Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [259]
Seniors
Seniors normally get discounts on entry to museums and other sights, cinema and theatre tickets, air tickets and other transport. No special card is required, but show your passport if asked for proof of age (the minimum qualifying age is generally 60 or 65).
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EMBASSIES & CONSULATES
The diplomatic missions listed here are in Stockholm; some neighbouring countries have additional consulates in Göteborg, Malmö and Helsingborg.
Australia (Map; 08-613 29 00; www.sweden.embassy.gov.au; 11th fl, Sergels Torg 12)
Canada (Map; 08-453 30 00; www.canadaemb.se; Tegelbacken 4)
Denmark (Map; 08-406 75 00; www.ambstockholm.um.dk, in Danish; Jakobs Torg 1)
Finland (Map; 08-676 67 00; www.finland.se/fi, in Finnish & Swedish; Gärdesgatan 9-11)
France (Map; 08-459 53 00; www.ambafrance-se.org, in French & Swedish; Kommendörsgatan 13)
Germany (Map; 08-670 15 00; www.stockholm.diplo.de, in German & Swedish; Artillerigatan 64)
Ireland (Map; 08-661 80 05; irish.embassy@swipnet.se; Östermalmsgatan 97)
Netherlands (Map; 08-55 69 33 00; www.netherlands-embassy.se; Götgatan 16A)
New Zealand (070-346 93 24; nzemb@xs4all.nl; Carnegielaan 10; 2517 KH The Hague) No representation in Sweden: closest embassy is in the Netherlands.
Norway (Map; 08-665 63 40; emb.stockholm@mfa.no; Skarpögatan 4)
UK (Map; 08-671 30 00; www.britishembassy.se; Skarpögatan 6-8)
USA (Map; 08-783 53 00; http://stockholm.usembassy.gov; Dag Hammarskjöldsväg 31)
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FOOD
Eating reviews are categorised by price, with least expensive options listed first. Budget meals cost Skr75 or under, midrange between Skr75 and Skr185, and top-end places come in at over Skr185. For in-depth information on Swedish cuisine, see Food & Drink, Click here.
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GAY & LESBIAN TRAVELLERS
Sweden is a famously liberal country and allows gay and lesbian couples to form ‘registered partnerships’ that grant general marriage rights, with a few exceptions (such as not permitting access to church weddings). In 2002 the Swedish parliament voted in favour of allowing gay couples to adopt.
The national organisation for gay and lesbian rights is Riksförbundet för Sexuellt Likaberättigande (RFSL; Map; 08-457 13 00; Sveavägen 57-59), with an attached bookshop, restaurant and nightclub. Gay bars and nightclubs in the big cities are mentioned in this book, but ask local RFSL societies or your home organisation for up-to-date information. The Spartacus International Gay Guide, published by Bruno Gmünder Verlag (Berlin), is an excellent international directory of gay entertainment venues, but it’s best used in conjunction with more up-to-date listings in local papers; as elsewhere, gay venues in the region can change with the speed of summer.
Another good source of local information is the free monthly magazine QX. You can pick it up at many clubs, shops and restaurants in Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö and Copenhagen (Denmark). The magazine’s website www.qx.se has excellent information and recommendations in English.
One of the capital’s biggest parties is the annual Stockholm Pride (www.stockholmpride.org), a five-day festival celebrating gay culture, held between late July and early August. The extensive program covers art, debate, health, literature, music, spirituality and sport.
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HOLIDAYS
There’s a concentration of public holidays in spring and early summer. In particular, Midsummer brings life almost to a halt for three days: transport and other services are reduced, and most shops and smaller tourist offices close, as do some attractions. Some hotels close between Christmas and New Year, and it’s not uncommon for restaurants in larger cities to close during July and early August (when their owners join the holidaying throngs at beach or lakeside areas).
School holidays vary from school to school,