In September 2026, I started the physical journey, travelling to Sweden with my wife. This was the starting point for a journey across Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
Glimpses of lakes and islands came into view as our plane descended through cloud on the approach to Stockholm Airport. That tired feeling you have after 40 hours of travel with little sleep disappeared, replaced by the anticipation of touching down in Sweden.
The express train from the airport took us through tree covered countryside with small open grass areas before reaching the outskirts of the city. After a short walk in the wrong direction, we made it to our hotel. Tired but happy!
We spent the afternoon exploring the area near our hotel including the Town Hall building and a walkway along the waterfront. We saw several wedding parties at the Town Hall and paused to watch. It was a lovely way to kick off our time here. That night we tried the Swedish delicacy “Kabab Pizza”, it was pretty good!
The next morning, we walked to Gamla Stan (Swedish for Old Town) before the masses arrived. The cobbled streets and old buildings are a photographer’s delight, filled with character, colour and the imperfections that become beautiful with age.
We visited the Cathedral and felt very moved by the history and astounding painting and sculptures inside. I have never seen anything close to the incredible St George and the Dragon sculpture. Tucked away near the organ was a remembrance pray area where you could leave a pray, I wrote a short prayer of thanks to my Great Grandparents for having the strength and fortitude to make the decision to leave Sweden and immigrate to New Zealand in 1874.
Near the Cathedral we found the Nobel Prize Museum. This museum is home to items gifted by Nobel Prize winners, usually something that was instrumental in their work that led to winning the prize. Seeing Malala Yousafzai’s scarf and learning about the efforts to ensure girls get the opportunity for education, before and after the Talaban tried to kill her is incredible. Their attempt to silence her only made her stronger and her voice louder.
There are many interesting stories, but perhaps the biggest of all, was Nobel himself. Alfred Nobel was a Swedish Industrialist who amongst other things, invented dynamite. He had no children and his estate created the Nobel prize and a fund to support it. He has a created a legacy to recognise the best parts of humanity.
Gamla Stan is also home to the Royal Palace. We timed our visit perfectly, getting to see the changing of the guard, a great demonstration of marching and military brass band performance. This is a very serious event, that took a fun turn when the band played Dancing Queen to a loud applause! They gave the crowd what they wanted and more.
The Vasa Museum took our trip to the next level. The Vasa sank on her maiden voyage in 1628 and has recovered almost fully intact, making her one of the best-preserved ships of her age. The Vasa would have been a sight to behold, intricate carving, bright colours and height that ultimately meant her centre of gravity wasn’t going to help her stay upright. I can only imagine the Kings reaction to her demise, right in front of his own eyes! If you are in Stockholm, this is something you must see!
If you were to associate anything with Sweden, then ABBA would be it. In the 1970’s ABBA were Sweden’s biggest export, selling millions of albums in just a few years but continuing to make the world dance to this day. The ABBA Museum in Stockholm is another must visit, regardless of you level of ABBA fandom. The sign says, “walk in, dance out” and it’s true. You are taken on a journey where four people came together to create iconic music for the world and a glimpse into life after ABBA. If you aren’t sure, then go and I am sure you won’t be disappointed!
Stockholm has many institutions that have been built over the centuries. One of these is the National Library, an incredible resource with books going back hundreds of years covering all aspects of Swedish society, statistics and literature. The building itself is worth visiting. The ground floor was filled with researchers and students studying from the libraries enormous collection of physical books.
Drottningholm Palace is a short train and bus trip from the city. Set on a huge park with a lake, forest and landscaped gardens, is the palace where the Swedish Royal Family live. The Palace is a World Heritage site and once you go inside you understand why. Climbing the stairs you are surrounded with marble statues of Roman Emperors before entering room after room with ornate painted ceilings and wall holding portraits of the Royal family going back to the 1600’s (maybe older), Generals and Heads of State including Napolean, Kings and Queens from various European powers and even the Ottoman’s.
Stockholm has many other things on offer for travellers. We loved the art in Central-T station, walking Skeppsholmen, catching the ferry for a short hop around the islands and public gardens scattered around the city. There are many museums that we didn’t have time to see and a cruise around the Stockholm Archipelago was highly recommended by friends. More time here next visit!
Our last evening in Stockholm was a beautiful dinner with friends who invited us to their home. It was a lovely way to end our few days here before heading off to the next part of our journey the following morning.
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