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Stockholm In Focus

stockholm

Baltic cruising? Visit the Swedish capital and find its medieval heart just off the starboard bow.

Disembark from your cruise ship in Stockholm and you’re only a short stroll from the old town. Turn right from the cruise terminal, walk a few steps to the bridge and cross the harbour locks. − You’re there!

One of a number of old town squares

This is the south end of Gamla Stan, the almond shaped island at the heart of Stockholm. True, the traffic is still streaming by the 18th-century facades as it is channelled up the east side of the island But walk back a street or two into the old town and you also step back several hundred years. These small streets here are primarily a pedestrian zone except for the occasional taxi or ambitious delivery vehicle.

The two main streets which run from a small square at the south end of the island up to the royal palace at the north have a good selection of quirky shops and restaurants but the true delights lie between the two thoroughfares. Head uphill to experience the old medieval streets and squares which rest on the crest of the island.

Narrow streets of the old city.

The royal palace lies at the north end of Gamla Stan and affords a spectacular view of the City Hall which dominates the waterfront of the inner harbour. The tower rises to a height of 106 metres. This just happens to be precisely one metre higher than Copenhagen city hall in neighbouring Denmark. Just goes to prove that local rivalries are still alive and well in Scandinavia.

Saturday afternoons are a fun time at the City Hall. From 2pm until 5pm couples queue up to be married in a civil ceremony for free. The standard wedding service takes all of two minutes however, there is an opportunity to choose the “quickie” service which lasts all of 40 seconds! You don’t have to be a resident to take advantage of the service but you’ll need to contact the City Hall well in advance as they will require documentation before the event.

The City Hall also plays host to the Nobel Prize banquet held in December each year in the magnificent hall. Step outside onto the waterfront of the Inner Harbour which is the fresh-water lagoon with water so clean that the Prime Minister has been know to drink a glassful and invites foreign dignitaries to do the same. It’s not officially recorded as to how many take him up on the offer.

Low sun and long Summer evenings

The fresh-water inner harbour flows across the weir at to north end of Gamla Stan to mix with the salt-water outer harbour and it’s this semi-saline mix which gives Stockholm one of its greatest treasures.

In the early 17th Century, Sweden was embroiled in a thirty-year war with Poland and King Gustav Adolph commissioned a new ship, the Vasa, to bolster the navy’s Baltic fleet. Unfortunately, due to a number of design flaws, a shallow keel and not enough ballast, the ship was known to be unstable even before it was officially commissioned. However, King Gustav was abroad and awaiting his new ship while no-one at home was brave enough to explain the problem.

You're never far from the waterfront

The Vasa set sail and top-heavy with cannon, keeled over and sank on her maiden voyage after being caught by a strong gust of wind. She had travelled only about a mile and lay in 100 feet of water for the 330 years. Iron nails and even cannons rotted away but the odd salt-water mix (and an unhealthy dose of pollution) kept the worm at bay and the wood survived to give the astounding ship which has been recovered and preserved.

As you stroll back to your own ship, be assured as you reflect on the fact that today’s standards of shipbuilding are somewhat improved on those from four centuries ago.

If this has ignited a desire to cruise the Baltics, here are a few that visit Stockholm on their itinerary.

12 Nights Jewel of the Seas Baltic Cruise

10 Nights Arcadia Baltic Cruise

12 Nights Celebrity Constellation Baltic Cruise

12 Nights Azamra Quest Baltic Cruise

14 Nights Queen Victoria Baltic Cruise

14 Nights Artemis Baltic Cruise

Alan Ramsey