Tag: European travel

Tivoli Gardens of Copenhagen

Tivoli Gardens of Copenhagen

 

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Easily the most beautiful amusement park I have ever seen. Do you remember “I Dream of Jeannie,” the TV show from the late 60’s? Recall how she had a fully furnished living room down inside that tiny little bottle she lived in? Well this amusement park is just like that.

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You look around at all the rides, ponds, gardens, and restaurants, and you ask yourself, how the hell did they get all this stuff in the middle of town and in such a seemingly very small area. It’s truly amazing. I’m sure it is actually the bottom of some genie’s bottle.

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And there are quite a few rides packed in here, and not cheap rides like you might see in other amusement parks, some of these are really decent rides. And the restaurants, OMG. Tons of restaurants at all levels of quality. Seriously, like 20 places to eat, probably 80% were sit down decent restaurants.

The other 20% would be fast food, street food booths, and candy vendors. The smell of cotton candy, hamburgers, and popcorn tells your senses your are definitely in an amusement park!

 

 

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We sat at one place for drinks. We were surrounded by the beautifully landscaped gardens and literally right next to a pond used for the bumper boats. From where we sat, we could see most of the biggest and scariest rides all around us, and we were entertained by hearing the screams from the passengers. It was awesome fun! No, of course we didn’t ride anything. But we sure had fun laughing at those who did!

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Oh wait, we did find one ride us old folks could handle, haha! She makes it look so easy!

Later, we had dinner at Fru Nimb, which is reviewed on the restaurants page. It was an unforgettable experience sitting on their private terrace, people watching while having a delicious dinner and wine with our friend from the US, Melissa-The-Shark-Tamer. We love you girl!

Good times.

Hagaparken

 

The Park

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This is a massive and beautiful sprawling park across the lake from the Stockholm University campus. Not only is it a gorgeous display of nature, but it also has the Haga Palace, King Gustav III’s Pavillion, botanical gardens, a Chinese pavilion and gardens, a Turkish Kiosk, and it is also the site of the Swedish Royal Burial Grounds.

What’s more, we didn’t even know all those things were there; we came to see the butterfly house and aquarium, which are also on the grounds! All in all an amazing park that you could easily spend an entire day exploring.

I will review the attractions we visited, over and above just walking around the beautiful lake and park, and I will make updates when we make future trips to see the other things. So if you’re a follower of the site, you’ll get an email when I add more content to this article.

The Butterfly House

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Ok, I know what you’re thinking. This just seems wrong on so many levels. What exactly is a butterfly house anyway? And even if there is such a thing, can a manly-man like the Travelin’ Man even be seen attending such a place? And given the long, dark, cold winters of Stockholm, how could you even sustain an environment for a, er um, butterfly house?

Well, it really is quite amazing. When you walk into this place, you literally almost choke to death. The humidity goes from crisp and clear to a thick 100%, and the temperature is suddenly near 100 degrees f (38 Celsius).

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But then you recover, and you look around and see a tropical forest, with jungle plants, ponds, and yes, butterflies!

 

There is also a koi tank and even some giant spiders, scorpions, and other tropical insects and fish.

 

Now it is a small area, but you will definitely see many different species of butterflies. We used our prepaid Stockholm pass to get in at no cost, so I don’t know what the admission is to get in. Note, too, that the aquarium is included with the admission.

The Aquarium

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This is actually part of the butterfly house. Don’t go in expecting some great aquarium like in Chicago or Atlanta. This is a very small side show. I will say that some of the advertising I have seen for this place tries to make it much more than it is. Yes, there are fake animals. For example, we never saw an alligator or crocodile as depicted in the adds, or a live hippo. So that is a little misleading and works against them in terms of online reviews.

But to kill a little time, especially if you have some smaller kids, this is a good place. Just set your expectations accordingly.

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The thing that I, personally, enjoyed the most was the sea horses. They have a good display here with several live specimens.

 

There re is also a pretty decent shark tank, with some small sharks in it, and a well developed coral reef with more tropical fish.

So as a standalone attraction, it’s not so impressive, but imbedded inside the magnificent Hagaparken and attached to the butterfly house, you can’t really go wrong.

