Maybe it's the churches, or the cobbled streets in the old town, or the green areas which take up one third of the greater city area, or the breeze coming in off the water, which make Stockholm seem so attractive. For others it might be the cleanliness, the sense of order, the intense debate over a traffic problem which to a Dubliner is not a traffic problem, or the feeling of relative safety, the lack of that threat which can be so evident late at night in Temple Bar.
Whichever of these it is, and different things will appeal to different types of people - Stockholm presents a vibrant face to its consistent, proud culture. The tendency in previous years to feel relatively isolated has perhaps been ameliorated by EU membership, as knowledge of Sweden extends beyond the names of Volvo and other indigenous industrial giants, and admiration for the country's way of doing politics.
It is all about consensus, of the determination a few decades into the century to turn a poor peasant society into a massive co-operative. Which is not to say that Sweden is without problems, only that they are absorbed in the cultural stock, and in the cerebral process which enables the Swedes to think about their mode of living.
All of which explains perhaps why the average Stockholm native while speaking Swedish will also comfortably wander into English or German as needs be. Why the monarchy is so much loved - it has a place, and is kept in its place within the system of checks and balances which is reflected in the church, the official palace and the parliament being so near each other. Never mind that the white-helmeted soldiers outside the palace seem so unsoldierly. The army, too, seems in its place.
We are not then in the land of nod-and-wink. We are among Protestant North Europeans, with all that that can entail. So be prepared for prosperity and the concomitant high prices - for drink, tea (stewed) and coffees, for example. Your welcome will be correct and smiling, but certainly not gushing, although there will be the odd chuckle as they tell you of the vodka binges - maybe it's best to stay away from the underground later on weekend nights. And they have their little jokes about the Norwegians and the Danes.
First stop will be Gamla Stan, the old town, with cobbles upon cobbles, hilly streets and unobstrusive hotels. Mine was the Victory, which has a Trafalgar theme, with each bedroom named after a ship's captain, with and featuring models or pictures of him self and his ship. There is coffee late at night in the library, and dinner beside the remains of a tower, part of the city's old defensive walls.
But Stockholmers don't stay inside - they refer to "The Nature". They, and the tourists, head off to southern Djurgarden, The Deer Park, where the Swedish kings kept deer and other animals to hunt. Here the guide books tell us Stockholmers walk, eat, look at art and go to museums. Most of all they go to the Skansen, the massive open-air museum which attracts some 1.5 million visitors a year. Here they learn about the nomadic Lapps, Sweden's building traditions, farming, elks, wolves, bears, and many thousands of trees and plants, as well as music, dance and crafts.
Next on any list is a trip up water to Drottningholm, home of the royal family, and a magnificent 18th-century theatre which had its heyday in 1777 when Gustaf III took over the palace. However, after the king's death in 1792 Swedish theatrical life deteriorated and it was not until the 1920s that the Drottningholm theatre was rediscovered. And today it is a living theatre, not a museum.
It has been suggested that a replica theatre should have been built beside it, with the 18th-century one being wrapped in cotton wool for posterity, but Stockholmers believe their decision to keep Drottningholm as a living theatre with about 25 performances yearly is correct.
A different decision was made about housing the old warship, Vasa - which as Stockholmers put it, is kept in the only museum in the world dedicated to one object, and that was a failure. In 1628 and only 20 minutes into its maiden voyage the Vasa sank and it was not until 1961 that it was lifted from the sea-bed before undergoing 17 years of preservation work.
Today it is housed in a magnificent museum, alongside a replica through which tourists are guided as they learn about the gruesome lives of sailors in the 17th century. If you hurry to Stockholm you might be in time to hear the Berlin Philharmonic perform there, one of more than 1,000 items earmarked for the 1998 European Culture Capital year in Stockholm. Events for children, and for people who love gardens, art in the underground, in museums, old factories, and of course in the massive but unobstrusive Museum of Modern Art, built by the Spaniard Rafael Moneo, promise a feast even for the uninitiated.
THEATRE, opera, literary and film discussions (in both of which the word Ireland crops up), dance, history, architecture, design, photography, ecology, circus, handicrafts, media and boats are among the topics which are expected to make Stockholm 1998 one of the more successful European culture capitals since idea was formulated in 1984.
Even without such an event, there are plenty places of interest in Stockholm - the 10 royal palaces in the city, many, many museums, galleries and theatres, the house where Greta Garbo lived, and the former prison in which you can now stay and be served bread and water. If you like old churches, you can visit Stockholm Cathedral, and the old German Church established by German merchants centuries ago, among others.
With one-third land, one-third greenery and the rest water, Stockholm must be in one of the most attractive settings for any capital. There may be cars, but they don't intrude as much as in Dublin or Cork, or even Galway; And the prices are high. But here's a few tips for PAYE workers.
Eat an enormous breakfast from groaning tables of fruits, cold meats, cheese, boiled eggs, and cereals, and at lunch time grab a hot-dog or sandwich. For drink, bring a bottle from home. And forget about presents, except perhaps from the duty-free. If you have a little money, take a trip by boat up river to Drottningholm and have a meal on the way, dine at the Operakallaren and stay at the Victory Hotel in the old town.
Getting There
By Aer Lingus direct, three days a week (Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday), leaving at 4.30 p.m. Or indirectly through Amsterdam linking with KLM most days. Fares: £220 return, which must include a Saturday stay.
SAS. No direct link in winter - flights going through Copenhagen. Monday to Friday, morning and evening flights; Saturday one in morning, Sunday one in evening. Fare: £220 with Saturday stay requirement.