WHISTLE STOP TOUR OF STOCKHOLM
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
I acknowledge my gratitude and thanks to Google, Wikipedia , the various blog spots, magazine articles and travel guides for the inputs provided by them all the four countries of Scandinavia- Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland . The information provided by them has vastly helped me to connect to connect my photographs with the history linked to these places.
Though I visited all the four Scandinavian Countries almost 5 years back, in October 2010, I could sit down with determination only in 2015 to compile this blog. Better late than never! Five years could be a period long enough for many of the old landmarks to yield place to newer ones. So in that sense my blog may already have become outdated in some places . It could require an updating with new photographs. If it does, then I shall certainly do the needful-- --provided I happen to revisit these countries (by the Grace of God, certainly !) Travel often makes you acknowledge humbly the role of the 'Invisible Hand'. This term extends beyond just the economic forces that many economists are often inclined to refer to !
Through this blog post, I thank my various friends and relatives for their overwhelming warmth and hospitality during all the occasions when they hosted me at their homes . I also thank them for by sparing their valuable time for me and escorting me around in new places, helping me to accomplish sight seeing in otherwise remote and difficult places. I also thank my various co-travellers from different parts of the world for their enjoyable company,wit, humour and camaraderie during our journeys together. They made each of my sojourns very memorable ,without an exception.
I request viewers to please excuse me for the poor photography. Scandinavia was the first time when I handled a compact digital camera for an intensive use. I was not familiar with the subtle nuances of photography in changing conditions of light and weather. Also our sightseeing bus did not stop at many a place to enable us to take better shots under static conditions (without the interference from rain-splattered or dusty windows).
Sadly, time, tide and sightseeing buses /trains wait for none!
Stockholm
With a population nearing 850,000
Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden . It is home to approximately more
than a fifth of Sweden's population. The
city is built on 14 islands lying at the mouth of Lake Malaren. These islands
form a part of the larger Stockholm archipelago comprising almost 30,000
islands, which are mostly uninhabited.
Owing to the presence of canals and water bodies, Stockholm is sometimes referred to as the “Venice of the North”. Surrounded by 219 nature reserves, Stockholm has around 1,000 parks, which corresponds to 30% of the city’s area. According to the European Cities Monitor 2010, Stockholm was the best city in terms of freedom from pollution. Also, the 2010 Environmental Performance Index ranked Sweden as the world’s fourth most environmentally friendly country among 163 countries after Iceland, Switzerland and Costa Rica.
The ruler Birger Jarl,is said to have founded Stockholm in order to protect Sweden from the attack of foreign fleets. The core of the city is Gamla Stan, i.e. Old Town, on the central island . The word "Stan" is simply a contraction of the word "Staden" , meaning "the town." Gamla Stan is the place where one gets an' old world feel' amidst a fast paced changing world. Birger Jarl, had a city wall and fortification built around Gamal Stan to “lock “the entrance. The fortress was known as Tre Konor . After it was destroyed by fire in 1697, it was later rebuilt as the Royal Palace.
Owing to the presence of canals and water bodies, Stockholm is sometimes referred to as the “Venice of the North”. Surrounded by 219 nature reserves, Stockholm has around 1,000 parks, which corresponds to 30% of the city’s area. According to the European Cities Monitor 2010, Stockholm was the best city in terms of freedom from pollution. Also, the 2010 Environmental Performance Index ranked Sweden as the world’s fourth most environmentally friendly country among 163 countries after Iceland, Switzerland and Costa Rica.
The ruler Birger Jarl,is said to have founded Stockholm in order to protect Sweden from the attack of foreign fleets. The core of the city is Gamla Stan, i.e. Old Town, on the central island . The word "Stan" is simply a contraction of the word "Staden" , meaning "the town." Gamla Stan is the place where one gets an' old world feel' amidst a fast paced changing world. Birger Jarl, had a city wall and fortification built around Gamal Stan to “lock “the entrance. The fortress was known as Tre Konor . After it was destroyed by fire in 1697, it was later rebuilt as the Royal Palace.
Gamla Stan, also
went by the epithet “The Town between the Bridges”, is the old town of
Stockholm. It consists primarily
of the island Stadsholmen. It is surrounded by the islets Riddarholmen, Helgeandsholmen
and Stromsborg.
Nybroviken
Nybroviken
We were fortunate that our hotel, Radisson Blu, was located in the heart of Stockholm, in Nybrokajen, the pier and the street along Nybroviken. It is located on the Blaiseholmen peninsula. Our hotel overlooked Nybroviken ("New Bridge Bay"). This bay separates the Blaiseholmen peninsula from the posh business district of Ostermalm. Today, Nybroviken is a frequently used departure point for ferries of various sizes bound for Djugarden and the Stockholm Archipelago.