 

Cruise to Rosersberg Palace

Cruise to Rosersberg Palace

 

Recommendation

The Travelin’ Man’s Overall Recommendation: VERY GOOD*
(surprisingly good, exceeding on some levels)

  • What did I like the most: amount of original content in the castle
  • What is the biggest area for improvement: more time slots for English tours

Logistics

We got our tickets at the Stadshuset and Riddarholmen Boat Tours, Stadshusbron, Klara Mälarstrand 2, 111 52 Stockholm. They were 445 kr each.

The Boat trip is two hours each way, and the return time is fixed, meaning the boat leaves and then returns to pick you up at the specific time. We left the dock from Stadshuset at 10am sharp. It is a guided tour, meaning they will call out points of interest along the way over the speaker system.

The Boat

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The name of our boat was s/s Evert Taube. She is what I’ve come to expect from Stromma for cruises like this.

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There’s a fairly large internal cabin, a large upper deck (exposed) and a smaller back deck that is outside but covered.

It has a snack bar in the main cabin that serves sandwiches, chips, and soft drinks. You can also get wine and beer at the bar.

There is also free wifi. Just don’t count on it always working. 😉

 

The Cruise

The cruise was excellent. Going out, we sat up on the outside deck and enjoyed an abundance of sunshine, fresh air, and good company. We even got some coffee and pastries from the bar and brought them up.

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As I have mentioned on all Lake Mälaren cruises, the scenery here is just amazing. It’s great watching the landscape transform from city to country.

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This is especially evident on the above shot, which is Hasselby Strand, the end of the green line. After that, no more big buildings. The guides will sometimes call that out, but other times they don’t. And this brings up my biggest gripe about the cruise; there is no speaker down in the main cabin. So if you want to hear the tour guide, you have to be on the top deck.

The Palace

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This is now one of my favorite Swedish palaces. It is just bristling with Sweden’s history, and so much of the castle contents is still original, including many rugs, tapestries, paintings, and furniture.

This was the palace of King Karl XIII before he was king. He was the younger brother of the famous Gustav III, who of course was assasinated at the opera and whose son was exiled.

 

Unfortunately, the only way to see the palace interior is by guided tour. But, the tour was very well done. She pointed out some of the more intimate details, like the hidden passage into the queen’s bedroom and the cool stairway from the king’s bedroom that led to his upstairs library. Fascinating stuff.

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The tour was 100 kr, but certainly well worth it. As I mentioned earlier, this palace has a lot of original content and is very well preserved. Some of the rooms define majestic beauty and look exactly like you envisioned from novels you may have read.

If I have a complaint here, it is that the English tour only ran at 3pm, and we arrived at 12pm. On the other hand, that gave us plenty time to have lunch and tour the grounds on our own.

Food

There were snacks and sandwiches on the boat. In the morning, we had coffee and pastries. On the afternoon cruise, there is a cooked meal available. I believe our offering was salmon, but we didn’t get it. If you want the afternoon meal, you should inform the staff prior to disembarking at the palace.

There is a cafe in the palace. It is very small and offers some salads and sandwiches, plus a selection of desserts. And of course wine and beer.

* Each area is rated on a scale 1-5, with 1 = poor, 3 = good, 5 = exceptional
How did this do compared to what I had expected: 4
How well were the logistics handled: 3
Was the staff helpful and friendly: 3
Overall execution and presentation: 4
Total score: 14
4 – 8 is POOR (was not at all what I expected and/or was not worth the time/money)
9 – 10 is OK (quality of the experience was a little low, but I enjoyed it)
11 – 13 is GOOD (met expectations, would recommend, would do again)
14 – 15 is VERY GOOD (surprisingly good, exceeding on some levels)
16 – 20 is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (outperformed my expectations, great value)

Bridges Boat Tour

Recommendation

The Travelin’ Man’s Overall Recommendation: OK*
(quality of the experience was a little low, but I enjoyed it)

  • What did I like the most: Audio guide provided useful info about history and architecture
  • What is the biggest area for improvement: Boat was small, insufficient outdoor seating

The boat did not afford good views of the bridges. The content from the audio is good, but you’d be better served to use the Drottningholm Palace cruise. The boat is much better, and the scenery is fantastic. It’s about the same amount of cruising time, but costs less.

