Stockholm, Sweden was our last port during our Northern European cruise. If you arrive in Stockholm on a cruise be sure to wake up early and watch as the ship winds its way through the archipelago.
I woke up three hours before our port arrival time and we were already going through the archipelago. It was so beautiful! I loved seeing the houses and boats around all the islands. I seriously did not want to go away from the view to take a shower and set my husband up with the camera for me!
We docked just south of Gamla Stan and there was a free bus that dropped us off on the other side of Gamla Stan near the Parliment. From there we started exploring Gamla Stan:
- Stortorget is Stockholm’s oldest square and is filled with colorful, gabled buildings. The square has many cafes with outdoor seating where you can enjoy a cup of coffee and people watch.
- Kopmantorget Square houses the beautiful statue of St. George slaying a dragon.
- Storkyrkan is Stockholm’s oldest church from the 13th century. You can go inside the church, however, there is a fee. This is where you will find the original statue of St. George slaying a dragon.
- Stroll down the narrow winding PrÃĪstgatan street. Be sure to look up at the details like the hoists, the tie-bolts, hatches for coal/wood delivery, and medallions that told firefighters which houses paid insurance and could be saved (gold phoenixes with red crowns underneath). This street was full of tourist groups when we visited so, unfortunately, it was not a quiet stroll.
- The German Church is the first German Lutheran church. It is free to visit the inside.
- At Lilla Nygatan 10 is Polkagris Kokeri, a candy store. We loved looking around the store, tasting, and purchasing candy. It is a beautiful store to visit!
- At noon, the changing of the guard happens at the palace. We enjoyed this changing of the guard much more than the one in Copenhagen.
One thing I love about Europe is the beautiful buildings. So, we strolled many streets looking at the colors of the buildings and curve in the roads.
After exploring Galma Stan, we walked to the Vasa Museum. It was a little bit of a walk, but not too bad. We enjoyed seeing more of the city as we walked along the waterfront.
If you are unfamiliar with the Vasa, it was a beautiful but unseaworthy warship that sank within 40 minutes. After 333 years at the bottom of the harbor, the Vasa was raised and is one of the best-preserved ships of its age. 
We arrived after lunch with very little wait in line to enter the museum, however, it is a very popular museum and there can be long waits. The warship is huge and the museum is full of exhibits, has a film, and offers tours. After visiting the Vasa, we headed back to catch the shuttle bus to our ship.
We had a great day in Stockholm! I would love to visit again to see more museums, Skansen, and to bike around the garden island.
Have you visited Stockholm? What was your favorite part of the city?
