“Give Your Square Life”: Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm ❤ I was only in Sweden’s capital city for roughly six hours–not nearly enough time–but thankful to spend a gorgeous day in the “Beauty on the Water”.

While in Örebro I took the train from the central station to Stockholm. Forever the thrifty person I am, I booked the two hour trip on the older train (about 30 Euro) and it was great option. Even the discounted train (as the lady who helped me said: “You know it’s the OLD one?”) was super clean and efficient. I caught up podcasts and finished Not that Bad by Roxane Gay, which was one the most powerful books I read in 2019.

My limited time in Stockholm meant I had to prioritize what I could visit–I felt a little piece of my heart break as I eliminated stops off my list–but I was able to see a good deal of the city and one of my absolute favorite places I’ve ever visited: Rosendals Trädgård.

This was also one of my first solo trips and it was fun traveling on my own. Picture a lot of intentional wandering, coffee stops, and as always, a long trek to the city library (because of course).

Stockholm is an incredible place with tons of beautiful architecture, history, and lovely green spaces. I’m so thankful to have spent the day here, especially during the summer, when the capital has up to 18 hours of sunlight per day.

Where are we?

The first inhabitants of the area that is present-day Stockholm moved here after the Ice Age (around 8,000 BC) and Old Town was constructed by the Vikings in 1000 CE. Founded across 14 islands, the city is connected by 57 bridges, earning the nickname “Beauty on the Water”; the name Stockholm is derived from the words stock (“log” in Swedish) and holm (meaning “islet” and most likely referring to Helgeandsholmen in central Stockholm).

After working for years in the sustainability field in Charleston, one of the most interesting parts of visiting Sweden (and especially Stockholm) was seeing sustainability practices in person (skip ahead to fika pictures if you don’t want to read my nerdy-sustainability ramblings).

Named the European Green Capital Award by the EU Commission in 2010, Stockholm has the distinction of being Europe’s first “green capital”. The landscape, location, and population growth of the city provides unique challenges to Sweden’s sustainability goals.

*The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA)*

Known for its green spaces, which make up 30% of city’s area–the other thirds being urban and water–Stockholm utilizes a “community planning” system that:

“focuses on enhancing or altering the production and consumption of society that is normally left up to the market to determine. Planning is about formulating strategies to improve the quality of life for Swedes and the quality of the natural environment. Planning and environmental policies focus on this ‘dual’ purpose of urban development patterns and green space preservation–crafting guidelines and policies to ensure that humans are close to nature and that natural areas maintain their ecological functions.”
Nelson, Alyse. 2018. “Stockholm Sweden: City of Water.” Landscape Australia. Available here.

As a country, Sweden has committed to reduce GHG emission by 40% by 2020 and zero net GHG emissions by 2050. They also implemented the Swedish Environmental Code (1999) which:

“requires that an environmental impact assessment be carried out before permission can be given for an environmentally hazardous activity. This assessment takes into account the impact on people, animals, soil, water, air, the landscape, and the cultural environment.”
The Swedish Institute. 2018. “Sweden Tackles Climate Change.” Sweden Official Site. Available here.

*Djurgårdsbrunnsviken, a bay of Saltsjön, was used for Olympic rowing and swimming competitions during the 1912 Summer Olympics.*

My priorities included visiting the Old Town, Rosendals Trädgård, the Stockholm Public Library, and seeing the views from the water. While I had a small time-frame in Stockholm and chose to walk through the city, I’m sure you could hit more on your list by using public transportation (and a chance to see the world’s longest art gallery); I just love walking and enjoying new places on foot.

*Here was my journey: Norrmalm (Centro) → Gamla stan → Djurgården → Östermalm → Vasastan (north of Norrmalm) → Norrmalm (Centro).*

The Sites:

Old Town (Gamla stan):

*St. Gertrude’s Church (Sankta Gertruds kyrka) is located in Gamla stan and is dedicated to Saint Gertrude (626-659).*

*The German guild of St. Gertrude was founded in the 1300s by German merchants living in Stockholm.*

*The Old Town is known for its different shades of gold seen throughout the area.*

*Stockholm’s Old Town is one of the best preserved European historic districts, thanks in large part to the pedestrian-only streets here.*

*The Cathedral Church of Saint Nicholas (Sankt Nikolai kyrka) is the oldest church in Gamla stan and was founded in the 13th century.*