Logistics

We bought our tickets from and departed from the Strandvägen terminal. The tour also departs from Strömkajen, but on a slightly earlier schedule. We paid 260 kr each, and the tour was around 2.5 hrs. The boat leaves leaves on the hour from 10am to 6pm during prime season. Check online for departure times from Strömkajen.

It’s an audio guided tour. If you don’t bring your own earphones, they will provide you a pair at no cost.

The Boat

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This is the aspect that brought their rating down. Considering it was advertised as “Under the Bridges of Stockholm” I would have expected to be able to get some great pictures of the bridges, like in the advertisements.

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But we were seated in the interior, with limited window seats, and facing out to the sides. It’s bench seating on each side of a table. If you don’t get there early, you may not get a window seat. Furthermore, there are two pickup spots, so if you are boarding at Strandvägen, there may not even be any good seats left since it leaves from Strömkajen first. There was a very small outdoor area in the back, but it only seated about 10 passengers and was full when we boarded.

There is a snack bar with sandwiches and treats, and they also serve wine and beer.

The Tour

The boat goes all the way around the southern island (Södermalm), turns around at the City Hall, then comes back using the same route. It swings a little bit wide on either side to pick up a couple of extra bridges.

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I would have thought the audio guide would be mostly focused on the architecture and history of the bridges, but it was just general Stockholm information. This included a full spoiler for The Vasa, so if you have friends or relatives with you and you were wanting them to learn about The Vasa incident at the museum, then don’t use the audio. Thanks to my friend Melissa for hanging out the window to get the above shot!

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There was some really good architectural and historic information about the buildings we saw and how they came into being as the culture and politics of the area evolved.

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The route took us all the way around Södermalm, so you get to go through the Lock of Hammarby, which separates the fresh water lakes from the Baltic ocean.

We went by the old Absolut factory, but somehow were not able to see the famous vodka barrels. Was probably too busy talking and just missed them. 🙂

 

* Each area is rated on a scale 1-5, with 1 = poor, 3 = good, 5 = exceptional
How did this do compared to what I had expected: 2
How well were the logistics handled: 3
Was the staff helpful and friendly: 3
Overall execution and presentation: 2
Total score: 10
4 – 8 is POOR (was not at all what I expected and/or was not worth the time/money)
9 – 10 is OK (quality of the experience was a little low, but I enjoyed it)
11 – 13 is GOOD (met expectations, would recommend, would do again)
14 – 15 is VERY GOOD (surprisingly good, exceeding on some levels)
16 – 20 is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (outperformed my expectations, great value)

Södermalm Segway Tour

Södermalm Segway Tour

Recommendation

The Travelin’ Man’s Overall Recommendation: VERY GOOD*
(surprisingly good, exceeding on some levels)

  • What did I like the most: riding Segways is great fun!!
  • What is the biggest area for improvement: some of the units were showing their age and could use a refresh

Logistics

There are several Segway tours in the Stockholm area, and we intend to do them all eventually. The tour we did for this review was hosted by Daytrip Stockholm AB, located at Mälartorget 19, 111 27 Stockholm (all the way south on Gamla Stan).

Our tour lasted about two hours, and cost 495 kr each ($60). It’s a guided tour, meaning there are a few planned stops where your tour guide will give some narration on the local area you are traveling through. But the way these things generally work is you’re really more interested in riding than talking, and they are aware of this. Our tour guide was Åsa, and she was awesome.

The Training

This was not our first time on a Segway, so we didn’t really need the introduction session that they all give, but it never hurts to hear it again. They help you get on it the first time so you see how it works, then you ride around in the designated training area for about five more minutes and now you’re ready. It really is that simple.

The Tour

We had a nice route that took us around Södermalm. I say it was a nice route because they kept us away from the heavy traffic areas and we had limited big intersections to get through.

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And Södermalm has a lot to offer in terms of beauty. Looking down at the water from those high cliffs is spectacular. One of the areas our guide stopped at was where some of the older houses were that were there before the big Södermalm buildup. Very historic. Then she took us to a large seemingly private paved area that went around a group of trees in the middle. She let us do laps around it as fast as we wanted. Kinda of a neat way to blow off some steam!

