Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [45]
Vin & Sprithistoriska Museet (Wine & Spirits Museum; Map; 744 70 70; Dalagatan 100; adult/under 18yr Skr50/free; 10am-7pm Tue, 10am-4pm Wed-Fri, noon-4pm Sat & Sun) looks at history through a snaps glass, exploring the often turbulent relationship between Swedes and their beloved brännvin (aquavit) and punsch, a Swedish alcoholic beverage made with arrack liqueur. Step inside a recreated 19th-century wine merchant’s distillery, get the low-down on Sweden’s notoriously conservative alcohol policy, and merrily sniff your way through 57 akvavit (aquavit) spices at the smelling organ. The wine bar hosts regular wine-tasting evenings in Swedish (Skr400; book two weeks ahead). Take bus 65 from Centralstationen or walk from T-Odenplan.
Housed in an elegant Italianate building, Medelhavsmuseet (Museum of Mediterranean Antiquities; Map; 51 95 53 80; Fredsgatan 2; admission Skr80, with Stockholm Card Skr40; noon-8pm Tue-Fri, noon-5pm Sat & Sun, to 5pm Fri Jun-Aug) lures history buffs with its Egyptian, Greek, Cypriot, Roman and Etruscan artefacts. Swoon over sumptuous Islamic art and check out the gleaming gold room, home to a 4th-century BC olive wreath made of gold.
The small but evocative Strindbergsmuseet (Map; 411 53 54; Drottninggatan 85; adult/under 19yr Skr50/free; noon-7pm Tue, noon-4pm Wed-Sun Mar-Oct; noon-4pm Tue-Sun Nov-Feb), in the Blue Tower, is the well-preserved apartment where writer and painter August Strindberg (1849–1912) spent his final four years. Peep into his closet, scan his study and library (containing some 3000 volumes), do a round of the dining room, and take in the often absorbing temporary exhibits.
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ALEXANDRA PASCALIDOU
Stockholm perfection on a sunny day? Start with breakfast and great coffee at the Rival cafe before taking the ferry across from Slussen to Djurgården. It’s only a 10-minute trip but it’s beautiful and invigorating. On Djurgården, walk along the sea, passing Gröna Lund Tivoli (opposite) and the Vasamuseet (opposite), and have lunch at the classic Ulla Winbladh where you must try the famous Swedish meatballs. For evening drinks, don’t miss Sturehof or Gondolen.
And when the rain pours? Head to Östermalms Saluhall for Swedish delicacies and beautiful architecture, then do a little shopping at department store NK Click here and the surrounding boutiques. Spend the afternoon at Moderna Museet or visit Kungliga Slottet, before dinner and drinks at Le Rouge ; you can choose the bar if you want a less expensive alternative or the restaurant if you fancy a gourmet feed and have some money to spend. It’s probably the most romantic place in Stockholm right now.
What do you miss most about Stockholm when you’re away? The silence and beauty, the food, the architecture and the order of the place. I also miss the public transport system, which is nice and easy and always on time. I don’t miss the dark winter days.
Stockholm is increasingly multicultural. Do you feel ‘native’ Swedes genuinely accept new-arrivals and second-generation immigrants as equals? Swedes are very friendly and polite, but we still have problems with the integration and acceptance of different immigrants. A lot of immigrants live segregated lives in suburbs like Rinkeby, Tensta and Hjulsta. On the other hand, luxurious neighbourhoods like Östermalm and Gärdet are inhabited mostly by native, wealthy Swedes. There’s still a divide between Swedes and the others, but the new generation is generally more open-minded. Generally speaking, it’s easy to live