*The Church has been the site of a number of important Swedish historical events including weddings, funerals, and coronations.*

*The Grand Square (Stortorget) is the oldest square in Stockholm.*

*If I had more time I would have loved to tour the Nobel Museum and Library, which included an exhibit about Martin Luther King, Jr. while I was there.*

*Fun fact: the Nobel Prizes in physics, medicine, literature, and chemistry are awarded in Stockholm every December but the Nobel Peace Prize is presented in Oslo each year.*

*The Square’s well was designed by Erik Palmsteft. Land elevation caused the well to dry up in 1856 but today the landmark is connected to city water.*

*The Stockholm Palace (Stockholms slott) is the official residence of the Swedish monarchy and includes 1400+ rooms (600 with windows).*

*Construction started in 1697 amd was completed in 1754.*

French architect Simon de la Vallée began planning construction for the building but was killed by a Swedish nobleman in 1642, just a week after work began; his son, Jean De la Vallée finished the work in 1660.

Riddarholmen Church (Riddarholmskyrkan) is one of the oldest buildings in Stockholm and the former medieval abbey for the city. It is located on Riddarholmen, an island close to the Royal Palace, so not technically Gamla stan, but I was able to catch a view of the beautiful church on my way to the Old Town.

Rosendals Garden (Rosendals Trädgård):

Rosendals Trädgård is one of my absolute favorite places I’ve ever visited. Home to one of the most sustainable cafes in Stockholm, the property features a number of gardens, an orchard with over 100 apple trees, and greenhouses. Reader, I was in love.

Previously modeled after the Royal Horticultural Society in England, the garden also housed a training school that closed in 1911. Today the main purpose of the space is to “present biodynamic (organic) garden cultivation to the general public” through lectures, courses, exhibitions, and let’s be honest, awesome looking dishes.

The bakery on site is AMAZING and includes a number of breads and treats. The building on the left and behind the raised beds was the “drop off station” where customers brought their plates and serviceware once finished with their meal. It made my heart happy to see such clearly labelled instructions and zero contamination between recycling and composting, even during the lunch rush. This is a pretty serious operation that the patrons also respected.

*One of the old greenhouses is now used as a shop.*

*The space includes Trädgårdsbutik and Plantboden, two shops where customers can buy supplies and fresh produce grown on the property.*

*With plenty of places to sit and walk, I could literally spend all day (or the rest of my life* 🤔) *here.*

*A wonderful friend who studied in Uppsala University in Sweden recommended this amazing place to me. Thank you Erika ❤*

Walk through Djurgården:

*This was about a 45 minute walk (one way) but totally worth it, even with my limited time-frame.*

*Statue of Jenny Lind*: Known as the “Swedish Nightingale”, Lind was one of the most highly respected opera singers in the 1800s. She also toured the United States with P.T. Barnum; a fictionalized account of their relationship was part of the plot of the film, The Greatest Showman (2017).

*“The Lady Working for Peace in the World” was built by the Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War.*

*Sirishov is a villa near Rosendal’s Palace with some parts of the house dating back to the 1760s.*

*The view from the other side of the bridge including the Nordic Museum.*

*The Nordic Museum (Nordiska museet) was founded in the late 1800s and includes the cultural history and ethnography of Sweden from 1520 to present.*

*The museum contains over one million objects.*

*The Blue Gate (blå porten) is the entrance (or exit) to the Royal Djurgården (Kungliga Djurgården).*

Östermalm:

*Oscar’s Church (Oscarskyrkan) is one of Stockholm’s major churches and was built in 1897.*

Stockholm Public Library (Stockholms stadsbibliotek):

*Stockholm’s Public Library opened in 1928 and is known for its tall rotunda.*

*The Library was recently named one of the world’s most beautiful libraries by Conde Nast Traveler.* *I also spent time having fika here and it was a lovely break before catching my train back to Örebro.*

Drinks & Shops:

Forever packing my lunch:

*Östermalm is a beautiful place to sit and eat your packed lunch while catching up on podcasts.*

Sara’s Art & Coffee:

Rönnells Antikvariat:

Slow Fox:

*I loved **this** graphic design / music / bookshop in Gamla stan.*

Mikkeller Bar:

♡ Skål

*Nationalmuseum Skeppsholmen Konstbiblioteket & Arkiv*

Currently:

Reading: Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee (Casey Cep)
Watching: Succession Season 2 (HBO)
Listening: The Provability Gap (NUT Radio)