All in all this was a great tour and honestly, the length was just right for us. I will definitely add the other tours once we do them.

* Each area is rated on a scale 1-5, with 1 = poor, 3 = good, 5 = exceptional
How did this do compared to what I had expected: 3
How well were the logistics handled: 3
Was the staff helpful and friendly: 4
Overall execution and presentation: 4
Total score: 14
4 – 8 is POOR (was not at all what I expected and/or was not worth the time/money)
9 – 10 is OK (quality of the experience was a little low, but I enjoyed it)
11 – 13 is GOOD (met expectations, would recommend, would do again)
14 – 15 is VERY GOOD (surprisingly good, exceeding on some levels)
16 – 20 is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (outperformed my expectations, great value)

 

Drottningholm Palace Cruise

Drottningholm Palace Cruise

Recommendation

The Travelin’ Man’s Overall Recommendation: VERY GOOD*
(surprisingly good, exceeding on some levels)

  • What did I like the most: the inside of this palace is magnificent, better than the Royal palace even
  • What is the biggest area for improvement: all of the outdoor walking areas are on gravel, be careful if with elders or handicapped

Logistics

This was a Strömma boat ride from Stockholm to the Drottningholm palace on Lake Mälaren (third largest lake in Sweden). It’s one hour out, and one hour back. You could easily spend a couple of hours here, especially if you also visit the Chinese pavilion and the gardens. There is also a cafe and restaurant in the immediate area, which would take even more time. Your best bet is to allow for being there for three hours, then you can always cut it short and come back sooner if you wanted. So that puts the total even time at 5 hours.

We got our tickets at Stadshusbron, Klara Mälarstrand 2, 111 52 Stockholm (this is over by City Hall). We paid 210 kr ($25) for each adult. That only covers the boat ride over and back. Entry to the palace itself is 130 kr ($15), and the Chinese pavilion is 100 kr ($12). If you’re concerned about the pricing, Strömma does offer package deals, so check their site.

Departure times vary dramatically, so check online for latest schedules leaving Stockholm. On the return trip, a boat leaves Drottningholm every hour.

The Cruise

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You’ll get one of three boats that service this tour. They all feature plenty of seating, a bar, and a restaurant if you want have a meal on the way over or back. We managed to get the M/S Prins Carl Philip going out and coming back.

 

It was pretty warm when we went, so we were able to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air and beautiful scenery of Lake Mälaren.

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When I think of Sweden, for some reason, beaches just never really comes to mind. But they have them here, and yes they swim in the cold water!

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Lake Mälaren offers some really fantastic landscapes. This is one of my favorite trips since it is so beautiful, and the one hour boat ride each way is just right.

The Palace

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Ok, spoiler alert here, in case you haven’t already heard, Drottningholm Palace is one of the nicest palaces in all the land! Think I’m exaggerating? Guess where the royal family lives…. Nope, not in the Royal Palace. They have lived in the Drottningholm Palace since 1981.

I haven’t reviewed the Royal Palace for you yet, but if you saw it, you would understand why everyone, including the royal family, loves this palace so much more.

 

While the palace grounds do not stand up to the great Château de Versailles, you can’t help but feel the influence. And it is beautiful in its own right.

We were a little pressed for time when we were there, so we did not do the Chinese pavilion but I promise I will add it in at some point.

 

The comments about this palace vs. the Royal Palace apply as much to the inside as the out. The Royal Palace is much more business oriented and doesn’t have nearly the luxuries of this place.

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One thing you will notice is that the statues throughout the palace are made to look like expensive Rome era artwork, when in fact they are cleverly disguised painted replicas. Still, very nice and very impressive.

Once we finished our tour, we had a few minutes before the next boat, so we sat down at the cute little cafe right by the boat dock. It’s nice because you can have a nice glass of wine or coffee and still be able to see if the line for the boat starts growing.

All in all this is a great way to spend a half day.

