National Museum, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden When I last visited Stockholm in 2015, I was disappointed by the fact that the National Museum was closed for renovations. Then in October 2018, I saw on our French news that it had finally reopened. They showed images from the fine building, the paintings, the Carl Larsson frescos, and I wished I could visit.…
ABBA The Museum, Stockholm, Sweden ABBA. Love ’em or hate ’em, they are one of the most influential bands in the history of modern music. From 1974 to 1982, the group topped charts all around the world, and in the last few decades they’ve re-emerged and caught up a whole new legion of fans. Even though I love many of…
Maritime Museum, Sjöhistoriska museet, Stockholm, Sweden Maritime history, and the way that people have used the sea for exploration and trade, is fascinating. I never really got it until I visited the oh-so wonderful Maritime Museum in Amsterdam. Since then, if there is a museum on the subject, I’m there. Unfortunately none of the ones I’ve visited since have really…
Ethnographic Museum, Etnografiska Museet, Stockholm, Sweden What is interesting about going to Ethnographic Museums in different countries is that they all have a slightly different emphasis: some, like the Museum of Culture in Basel, have a lot of objects from Papua New Guinea; the Ethnographic Museum in Zurich has an extraordinary Chinese collection. Each reflects the interests of the people…
The Vasa Museum, Vasamuseet, Stockholm, Sweden This is the story of a ship called the Vasa – the biggest, baddest and crappiest warship to ever set sail in the northern seas. I don’t think it’s going to spoil the story much to say it sank. And sank pretty quickly. But, as they say, one man’s loss is another man’s gain, and…
The Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities, Medelhavsmuseet, Stockholm, Sweden Clearly if a town has a museum dedicated to the ancient world, I’m there. And I’ll probably be there for a long time. And I was at the Mediterranean Museum for much longer than I expected – and still didn’t see the entire collection. I totally missed the Islamic section,…
The Great Church, Storkyrkan, Stockholm, Sweden Dedicated to St Nicholas, the large church in the centre of Stockholm is popularly called Storkyrkan, and more informally still, Stockholm Cathedral. Tradition has it that it was originally built by the legendary founder of the city, Birger Jarl, and it’s first mentioned in written sources in 1279. Interestingly, it was the only parish…
Museum of Medieval Stockholm, Stockholms medeltidsmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden Ah, the Middle Ages! They are so creepy, so fascinating, so… Swedish. Yes, I know that doesn’t make sense, but in my little brain the medieval world is summed up in ‘The Seventh Seal’ – a Swedish film. Not that you get to play chess with Death at this museum, but you do…
In Stockholm, Sweden The Great Square Christmas Market (Stortorgets Julmarknad) has its origins in the old medieval markets of Stockholm. It’s been in this same spot every year since 1837 (with a brief window from 1907-1914, when it didn’t run at all). Therefore since 1915, it has been a constant presence in Gamla Stan, and you couldn’t get a more perfectly…
Skansen, Stockholm, Sweden When I was about 14 years old, I went to a Carl Larsson exhibition at the V&A Museum in London and ever since then I’ve had this obsession with his Sweden. One of the images I’ve always liked was of his daughters dressed in a long white gown, wearing a crown of lit candles. This shows the…