"Beauty on Water" Stockholm Sweden.

“Beauty on Water” Stockholm Sweden.

Stockholm is a vibrant city built on 14 small islands on Lake Malaren connected by over 50 bridges. Stockholm is a very modern city consisting of a cityscape of modern Scandinavian designed buildings interlaced with medieval architecture. Because it is surrounded by sea and fresh water, boating and sailing are very popular outdoor activities for the Swedish people and one in every five own their own boat. Even around the city centre you can see that the water and boats are very important. There are old ships turned into restaurants, cafés and bars, there are people enjoying sightseeing tours on the lake and there are many people sailing their own crafts.

                                         Views of Stockholm.

We have been up since 5am enjoying the picturesque journey up the main shipping channel and manoeuvring our way through the numerous small islands that make up this part of Scandinavia. Now we are docked and we are off on our journey to see the sights of Stockholm and beyond. We first head out of the city and through the northern outskirts of the city into the scenic countryside en route to Sigtuna, an idyllic little town situated on the beautiful Lake Malaren. This town is renowned for its wooden buildings, narrow alleys and for having the smallest Town Hall in Scandinavia which was built back in 1744. This town was founded about 1000 years ago by the first Christian King of Sweden and there are many ruins of old churches in this picturesque little town and also a more modern church which still has the original stone base foundation from a church built in 12 century The new red brick exterior was built using special French bricks in the 19^th century. Sigtuna was the original capital of Sweden and it has the oldest street in Sweden, the Stora Gatan.

                                         The old church ruins in Sigtuna.

                                         The Lutheran Church.

 

It was a gorgeous place to visit -the lake is very picturesque and it was great fun to wander the old alley ways, see the gorgeous old homes and shops and to explore the ruins and the church.

                                          Stora Gatan - the main street.

 

After a really nice lunch in Sigtuna we returned to Stockholm and drove around with our tour guide pointing out all of the major attractions. In the old quarter of the town we left the bus and strolled the old narrow, twisting alleys and cobblestone streets and savoured the romantic atmosphere and the sense of times passed as we walked amongst buildings of the 16^th & 17^th centuries.

 

Beautiful Orange Tulips in the Old Town.

                                                       The Old Town In Stockholm.

 

One of the highlights of the day was a visit to the Vassa Museum. The Vassa was a Swedish  battleship that was the pride of Sweden’s mighty navy back in 1628. Unfortunately this massive wooden sailing ship capsized and sank on its maiden voyage not far from where it was launched. It was forgotten about and in 1961 after being in the water for 333 years it was salvaged and preserved and it is now the centre of this fantastic museum. This astonishingly well preserved vessel is a must see for anyone visiting this vibrant city.

 

The Battleship The Vassa in the Vassa Museum in Stockholm.

 

A painting of the Vassa.