* Each area is rated on a scale 1-5, with 1 = poor, 3 = good, 5 = exceptional
How did this do compared to what I had expected: 4
How well were the logistics handled: 3
Was the staff helpful and friendly: 3
Overall execution and presentation: 4
Total score: 14
4 – 8 is POOR (was not at all what I expected and/or was not worth the time/money)
9 – 10 is OK (quality of the experience was a little low, but I enjoyed it)
11 – 13 is GOOD (met expectations, would recommend, would do again)
14 – 15 is VERY GOOD (surprisingly good, exceeding on some levels)
16 – 20 is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (outperformed my expectations, great value)

Vaxholm Dinner Cruise

Recommendation

The Travelin’ Man’s Overall Recommendation: VERY GOOD*
(surprisingly good, exceeding on some levels)

  • What did I like the most: sipping wine while watching the spectacular scenery of Sweden’s archipelago drift by
  • What is the biggest area for improvement: condition of the windows made photography a tad challenging in direct sunlight

Logistics

The dinner cruise is hosted by Strömma, aboard the s/s Stockholm, with restaurateurs Maria Svensson and Jesper Taube handling the culinary aspects.

We got our tickets at Strömma Kanalbolaget Terminal, Nybrohamnen 4, 111 47 Stockholm. They were 200 kr per person and do not include food or drink.

The cruise goes non-stop from Strömma Kanalbolaget Terminal (ours was slot #15) to the beautiful Vaxholm. We left the dock at 7pm sharp, and the entire trip was around 3 hours. The menus were in Swedish and English, and there is no tour guide, it is strictly scenic.

The Boat

The name of the boat was s/s Stockholm, and she was classy and cozy. We sat up on the second deck. Each table is by a window. There were three of us in our party, and we had a table to ourselves, but I don’t know if couples share a table with others or not. Will find out, though, since Jana and I will definitely be doing this again.

The Dinner

As you might imagine, dinner is handled very much like a restaurant. You order whenever you’re ready. It is possible to book your food in advance, and have it brought in by course, but we opted for à la cart. I ordered the classic steamboat steak, and it was cooked exactly to order, served hot, and tasted delicious. Combined with the gherkin, it made a surprisingly good taste combination. I did bulldoze some of those onions off though, haha. They also offered lamb tenderloin, corn fed chicken breast, and various other seafood dishes. Overall a very good menu.

The wine list was very diverse, better than most restaurants. Stockholm leans more towards the French and Italian wines, and seldom if ever have any USA representation. But the cruise had not only French, Italian, and USA, but also some selections from Spain, Italy, Chile, and Africa. We also ordered some of the desserts, which were all very good.

You really can’t go wrong here, the dinner and drinks were excellent; we and everyone around us had a marvelous time.

The Cruise

The cruise was on par with the rest of the experience, very smooth sailing, and magnificent views of the archipelago.

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The noise levels inside the restaurant were acceptable, and there was no boat or engine noise whatsoever. We were blessed with absolutely gorgeous weather. I will say we sat on the starboard (right hand) side. Folks on the other side seemed to have more sun coming in, which we wouldn’t have preferred.

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There was a brief stop at Vaxholm before starting back. We saw enough of it to make us want to go out there for a weekend stay. There was a really nice looking hotel right on the water and this cool palace to discover.

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I should mention that photography was a tad challenging at times. As you can see above, there is a lot of glare. There is really no controlling this, nor any way to really deal with it other than to  try different angles with the camera.

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The other thing, which would be controllable, is that the windows could have been a little cleaner on the outside. Especially with the evening sun hitting them, any dirt becomes highly visible, which added additional challenges to photography, as you can see above. I know, first world problem, just sayin’.

But if you’re persistent and creative, you can work around these challenges. On the return trip, we got to experience a breathtaking sunset.

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This was Brandi’s last evening with us. I can’t think of a better send off…..

* Each area is rated on a scale 1-5, with 1 = poor, 3 = good, 5 = exceptional
How did this do compared to what I had expected: 4
How well were the logistics handled: 3
Was the staff helpful and friendly: 4
Overall execution and presentation: 4
Total score: 15
4 – 8 is Poor (was not at all what I expected and/or was not worth the time/money)
9 – 10 is OK (quality of the experience was a little low, but I enjoyed it)
11 – 13 is Good (met expectations, would recommend, would do again)
14 – 15 is Very Good (surprisingly good, exceeding on some levels)
16 – 20 is Highly Recommended (outperformed my expectations, great value)

Travelin’ Man’s Guide to Stockholm

This is an index of all of the current Stockholm activities and places that I have documented. More are being added every week, so be sure to sign up for notifications at the bottom of the page so you will get notified when I add a new article.

