Stockholm, Sweden

In my opinion, there’s nothing better on holiday than waking up to a buffet breakfast! I’m no morning person by any stretch of the imagination, so nothing helps me get out of bed easier than the thought of a cooked breakfast. Plus, I was super excited to see what real Swedish cuisine is like, to try some new things, and to prepare for my first full day in Stockholm. I headed down to the hotel restaurant, and feasted on eggs, herring, and crispbread while planning out my day.

Strandvägen, Stockholm

I kicked off Sunday morning by picking up a coffee and heading out to Stockholm’s Strandvägen. Strandvägen is a waterfront street that was created in the nineteenth century in Stockholm’s affluent Östermalm neighbourhood. It’s lined with glamorous architecture, and runs along the water for just under a mile.

The goal of Strandvägen’s design was to create a street ‘unparalleled in Europe’. You could certainly say it’s one of a kind, with its gorgeous waterfront views on one side and a tree lined promenade on the other. I was thoroughly impressed as I walked along in the Sunday sun with my coffee as the water sparkled.

Strandvägen itself took an impressive fifteen years to complete. Ever since, it’s been one of Stockholm’s most sought after streets, thanks to its adornment with spectacular mansions and palaces. Each of these was once lived in by wealth business people, and wood barons. Along the esplanade, you’ll find a row of cafes and restaurants with a view.

As my first solo trip overseas, I was a little lost when it came to taking photos. Luckily enough, I asked an American lady to take my photograph. She too was travelling alone on business, and we ended up hanging out for the day. Also into photography (and with a much better camera), we ended up exploring Strandvägen to get some new shots.

Stockholm is such a pretty city, and walking around Strandvägen reinforced my love for it after seeing Gamla Stan the day before. It was fun exploring the area with my new found friend.

We stumbled across this beautiful park. As it was autumn, there were so many pretty shades of burnt orange to deep red around Stockholm. I highly recommend autumn as a time to visit.

The Vasa Museum, Stockholm

On hearing that I’d not yet visited Stockholm’s Vasa Museum, my friend instantly insisted we go. If you’re not familiar either, the ‘Vasa Museet‘ is a maritime museum on the island of Djurgården. The star attraction is the Vasa ship, which is the only (almost) fully intact seveteenth century ship that has been saved. Having survived both capsizing and sinking back in 1628, it’s pretty remarkable that the 64 gun warship, Vasa, is intact.

Vasa was rescued three hundred and thirty three years later, where it could continue at sea. Nowadays, it’s at home at Scandinavia’s most popular museum. Visitors can walk all around the Vasa ship to see the impressive creation from all angles. You’re also treated to stories behind the history and creation of the warship.

It’s pretty incredible to see how ornate Vasa is, and some of the decorative artwork that was salvaged. I loved seeing these colourful pieces of decor in particular.

We walked all around the angles of the ship, learning more about life on board, and the construction of Vasa. Having worked up quite the appetite, my American friend and I headed for ‘fika’. If you’re unfamilar with the term fika, it’s a rite of passage in Sweden. Often translated as a coffee and cake break, it’s an important part of the culture. Fika is something Swedes make time for each day; an opportunity to share a coffee and a break from busy lifestyles.

We went to Sjöcafeet on the island of Djurgården. It’s a cute little spot along the waterfront that has windowed walls so you get a great view. We grabbed some coffees and some salmon on crispbread and chatted.

The ABBA Museum

The next stop for us was the one and only ABBA: The Museum. Having heard all about it before booking my trip to Stockholm, I knew I had to go! Walking towards it, we passed the Nordiska Museet. It’s a museum all about Nordic life and culture. Although I’d love to have visited, sadly I didn’t get time during my visit to Stockholm. You’ll find pretty much all of Stockholm’s museums on the island of Djurgården.

ABBA The Museum has various exhibits and interactive experiences to celebrate the iconic Swedish pop band, ABBA. Upon entry, you’re greeted with their songs in the museum that’s tagline is ‘walk in, dance out’. The first room is a homage to the Mamma Mia films, with props and costumes throughout.

You may have seen the next exhibit advertised before – I certainly had. The museum hosts a holograph show where you can actually join in as if you were part of ABBA. There are opportunities to sing throughout and you can record your performance that you can later download.

Other attractions throughout the museum include plenty of memorabilia, outfits, instruments, records, and awards.

It’s well worth a visit for anyone who enjoys a little bit of ABBA every now and again! I headed home via Gamla Stan, with this gorgeous sunset providing views along the way.

I also grabbed a bite to eat along the way from a food outlet in Kungshallen. Kungshallen is a food hall with vendors selling food from across the world. I opted for a Korean bibimbap and it was truly delicious.

My day in Stockholm ended with a relaxing evening back in my hotel room. I really love Stockholm already!

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What are your favourite things to do in Stockholm? Do you have any recommendations to share in the Swedish city?