17 September 08

City Focus

City Focus Stockholm

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The very best of the Swedish capital – islands, clubs, culture and pop music.

By Robin Mckelvie

Citylens Stockholm
THERE is no doubting the beauty of Stockholm’s setting, a city sprinkled spectacularly across 14 islands in an archipelago of 24,000 isles and islets. But what makes the Swedish capital so special, is that these islands boast a perfect spread of historic buildings and sparkling modern architecture, mixed in with swathes of unspoilt green space. Throw in the buzzing nightlife and vastly-improved-of-late restaurant scene and you have one of Europe’s most appealing tourist destinations. Pictured here is Sergels Torg, the most central public square in Stockholm. It’s named after 18th-century sculptor Johan Tobias Sergel, whose workshop was once located just north of here. The pedestrian plaza is a hub of the city for entertainment, business and national festivals, and is best known for its striking triangular pattern.

Citydays Stockholm
Explore the museums, parks and cafés across these culture-packed islands

AS Stockholm is eulogised as the “Venice of the North” – and there really is rather a lot of water around – a great way to start off is by getting out on it. Tour boats leave from just in front of the GRAND HOTEL. You can opt for guided sightseeing, hop on/hop off trips or even strike out on your own kayak or rowing boat. But beware, the waterways do get very busy, especially when the sun is shining.

If you are hungry after your cruise, head a few streets back from the waterfront to the famous KUNGSTRADGARDEN. This leafy oasis is typical of the city’s parks, so take a pew and just watch the locals cruising by. There are a number of cafés and restaurants to choose from, but VICTORIA is a cut above the rest. It cooks tasty daily specials, such as rib-eye steaks with béarnaise sauce and herb-infused roast potatoes.

Time for a walk now, and with the city’s relatively flat streets and universally attractive architecture you can’t go wrong. Start off in the old town, GAMLA STAN, timing your visit if possible to catch the pomp and ceremony of the changing of the guard at the ROYAL PALACE. Afterwards, just wander around the historic cobbled streets, making sure to head off touristy MYNTGATEN to explore some of the more atmospheric lanes.

The city is built across 14 islands, so be sure to explore at least a couple more. You can walk from OSTERMALM right over to SKEPPSHOLMEN, then on to KASTELLHOLMEN. Both share the gorgeous water and old-town views that rear up at every turn. Skeppsholmen also boasts the ARCHITECTURE MUSEUM and MODERN ART MUSEUM, with the former housing a great restaurant and café where you can take a breather and peer out across the water. Look the other way from GAMLA STAN and you cannot fail to miss DJURGARDEN. This is the city’s leisure oasis. Catch a ferry over to explore the winding trails and historic buildings that litter this lovely national park. Enjoy the impressive SKANSEN open air museum with its zoo, trails and outdoor exhibits. Next door, GRONA LUND is a theme park with a host of thrilling adrenaline rides and plenty to occupy visitors of all ages.

Another cultural landmark in this part of Stockholm is the VASA MUSEUM, housing a salvaged 17th-century warship – the world’s only such surviving vessel. Just a mile into her maiden voyage in 1628, the Vasa sank dramatically with the loss of 50 lives. Yet it was not until the 1960s that she was dragged above water for what is a breathtaking renaissance.

Another excellent cerebral attraction is the NATIONAL MUSEUM, with its stunning collection of over 15,000 paintings, including masterpieces by the likes of Degas and Rembrandt. It is no surprise that the citizens of Stockholm love their art, given the beauty of their city – whose aquatic setting you can also appreciate through the museum’s windows.

Citynights Stockholm
Enjoy cool clubbing, great cuisine and buzzing bars
MANY tourists head straight for GAMLA STAN, where they wander around blindly, wondering why Stockholm has so many awful and expensive Italian restaurants! But while the old town is great fun for the start of a night, with a drink at a terrace bar, you generally need to head elsewhere for some real food and nightlife worthy of the name.

Stockholm’s restaurants have boomed in recent years. Perhaps the city’s best is the Grand Hotel’s MATSALEN, with top chef Mathias Dahlgren. He is also the man behind the more informal and cheaper MATBAREN at the same venue. Following close behind is another Michelin-starred eatery, RESTAURANG LEIJONTORNET, which is easily the best place to eat in Gamla Stan. For a restaurant with a view, make a beeline for GONDOLEN, a rather precarious looking platform that hangs over the sea in SODERMALM, and boasts a Swedish menu that also includes some international comfort food.

The city’s best bars are in Södermalm, the buzzing southern district that attracts local students, savvy visitors and bohemian types. The central drag of GOTGATEN is a good place to start. If you are dressed to the nines and can be bothered with the scrutiny, battle past the bouncers at OCH HIMLEN DARTILL, a panoramic bar and restaurant set spectacularly high up in the city’s tallest building. More down to earth in every way is TIFFANYS, an Irish bar on Gotgaten. Despite some strange licensing laws, Stockholm is a fun city for clubbing. One of the best venues is stylish SOLIDARITET, with R&B and cheesy pop downstairs and happy house on the second level and outdoor terrace. Within staggering distance is the massive STURECOMPAGNIET in the busy nightlife zone of STUREPLAN, a great place to end a wild night in this party city.

