing around the designer shops, I took a 20-minute ferry ride out to the island of Fjäderholmarna for dinner – it was a taster of the beautiful islands further out and a trip to plan for a longer stay.
Direct flights from Dublin taking just two and a half hours make Stockholm an easy to get to destination for a weekend break. Even though I walked for miles, ate in some of the coolest restaurants I’ve ever been in, and visited a couple of museums, I felt there was much more to do – though probably not in June when the city will be too loved up and all that anyone will want to do is gobble up every last detail of the royal wedding.
stockholmtown.com
Bernice Harrison visited Stockholm courtesy of Scandinavian Airlines, the Stockholm Visitors’ Board and Visit Sweden
Where to stay, where to eat and where to go in Stockholm
5 places to stay
Hotel Skeppsholmen. Gröna gången 1, Skeppsholmen, 00-46-8-407-2300, hotelskeppsholmen.se. A hip hotel in two converted 17th-century buildings on an island in the heart of the city. Only the Swedes could mix traditional minimalism – worn stone staircases, white walls, wooden shutters – with cool contemporary furniture and make it the height of luxury. Rates from €180.
Hotel Hellsten. Luntmakargatan 68, hellsten.se, 00-46-8-661-8600. A smart, atmospheric hotel in a converted 19th century building bursting with personality thanks to its owner, a former anthropologist who filled the bar and lobby with artefacts from travels in Africa and Asia. Every Thursday the bar transforms into one of Stockholm’s premier jazz venues. In the centre of the lively Vasastan area. Room rates from €150.
Långholmen Hostel. Långholmsmuren 20, 00-46-8-7208500, langholmen.com. Stay in a converted prison on an island near the city centre. Built in 1840 and decommissioned as a prison in 1975, the building is now one of Europe’s top 10 hostels. There’s a beach outside the door, a bar and a good restaurant. Stay in either a two-bed or a four-bed cell and pay extra for a shower room en suite. Rates from €34.
Rival Hotel. Mariatorget 3, 00-46-8-545-78900, rival.se. It’s not the Abba connection (though the hotel is owned by Benny Andersson) that makes this converted 1930s cinema such a cool hotel. The best rooms have balconies with French windows or the newer ones on the top floor have views across the rooftops. The bistro and bar are hugely popular with locals. Rates from €160.
Scandic Malmen. Götgatan 49-51, 00-46-8-5173-4700, scandichotels.com. One of the popular Scandic hotels well located in Södermalm, a walk from the old town and beside the new trendy area of SoFo. Lively area – and maybe a little noisy at night. Rates from €60.
5 places to eat
Stortorgets Kaffestuga. Stortorget 22, Gamla Stan, 00-46-8-205-981. Wandering around Gamla Stan (the old town) is one of the joys of a visit to Stockholm. The area is dotted with cafés serving delicious pastries and traditional local dishes. This one serves real hot chocolate, as well as classic dishes such as potato pancakes with bacon and lingonberries. Open for breakfast from 7am weekdays; 9am weekends.
Nytorget Urban Deli. Nytorget 4, 00-46-8-599-09180, urbandeli.org. Traditional Swedish cooking in a cool, modern space with its concrete floors and industrial feel. Great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Cheese, charcuterie, as well as an impressive seafood list.
Operakällaren. The Royal Opera House, Karl XII’s torg, 00-46-8-676-5800, eng.operakallaren.se. One of the swankiest – and most expensive – places to eat. Chef Stefano Catenacci earned the traditional restaurant a Michelin star (there are an impressive nine Michelin- starred restaurants in the city). Swedish haute cuisine in a fabulous gilded olde worlde interior. Jacket and tie required.
Restaurant Gubbhyllan. Skansen, 00-46-8-663-4628, skansen.se. Set in an elegant former summer house and pastry shop dating to 1816 where, on a sunny day, the verandah is the perfect place to sit and enjoy amazing locally produced food.
Restaurant Kvarnen. Tjärhovsgatan 4, 00-46-8-643-0380, kvarnen.com. Fans of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy will be familiar with this traditional restaurant because it’s Lisbeth Salander’s favourite hang-out. Classic Swedish dishes in a comfortable, atmospheric room. Go for a drink at the bar in the evening or for one of the lunch specials.
5 places to go
Skansen. skansen.se Get the 44 bus from Karlaplan or the ferry from Slussen to Djurgården to visit the world’s oldest and prettiest open-air museum. The folk section features farmhouses which have been dismantled and rebuilt to recreate a traditional village. Ideal for children with several play areas, a monkey enclosure, restaurants and a market.
Look out for moose, bear, lynx and wolverines in the park’s zoo. Opens at 10am. Go early and expect to stay for most of the day.
City Hall. Ragnar Östbergs, 00-46-8-508-29058, stockholm.se. Where the Nobel Prize is awarded and the preferred place for Stockholm’s citizens to get married. A city landmark, built like an Italian Renaissance palace, and well worth the tour just to see the blue and golden halls where the Nobel banquet is held.
Vasa Museum. Galärvarvet, Djurgården, vasamuseet.se. Bus 44, 47, 69 or ferry to Djurgården from Slussen. In the 1950s the massive Vasa warship which sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 was taken from the sea-bed and, once restored, a stunning modern museum on the island of Djurgården was built around it. The ship is now on full view with several interactive displays giving a vivid picture of life in the 1600s.
The archipelago. Stockholm is built on 14 islands, so no matter where you are, you’re near water. Several ferry boats go out to the archipelago and it’s worth taking a trip to one of the islands. The closest, Fjäderholmarna, is just 20 minutes away from the city centre, close enough to have dinner in one of the island’s restaurants and to be brought back to the city.
Rooftop hiking. upplevmer.se. Stockholm has several unusual ways to go sightseeing and the most challenging has to be the rooftop hike on the old parliament building. The views are spectacular – once you get over the terror of walking on a narrow path without any railings. A climbing harness is attached to a wire for safety.
Hot spot
B.A.R. Blasieholmsgatan 4A, 00-46-8611-5335, restaurangbar.se. One of the hottest, hippest restaurants in the city – book for dinner well before you travel. Excellent seafood – diners are taken by the waiter to the fish bar so you can choose which type of fish you want and then you pick your side dishes. The basic fish and chips (€15) served in a giant bowl are delicious.
Shop spot
Sweden is synonymous with design and the best way to see what’s new is to visit one of the Design Torget (designtorget.se) shops. Set up in the 1990s they support young designers by giving them a showcase for their work.
Top tip
Buy a Stockholm Card at stockholmtown.com for less than €40 and get access to 80 museums, free bike rental in the summer, tourist and public buses, and ferries. A properly integrated system that’s a delight to use.