Admit it: You like ABBA. Okay, maybe you don’t like ABBA, but you catch yourself singing along when you hear an ABBA song on the radio. Disclosure: I received free admission to the ABBA museum as part of a TBEX conference in Stockholm. All opinions, however, are my own. A second disclosure: This article contains…
Hop On Hop Off: my only bad experience in Stockholm
As you’ve probably guessed from my posts about Sweden, my trip was a great success. I took part in two familiarization tours: one before and one after the TBEX conference. The first was an introduction to the Stockholm archipelago and Swedish military history. In the second, I visited several manor houses and castles in the southern province of Sörmland….
The Medieval Museum of Stockholm
Back in the 1970s, the Swedish Parliament planned to build a garage underground next to the Parliament building in Stockholm. As often happens in European cities, the construction stopped when excavation uncovered the remains of what turned out to be the original medieval center of Stockholm. For two years, archeologists excavated and studied the city wall, built by…
Skansen open-air museum, Stockholm
[tweetthis]An open-air museum is a lazy way to get to know a country’s architecture and culture.[/tweetthis] Or: [tweetthis]An open-air museum is a great way to get to know a country’s architecture and culture.[/tweetthis] Both of these statements are true. The fact is that most of us only have limited time when we travel, and, if…
The Nordic Museum: Sweden’s small-town museum
Exploring the Nordic Museum in Stockholm reminded me of some of the small-town museums I’ve visited before. Often a seemingly random collection of objects donated by residents or local companies, they offer insight into the area’s culture and history. I enjoy them because their “smallness” is often quite amusing. The Nordic Museum struck me as…
Storkyrkan Tower Tour
The old center of Stockholm, on the island of Gamla Stan, swarms with tourists—and probably a few locals too—in the months of July and August. Among the sights they visit is a medieval-era church called Storkyrkan. What few seem to know is that Storkyrkan also offers guided tours twice a day up its clock tower,…
Fortresses in the Stockholm Archipelago
In July, I was fortunate to participate in a short blogger trip on the theme of “Stockholm archipelago – close yet a world away.” We stayed on a relatively unknown island called Nässlingen, but also visited two fortresses to learn a bit about Swedish military history. Disclosure: I took part in this military history tour…
The Vasa Museum: exploring an epic fail
Ever notice how people love to hear about failed projects? I call it “epic fail tourism.” The most obvious example is the Titanic, about which there are numerous museums around the world (Belfast, Ireland, where the Titanic was built; Branson, Missouri; Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; Orlando, Florida; Southampton, England, where many victims were from; and many…
10 Things I like about Sweden
I’ve only been in Sweden for a few days, and I’m loving it. I’m not sure whether I’d love it in the winter, but, in July, it’s a great place to be. I’m here for a TBEX (Travel Bloggers Exchange) conference: the same reason I went to Lloret del Mar in Spain last year and…