Stocholm, Uppsala and Idre, August 17

Södermalm Observation Deck, Stockholm

Södermalm Observation Deck, Stockholm

Early in the morning our ferry from Turku, having made its way through the maze of Åland Islands, arrived at the port of Stockholm. Hopes to look at the shores of the suburbs of Stockholm were not fulfilled, because it was foggy...read more

Evert Taubes Terrass, Stockholm

Evert Taubes Terrass, Stockholm

After the observation platform of Södermalm, we went to the Stadsholmen island, and on the way briefly looked at the embankment of the Knight's island (Riddarholmen). Before the reformation, the island belonged to a monastery of the Franciscan order and for several centuries was called Gromunkeholmen (Island of the Grey Friars)...read more

Palace Hill, Stockholm

Palace hill, Stockholm

From the embankment of the Knight's island, we head to the very center of the Swedish state, the Stadsholmen Island...read more

Church of St. Nicholas (Storkyrkan), Stockholm

Church of St. Nicholas (Storkyrkan), Stockholm

The Stockholm Cathedral or Great Church (Storkyrkan) is located at the highest point of the island of Stadsholmen next to the outer courtyard of the Royal Palace. It is believed that the wooden church on this site was built on the instructions of Jarl Birger and named after the patron of sailors Saint Nicholas (Sankt Nikolai kyrka)...read more

Changing of the Guard at the Royal Palace, Stockholm

Changing of the Guard at the Royal Palace, Stockholm

An indispensable attribute of most monarchies, and not only monarchies, is an honor guard in full uniform at the building where the Supreme power of the state is located. In the old days, the Palace guard served as a security service, but now this work is performed by "soldiers of the invisible front", and the Palace guard in full dress uniforms is just a tribute to tradition...read more

Stockholm Royal Palace History and Architecture

Stockholm Royal Palace History and Architecture

The highest part of the Stadsholmen island is occupied by the Stockholm castle (Stockholms slott), which is more often called the Royal Palace (Kungliga slottet)...read more

Outer Courtyard of the Royal Palace, Stockholm

Outer Courtyard of the Royal Palace, Stockholm

After walking along Slottsbaken Square to St. Nicholas church, turn the corner of the Royal Palace and find yourself in the so-called Yttre Borggården, sometimes called the Parade Square...read more

Trångsund Street, Stockholm

Trångsund Street, Stockholm

From the outer courtyard of the Royal Palace, we went to Storkyrkobrinken Street. Here begins the oldest part of Stockholm, Gamla Stan (which translates as Old Town), whose development began in the 12th century...read more

Stortorget, Stockholm

Stortorget, Stockholm

Trångsund street led us to the oldest square in Stockholm, Stortorget ("The Big Square"). This place was built up in the Middle ages without any plan, and was originally just a street intersection. After a fire in the 15th century stone houses were built in this quarter and by the 16th century the center of social and commercial life Gamla Stan was formed...read more

Schantzska huset, Stockholm

Schantzska huset, Stockholm

The most attractive and famous house on Stortorget square was built in 1650 for the secretary of king Karl X Gustav Johan Eberhard Schantz, so it is named "Schantzska huset" (House of Schantz)...read more

Stockholm Stock Exchange Building (Börshuset)

Stockholm Stock Exchange Building (Börshuset)

The entire northern part of Stortorget square is occupied by a large neoclassical building topped by a tower. It is now owned by the Swedish Academy of Sciences, but was originally intended for stock trading...read more

Stortorgsbrunnen Fountain, Stockholm

Stortorgsbrunnen Fountain, Stockholm

In 1778, the stortorgsbrunnen ("Fountain on Stortorget") public water supply source was opened on Stortorget square, again by Erik Palmstedt. The water was intended for household needs as well as for extinguishing fires...read more

Grillska Huset, Stockholm

Grillska Huset, Stockholm

In the Eastern corner of Stortorget square is the Grill's house, which is considered one of the most beautiful In Stockholm. The history of the house goes back to the middle ages, it is known that in 1640 it was purchased by the merchant Hans Bremer and 1949 carried out a large-scale reconstruction, adding an attic in the Baroque style...read more

Runic Stone, Stockholm

Runic stone, Stockholm

From the Schantz house, follow the narrow Kåkbrinken lane that leads to the embankment and descend to the next street, Pråstgatan. In the basement of the corner house, you can see a runic stone, used as a building material...read more

German Church, Stockholm

German Church, Stockholm

After passing from the Runestone up Prästgatan, we will see the сhurch of St. Gertrud (Sankta Gertruds kyrka) on the left. The cast-iron gates of the сhurch are decorated with a gilded bas-relief of the Saint and an inscription in German: "Fürchtet Gott! Ehret den König! " - "Fear God! Honor the King!"...read more

Västerlånggatan, Stockholm

Västerlånggatan, Stockholm

From the German church, walk one block down the Tyska Brinken, and come out on the main tourist street of the Old City, Västerlånggatan. The Västerlånggatan ("West long street") was laid out in the 13th century along the fortress wall and runs through the entire Old town, from the Stallbron bridge to the Iron square...read more