Each entry below has a thumbnail image with the name and a description of the attraction. If you want to see the Travelin’ Man’s detailed article of that attraction in a separate window, simply click on the underlined text.

The attractions are grouped by which island they are on. The amount of time for each attraction is given. Use those two pieces of information to help plan a day of sightseeing in and around this beautiful city.

Archipelago

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Fjäderholmarna [2-3 Hrs] Stockholm’s closest archipelago island, and the 30 minute boat ride was scenic and relaxing. It leaves from the Strandvägen ferry terminal. There are several great restaurants to choose from, some scenic walking trails, and a blacksmith that makes jewelry right on the island.

 

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Vaxholm Dinner Cruise [3 Hrs] The cruise goes non-stop from Stockholm to the beautiful Vaxholm. You really can’t go wrong here, the dinner, drinks and cruise were all excellent; we and everyone around us had a marvelous time.

 

Lake Mälaren

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Drottningholm Palace Cruise [4-5 Hrs] Ok, spoiler alert here, in case you haven’t already heard, Drottningholm Palace (aka Summer Palace) is one of the nicest palaces in all the land! It is in this palace that the royal family actually lives.

 

 

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Skokloster Palace – [8-9 Hrs] It’s a boat ride from Stockholm to the Skokloster palace and back. Experience the breathtaking beauty of lake Mälaren’s shoreline. On board cafeteria and bar, and the trip includes an onboard tour guide who will call out noteworthy sights along the way.

 

Djurgården

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Skansen [4-5 Hrs] It’s a museum, a zoo, and a historical town replica. It’s all of those things and all outdoor. There are some rides and activities for children. It also offers some fantastic views of Stockholm.

 

 

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Vasa Museum [2-3 Hrs] This museum displays an almost perfectly preserved ship that sank off the coast of Stockholm in 1628. They claim that it is the worlds only fully preserved 17th century ship. And it is completely intact.

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The Viking Museum [1 Hr] The big challenge for museums is how to present their wealth of information in a way that will be interesting, and also to present it in a way that you will remember it. The Viking Museum does a pretty good job at both of these things.

 

 

 Gamla Stan

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Rooftop Tour [2 Hrs] Walk around on the roof of the old parliament house, eight stories up! Get a full 360 degree view with no windows, walls, or barriers. And the guides give great historical perspective on what you’re looking at.

 

IMG_2817Stockholm Free Walking Tour [2 Hrs] It’s definitely a tour worth taking, even for locals since you probably walk right past a lot of this stuff but don’t know its history.

 

 

Norrmalm

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Under the Bridges Boat Tour [2 Hrs 15 Mins] I listed this one under Norrmalm even though it cruises around Södermalm because the tour departs from the main island. This one was just ok, and didn’t get a good rating. Some good tour information on architecture and history.

 

 

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Stockholm – Intellectual, fashionable, and very cultural. More than 100 museums, some world renowned. Picturesque, stately beauty of a city on the Baltic. Magnificent palaces, exquisite restaurants, unforgettable boat tours. By mid summer, over 18 hours of daylight per day!

 

Södermalm

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Segway Tour [2 Hrs] We had a nice route that took us around Södermalm. I say it was a nice route because they kept us away from the heavy traffic areas and we had limited big intersections to get through.

 

Other

IMG_8163Hagaparken [All day] This is a massive and beautiful sprawling park across the lake from The Stockholm University campus. Not only is it a gorgeous display of nature, but it also has the Haga Palace, King Gustav III’s Pavillion, botanical gardens, a Chinese pavilion and gardens, a Turkish Kiosk, and it is also the site of the Swedish Royal Burial Grounds.

