Where else in the world can I get lost inside a palace, ride a bicycle in the city and still come out in one piece? Only in Stockholm.
During my first 24 hours in the Swedish capital, on a trip organised by Emirates airline and the Stockholm Visitors Board, I got lost inside the Royal Palace in the Old Town. It took me about 30 minutes to find the exit from the palace, which has 1,400 rooms and more than 600 windows.
I whizzed past royal furniture, crown jewels and grand hallways to, finally, exit into the square where palace soldiers stood guard. I had a better sense of direction at the Drottningholm Palace, a World Heritage Site. The grand tour included a peek into the so-called blue room, where the guide said one king allowed guests to “see him rise in the morning”. Weird or wonderful?
I discovered Stockholm’s cheerier version of J.K. Rowling’s Diagon Alley in the Old Town, with its narrow cobbled streets and well-preserved buildings that hold plenty of surprises — just not cauldrons and broomsticks. This is the place where Stockholm was born in 1252.
At an ice-cream parlour, I had chocolate mint ice-cream, which I ate watching a bride and groom romp down the street for a film shoot. Stockholm attracts a growing number of international film companies too. Daniel Craig’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was apparently filmed here.
The place is teeming with street artists. I was approached by one dressed in a white wig and what looked like a lab coat. “Want a picture?” she asked, clutching a small plastic cup. I smiled and dropped in one crown.
I risk sounding like a brochure but Stockholm really does have a lot of exciting things to offer — museums, centuries-old buildings, a magnificent archipelago, unique shops and restaurants. There are so many things to see, do and feel in this small, yet big city where the modern and the medieval collide. I couldn’t help but fall in love with it in a heartbeat.
The history tour
I had to pick my jaw off the floor inside the Golden Hall at City Hall, gawking at the more than 18 million real gold piece mosaic. I wonder if the guests of the annual Nobel banquet have indigestion just looking at the glittering walls instead of what was on their plate. On closer inspection, I spotted two small pieces missing from the wall, which were probably pilfered by some eager tourist. At the exit is a display of the golden utensils used at the Nobel banquet — glass encased, of course, just in case someone gets any ideas.
The Vasa Museum held a treasure of its own: a massive 16th century warship. Here’s the story: Sweden’s king wanted the biggest warship ever built, so he commissioned the best artists and boat builders to create the Vasa. It had two cannon decks, a large hull, heavy artillery and intricate wood carvings.
The royal warship sank before it even reached deep waters on its maiden trip in 1628 because it wasn’t stable enough. It was left submerged for 333 years until experts rescued the ship from its watery graveyard in 1961. The ship now has a permanent home in the museum.
Riding it out
Something caught my eye at the Stockholm Central Station: the statue of railway builder Nils Ericson wearing a red bicycle helmet. That’s when I knew cyclists have taken over the city. The pedal pushers are everywhere, from office-goers in suits and teens in jeans, to the awkward tourist such as me. I hopped on a rental bike to join the hordes.
The city is possibly one of the world’s best places to cycle. There are designated cycling lanes and cyclist-friendly street crossings through eye-candy places to see in the city. I’m surprised Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd (IKEA) hasn’t yet come out with DIY bicycles.
Seeing Stockholm from the water was also fun. From the steamship S/S Drottningholm, sailing around some of the islands in the archipelago of 30,000, I felt like the little mermaid watching people. It is the perfect sightseeing trip.
The boat stopped by Fjaderholmarna, a cosy little island that has restaurants and cafés, red cabins and small shops. It’s the perfect place to de-stress. I saw plenty of people nature walking or sunbathing on top of the boulders.
At one of the five restaurants, I had a refreshing lunch out on the deck with a postcard-perfect view of the archipelago.
They say every fifth person in Stockholm owns a yacht, which is probably true, judging by the number of yachts I saw on the boat ride.
Hitting the right notes
I also found my way to “ABBA the Museum”, Sweden’s tribute to its world-famous pop group. If you want to meet hardcore ABBA fans, you only need to go past the memorabilia showrooms and into the karaoke booths to hear their version of Dancing Queen. But brace yourself for some off-key singing.
I’m not a huge dancing queen but I’m glad I stopped by for a visit to this interactive museum, which only opened this year.
ABBA initially thought it was too self-serving to open a museum about them but after a lot of coaxing (and probably gazillions of fan mail) they finally gave in.
It houses the band members’ costumes, records and memorabilia. The museum even has the actual kitchen where the band composed songs before they became famous.
The museum also features karaoke booths and a disco hall, where fans can shamelessly sing or dance their ABBA love. I couldn’t leave the place without signing the guestbook with “ABBA, thank you for the music”.
Big brands, and small
I wanted to check out IKEA but for some reason ended up in H&M, another Swedish retail chain. I was curious to see if the prices were cheaper (they were) and whether they had stocks that hadn’t reached Dubai yet (they didn’t).
Next stop was NK, Stockholm’s luxury department store, which has Swedish and international brands. Apparently, I could hire a personal shopper for about €100 (Dh497) per hour, but that would have ruined my bargain-hunting mood. I had a window-shopping adventure through Hornstull and Sodermalm, where vintage shops sit next to big fashion brands.
I passed by the PUB, where Greta Garbo worked selling hats before she became famous. The window-shopping spree ended at the busy stretch called Drottninggatan, where cafés and restaurants sit next to thrift shops run by Indian shopkeepers and I bought a shirt that said “I love Stockholm”.
Getting there
Emirates flies daily to Stockholm from Dubai at 7.15am to arrive at Arlanda Airport at noon. I was on Emirates’s inaugural flight to Stockholm, so the cabin crew really went all out with the service: hot towels, a steady stream of refreshments and great food. For details visit www.emirates.com
Where to stay
I had a wonderful stay at the Sheraton Stockholm Hotel. Apparently, water is so clean in Sweden that you could even drink it straight from the tap but I received a supply of fresh water in a glass bottle every day. All places seem just a walk away from the hotel: City Hall, Drottninggatan, the docks — even the nearest McDonald’s. Plus, the Stockholm City Bikes station was just outside the hotel. For details visit www.sheraton.com
Where to eat
Food is not a problem in Stockholm since it has every cuisine you can think of from Japanese to Lebanese. Just don’t get too picky about fish. I ate so much fish in Stockholm that I was starting to worry about growing gills. I sat down to dish after dish of outlandish food at the posh F21 restaurant. You need to come with lots of time and money to really enjoy this place.
At the Grand Hotel Verandan, I helped myself to a classic Swedish buffet. The pickled herring was a weird surprise. At Fjaderholmarna’s main island, I had the most amazing lunch by the marina. It was definitely worth the 20-minute ferry ride.