Iron Square (Järntorget), Stockholm

Iron Square (Järntorget), Stockholm

The Västerlånggatan street at its southern end forms a small square called Järntorget ("Iron square"). The square was formed at the beginning of the 14th century, and was originally named Korntorget ("Grain square"), as wheat and corn were brought here for export...read more

Mårten Trotzigs Gränd, the Narrowest Street of Stockholm

Mårten Trotzigs Gränd, the Narrowest Street of Stockholm

At the very end of the Vasterlanggatan, just short of the Iron Square, there is a small alley called Mårten Trotzigs Gränd, which is enclosed by high blank walls and is only 90 centimeters wide. The lane is named after a merchant from Saxony who settled in Stockholm in 1581...read more

School of St.Nicholas (Estonian school), Stockholm

School of St.Nicholas (Estonian school), Stockholm

After going up the steps of Morten Trotzig lane from the side of Vasterlanggatan, we will go out into a small square in front of the school of St. Nicholas (Sankt Nikolai Skola). This is the oldest educational institution in Stockholm, it is mentioned in a document of 1315, although according to some sources, the school was still in operation at the end of the 13th century...read more

Österlånggatan, Stockholm

Österlånggatan, Stockholm

From the Estonian school we will go down to Österlånggatan. Translated from Swedish, this name means "North long street" -  it really goes North from Iron square towards the Palace hill. As Västerlånggatan it was built along the city wall and was one of the main street old Stockholm...read more

Köpmantorget, Stockholm

Köpmantorget, Stockholm

At the top of the Österlånggatan is a small triangular Köpmantorget (Merchant square). The name comes from the Merchant's Gate (Köpmanporten), which led to the fish market (Fiskatorget), located outside the city wall...read more

Bartelska huset and Brända tomten, Stockholm

Bartelska huset and Brända tomten, Stockholm

Very close to Köpmantorget, on the corner of Köpmangatan is another architectural monument - one of the oldest houses in Stockholm, built in 1549...read more

Iron Boy Sculpture (Järnpojke), Stockholm

Iron Boy Sculpture (Järnpojke), Stockholm

If you go around the Finnish church, you will find yourself in a small square called Bollhustäppan, which is not even a square, but a courtyard that can be recognized by a well-marked spiral staircase. The square appeared in the 60s on the site of a ballroom for dancing and playing ball (Bollhus - "ball house"), built in the 17th century...read more

Djurgården, the Museums Island

Djurgården, the Museums Island

Here is the most important attraction of the Swedish capital, the Vasa ship museum (Vasamuseet). "If you haven't seen Vasa, you haven't seen Stockholm" - so say the guidebooks...read more

Uppsala. Gustav Vasa's Palace

Uppsala. Gustav Vasa's Palace

After a brief acquaintance with the current Swedish capital, we go to Uppsala, the ancient capital of Sweden, retained this status until 1523. Uppsala is now a major industrial, cultural and University center of modern Sweden...read more

Styrbiskp Bastion and Bell of Gunilla, Uppsala

Styrbiskp Bastion and Bell of Gunilla, Uppsala

In front of the northern wing of Uppsala castle is a bastion with a wooden structure-a belfry, known as the "Bell of Gunilla" (Gunillaklockan)...read more

Uppsala University Campus

Uppsala University Campus

At the foot of the hill where Uppsala Castle is located, there is the main library building of the University (Uppsala universitetsbibliotek), founded in 1447. The library is considered the richest in Scandinavia, with more than five million volumes and 40 thousand manuscripts...read more

Uppsala Cathedral

Uppsala Cathedral

The Cathedral of Uppsala (Uppsala domkyrka), the main Lutheran church in Sweden, is also the seat of the Archbishop of Sweden. Its history goes back to the Viking age, which at the turn of the 11-12 centuries built the first Christian church in Old Uppsala...read more

The Interiors of the Uppsala Cathedral

The Interiors of the Uppsala Cathedral

After looking at the majestic towers of the Cathedral, we will get acquainted with its interiors, made in the style of French Gothic...read more

Grave Of Gustav Vasa, Uppsala

Grave Of Gustav Vasa, Uppsala

The most important landmark of the Cathedral is the grave of king Gustav Vasa and his two wives. Gustav Vasa, or Gustav I-Regent, and then king of Sweden, whose name is associated with the formation of Sweden as an independent state...read more

Forests and lakes of Western Sweden

Forests and lakes of Western Sweden

Our path lies among the forests and lakes of Western Sweden. The area is sparsely populated and the roads are not loaded...read more

Pernilla Wiberg Hotel, Idre

Pernilla Wiberg Hotel, Idre

After passing through western Sweden, it was late in the evening when we arrived at our first overland overnight stop on this trip. Today we were sheltered by the Idre ski resort, which is currently empty near the border with Norway. This modern complex is well known not only in Sweden, but also throughout Europe...read more