 

 

 

Free Walking Tour Stockholm

Free Walking Tour Stockholm

Recommendation

The Travelin’ Man’s Overall Recommendation: OK*
(quality of the experience was a little low, but I enjoyed it)

  • What did I like the most: historical information about the buildings and statues
  • What is the biggest area for improvement: tour guide was not very energetic

It felt more like a quick tour of the area around Kunsträdgården than a tour of Stockholm. It was informative and I am glad that we did it. But it felt hurried, and our guide was just not that enthusiastic. So the content was good, but the overall quality of the tour was below average.

I will be taking this tour again and will probably get a different guide. If so and if it turns out to be better, then I will come back and adjust this recommendation accordingly.

Logistics

This is a global walking tour company that works strictly on tips. So while their company title “Free Walking Tours” does imply it is free, keep in mind that it is a job for them and they only get paid from customer tips. The amount of the tip is based on your opinion of how good the tour was. I think generally anywhere from 130 kr to 450 kr (approx $15 to $50). But that’s just a rough guideline that I go by.

The tour we took was called “Free Walking Tour Stockholm.” It’s definitely a tour worth taking, even for locals since you probably walk right past a lot of this stuff but don’t know its history. Our tour was about an hour and a half. The advertisement said it was two hours, and I think two hours would have covered it better.

Our tour guide was Hanna. She did not put a lot of energy into it, but she was very knowledgeable and was able to answer all of our questions. The tour started in Gamla Stan and ended in Kungsträdgården. The advertisement said that it would end at the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace. So it looks as though our tour ended quite a bit earlier than it should have.

The Tour

We did learn about some of Sweden’s history, including the gruesome blood bath, but we did not get to see the square where it happened. We did see quite a few statues along the way. Our guide did a good job explaining the statues and their historical significance.

 

 

 

We saw the parliament building, the Royal Palace, and the old church (which is the oldest building in Stockholm). The featured image at the top of this article is the parliament building. Fantastic view. Also probably the best photograph I have ever taken in my life!

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* Each area is rated on a scale 1-5, with 1 = poor, 3 = good, 5 = exceptional
How did this do compared to what I had expected: 2
How well were the logistics handled: 3
Was the staff helpful and friendly: 3
Overall execution and presentation: 2
Total score interpretation: 10

4 – 8 is POOR (was not at all what I expected and/or was not worth the time/money)
9 – 10 is OK (quality of the experience was a little low, but I enjoyed it)
11 – 13 is GOOD (met expectations, would recommend, would do again)
14 – 15 is VERY GOOD (surprisingly good, exceeding on some levels)
16 – 20 is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (outperformed my expectations, great value)

 

Fjäderholmarna Island

Fjäderholmarna Island

Yeah, say that fast one time, haha!

Recommendation

The Travelin’ Man’s Overall Recommendation: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED*
(outperformed my expectations, great value)

  • What did I like the most: Scenic, delicious restaurants, laid back island
  • What is the biggest area for improvement: the boat could be better

Logistics

The tickets were SEK 150 each. The boat is usually a low rider, no frills style, but it’s comfortable enough, and it’s a short ride. It leaves from the Strandvägen ferry terminal. It’s a half hour out, and a half hour back, so if you want to have lunch and explore a bit, I’d plan for at least a couple of hours. The departure and pickup times on the island vary depending on the season, so check online before you go.

Except for Christmas julbord, the cruise is not available after September.

The Island

Hard to believe that a 30 minute boat ride could make you feel like you’re on a mini vacation. Yet that is how we felt as we sat on this island eating our lunch overlooking a beautiful marina. And despite being in the peak of the warm season, it was not crowded and most of the people we saw were from the local area. Very peaceful, quick getaway from the Stockholm hustle bustle.

Fjäderholmarna is Stockholm’s closest archipelago island, and the 30 minute boat ride was scenic and relaxing. It leaves from the Strandvägen ferry terminal and takes you out south of Djurgården.

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You get to see the amusement parks and the huge Viking cruise ships from the water on your way out and back. There is a quick stop at Nacka Strand (both ways), and if you’re lucky, the water spout will be on. What water spout, you ask? Ha, it’s called “God, Our Father, on the Rainbow.” It depicts God, standing atop a 23 meter tall (75 ft) half arch waterfall. You really have to see it to understand, but it is pretty cool. A thousand apologies I didn’t snap a pick while I was there, but I promise I will get one next time and post it here.