The Stockholm Gig
Alphabeat
Scandinavian music is red hot right now, and it all looks set to burst up another notch next year when Stockholm’s Abba Museum finally opens. But for now, check out hotly tipped Danish combo Alphabeat, who NME has dubbed “the best Scandinavian band since Abba”. See for yourself and enjoy their pop sounds at 8.30pm on 30 September at DEBASER, a funky indie/ alternative music venue.
1 KARL JOHANS TORG. TEL: +46 (0)830 5620, WWW.DEBASER.SE

Stockholm
On the Cheap
The Stockholm Card is an essential purchase, providing access to public transport, a canal trip, entry to over 75 museums and attractions and a free guidebook. It comes in 24-, 48- and 72- hour formats at a cost of SEK 330 (€35), 460 (€48) and 580 (€61) respectively. Though eating out is expensive, Swedish fast food is of a high quality – so search for quick bites to save your kronor. As the city is so flat, you can easily walk everywhere over a weekend saving plenty on transport.

Citystay Stockholm
Grand hotels, floating hostels and beautiful boutique options await

On a Budget
Af Chapman
Not many hostels in Europe can boast rooms in a lovely old sailing ship, which bobs gracefully, offering sweeping views of the water and old town. The hostel’s name refers to the old English ship itself, which has rather impressively been a hostel for over half a century now. Add in a great and inexpensive (for Stockholm) breakfast, and a fun little café/bar and you can’t really go wrong at this characterful budget oasis right in the city centre. For those landlubbers who need to stay back on dry land, there’s no need to panic though, as Af Chapman also has rooms in a historic building on the island of Skeppsholmen.

TWO-BED CABIN SEK395 (€42) PER BED (INCLUDES RENTAL OF SHEETS). TEL: +46 (0)84 632 266, WWW.STFCHAPMAN.COM

Not Breaking the Bank
Victory Hotel
This just has to be the cosiest hotel in town. Family owned and run, it hides away right in the heart of the old quarter. Unusually these days for a boutique stay, the Victory Hotel could not be any less minimalist, with lashings of maritime décor adding splashes of character throughout.

Each room is themed around an old sea captain. In a rather cute way, singles just have a portrait of them on display, while doubles proudly sport images of their spouse, too. Attention to detail is key here, from a thoughtfully created breakfast buffet, to an on-site Michelin-starred restaurant, and service standards that make you feel more like a guest in someone’s home than just a room number. The family also run the slightly cheaper Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton hotels nearby./
DOUBLES FROM SEK2,150 (€227) . TEL: +46 (0)85 064 0000, WWW.VICTORYHOTEL.SE

Cream of the Crop
Grand Hôtel
The most famous hotel in town is still one of the best. It’s where the Nobel Prize delegates come to stay, and is also a favourite with visiting A-listers. Just across from the Royal Palace, the location is stunning, with sweeping water views from the public areas and many guest rooms too.

Alongside the traditional Veranda restaurant – where you can try the famous smorgasbord buffet – the Grand features a Michelin-starred eatery under the talents of celebrated chef Mathias Dahlgren (www. mathiasdahlgren.com). Throw in one of the city’s trendiest bars, The Cadier, and an on-site sauna, and you’ve got a winning mix. Then there’s the SeaLounge, the hotel’s floating oasis, complete with service staff. Cruise around sitting in a an outdoor hot tub, or taking a sauna as Stockholm slips by. Next year also sees the opening of a new spa and swimming pool at a hotel that makes sure it always keeps ahead of the game.
DOUBLES FROM APPROX SEK2,390 (€253). TEL: +46 (0)86 793 500, WWW.GRANDHOTEL.SEW

Passing Through
Connect Hotel Skavsta
Opened this summer the Connect is the first hotel to be built at Stockholm Skavsta airport, and being just 75 metres from the terminal provides the perfect stay for anyone getting early flights or just passing through. Unlike many airport hotels there’s nothing skanky about Connect either. 145 rooms divided into Quick Sleep, Family and Business with wireless Internet, Plasma TVs as well as a sauna and gym round it all off nicely.
SINGLES FROM SEK495 (€52). TEL: +46 155 220 220. WWW.CONNECTHOTEL.SE

Citylocator Stockholm

Citylives Stockholm
ANDERS VASSEUR
ROOM SERVICE MANAGER, GRAND HÔTEL

Great architecture, cool neighbourhoods and a new focus on fashion are all reasons to get stuck on the Swedish capital

THE only time I have ever managed to pull myself away from Stockholm was for a job aboard cruise ships – and I think that says a lot about my city. Water is key here in the “Venice of the North”, integral to the city and who we are as its citizens.

“I have always lived in Stockholm, and have worked at the Grand Hôtel for a decade now. Just take a look out of our waterfront windows and you will see why I don’t want to leave.

“One of the great things about Stockholm is that it still has the feel of a small town. Take the time to stroll around and break free from the main tourist streets and you’ll discover the real city. This is the best way to appreciate our rich and varied architecture, too. Try some of the less-touristy areas like Vasastan, which may not be as buzzy as Södermalm, but has quite a chilled atmosphere, and is where lots of the laid-back locals like to hang out.

“My city has changed a lot in recent years, and for the better. As well as our much-touted design sense we now have some great home-grown clothing labels, such as Acne and Filippa K. Also look out for the number of great chefs we have in the city – Swedes with the confidence to move beyond gravad lax and meatballs, such as the Grand Hôtel’s own Mathias Dahlgren, who has a Michelin star to his name

“One thing that does not change in Stockholm is the intensity of our seasons. We get real weather here, short and intense summers followed by dark and harsh winters. There are not many cities in Europe where you can bask on a beach in 30˚C heat and then ice skate in the same place in winter.

“First-time visitors should head to at least one of our islands. My tip is Galo, a lovely little escape, but there are so many to choose from. You can hop on a ferry right outside our hotel, and the archipelago and all that water is suddenly yours to explore.”
WWW.GRANDHOTEL.SE