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We went out again last week with our friend Brandi. I did get this pic, but unfortunately the waterfall was not turned on. I will keep trying! But at least now you can see what I was talking about. Water is supposed to be shooting out the top.

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Once you get to the island, you’re free to explore and do your own thing. It has a very country feel to it. A couple of decent restaurants (my reviews at the end of this article), some cheapo souvenir shops (they’re actually quite cute), a glass blower and even a real live blacksmith. The blacksmith makes pure silver jewelry which is really quite nice. And if you hike around a bit, you will even discover some WWII relics (but I’m not going to spoil it for you).

 

I recommend sitting on the left side of the boat going out. You’ll get to see Djurgården at its absolute best. On the left again coming back and you will get a great view of the water spout, the amusement park, and the Viking cruise ships.

We like to get on the 11:30 ride out, which puts us on the island at noon. Then we go to one of the restaurants and have a nice leisurely lunch, then a walk around the island. A great way to spend a warm afternoon.

Restaurants on the island that we have been to

As for the restaurants, there are several pretty decent ones there. Mind you, you’re going for the atmosphere and spectacular views, not to enjoy a rare culinary experience. So keep an open mind and be easy…

Fjäderholmarnas Krog

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Venue: It was an absolutely amazing view. It’s like the wide open sea bent around into the little marina and made a small, glass smooth lake in front of the restaurant. We didn’t have a booking, but they were able to take us as it wasn’t very crowded.

 

 

Menu: I got the grilled chicken breast, and Jana got the shrimp salad, and both were very enjoyable and really hit the spot. Reasonably priced, and the service was great.

Drinks: Since we were going to be hiking around, we decided to keep it light and went with water, but they did have a decent looking wine and beer list.

Recommendation: We will definitely come back here again. Highly recommended.

Rökeriet Restaurang Café

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Venue: This is the more formal restaurant of the isle, and they prefer you make a booking. They open at 12 noon. Like all the restaurants on the island, the view is spectacular. This one is to the immediate left when you get off the boat.

Menu: A little pricier than the others on the isle, and it’s primarily Swedish food. I got the Wallenbergare, and it was served hot and was delicious with the house white.

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Drinks: Very good selection of wines and cocktails. They even have a seasonal cocktail menu, including the classic bellini, one of Brandi’s favs and shown above.

Recommendation: If you’re in the mood for the more formal setting and selection, this place is great. I highly recommend it.

Röda Villian

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Venue: As with the other restaurants on the island, the scenery is spectacular. This one is a little different than the others in that it has some woods and more natural terrain to work with. Prices are in line with the others on the island, and really not bad over all. There is no waiter staff. You order at the bar and come get it when it’s ready.

 

 

Menu: I thought it was a “bar and grill”, but looking at the sign more closely, it’s a “bar grill boule”.  I kind of had a different expectation of what I would see on the menu. Open faced hamburger without bun, over the top fancy pizza, spinach and feta cheese pie, etc. And they were all good, just, to me, not bar and grill type of food.

Drinks: They had some decent mixed cocktails, among which was the aperol spritzer, which is what we had. The first round came from an already opened bottle of champagne, so it was a little flat, but the second was fresh and delicious.

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Recommendation: I recommend it with the caveat that you understand it isn’t really a bar and grill menu. I ordered the hamburger. There was no mention that it came open faced without buns. It was incredibly tasty, just not what I expected. But the laid back stance and fantastic scenery of this place make it a must see for the island.

*This rating is for the boat ride, island, and overall experience. Not related to the restaurants directly.

Each area is rated on a scale 1-5, with 1 = poor, 3 = good, 5 = exceptional
How did this do compared to what I had expected: 5
How well were the logistics handled: 4
Was the staff helpful and friendly: 3
Overall execution and presentation: 4
Total score: 16
4 – 8 is POOR (was not at all what I expected and/or was not worth the time/money)
9 – 10 is OK (quality of the experience was a little low, but I enjoyed it)
11 – 13 is GOOD (met expectations, would recommend, would do again)
14 – 15 is VERY GOOD (surprisingly good, exceeding on some levels)
16 – 20 is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (outperformed my expectations, great value)