Nybroviken from the northern quay.
Hotel
Radisson Blu in Nybrokajen
We could get a beautiful view of Strandvagen, the
splendid avenue in Ostermalm with magnificent stately buildings including the
Royal Dramatic Theatre.
Strandvagen
as viewed from our hotel in Nybrovigen
Strandvagen
(Beach Road) is a boulevard on
Ostermalm in central Stockholm, stretching one kilometer east of Nybroplan. It
was completed just in time for the Stockholm World Fair in 1897. It quickly
became one of the most prestigious addresses in town. The Djugarden heritage
tramway passes over Strandvagen.
Nybrokajen
(left) and Strandvagen(right) as seen from the island of Djugarden.
Panoramic
view of Strandvagen from Djugardsbron
Bunsow House
(Bunsowska huset) constructed in 1886–88,set a standard, not only for
the entire street but for architecture in Sweden during the 1890s. The building
is named after Friedrich Bunsow, who had made a fortune on wood.
The Royal
Dramatic Theatre ( Kungliga
Dramatiska Teatern) is Sweden's national
stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788 and located in the Art
Noveau building ( above) at Nybroplan since 1908
Vasa Museum
The Vasa Museum (Vasamuseet) is a maritime museum located
on the island of Djugarden. The museum displays the only almost fully intact
17th century ship that has ever been salvaged. The 64-gun warship “Vasa” sank on
her maiden voyage in 1628. Opened in 1990 the Vasa Museum is the most visited
museum in Scandinavia.
From the end of 1961 to 1988 Vasa
was housed in a temporary structure called "The Vasa Shipyard". Here she was treated with polyethylene glycol. In 1981, the Swedish government
decided that a permanent Vasa museum was to be constructed. An architects’
competition for the design of the museum building was organized. A total of 384
architects sent in models of their ideas for the most suitable building to
house the Vasa. The construction of the new building began on and
around the dry dock of the old naval yard in November 1987. Vasa was
finally towed into the flooded dry dock
under the new building in December 1988.
Inside Vasa Museum
Close to our hotel lay Berzelii Park
and the Raoul Wallenburg square.
Berzelii Park is located between Nybroplan and the business district of
Norrmalm. The park is named after Jons
Jacob Berzelius, the Swedish chemist and professor at the Karolinska Institute who was also the Secretary of the Royal Academy of Sciences.
His statue stands in the middle of the park. This was the first time in Sweden
that a park had been erected in honour of a scientist.
An interesting history of the park is that its inaugural ceremony in 1858 was fixed at the unearthly hour of three o’clock in the morning. Such was the concern of the organizers that over enthusiastic visitors did not trample upon the newly planted saplings in the park..The Berzelius Park leads to Norrmalm, a fashionable shopping centre.
An interesting history of the park is that its inaugural ceremony in 1858 was fixed at the unearthly hour of three o’clock in the morning. Such was the concern of the organizers that over enthusiastic visitors did not trample upon the newly planted saplings in the park..The Berzelius Park leads to Norrmalm, a fashionable shopping centre.
The statue of
the Swedish chemist, Jons Jacob Berzelius stands in the middle of the Berrzelii
park.
On our way to the Royal Palace, we
walked through Kungstradgarden ("King's Garden"). It is one of the
most popular hangouts and meeting places in Stockholm thanks to its central
location and its several outdoor cafes. It is also a politically vibrant
place considering the political demonstrations staged there .A number of
Stockholm landmarks are found around the perimeter of Kungsstradgarden.
Statue of
Charles XII (Karl XII) in
Kungstradgarden ("King's Garden")
The fountain
of Johan Peter Molin (1866) in Kungstradgarden ("King's
Garden")
The carvings on the fountain relate to the mythological
characters the Ocean God , Aegir, his wife Ran and their nine daughters, all listening to the
river spirit , Nix , playing his harp. The fountain was inaugurated in 1866 and willow
trees were planted in the park at that time.
The park has an interesting history to
it. In 1971, when the plans for the construction of the Metro Station called
for the cutting down of old elms it led to violent protests. There was tree
hugging campaign in which the people chained themselves to the trees. This was
called the Battle of the Elms . The far reaching outcome of all these protests
were that not only were the trees saved with the relocation of the entrances
but also marked the end of a period when many old buildings in central
Stockholm were demolished.
Incidentally, echoes of this tree conservation movement were to be heard later in India in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It took the form of the "Chipko Movement" spearheaded by Sunderlal Bahuguna, in the state of erstwhile Uttar Pradesh ( and now Uttarakhand)
Incidentally, echoes of this tree conservation movement were to be heard later in India in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It took the form of the "Chipko Movement" spearheaded by Sunderlal Bahuguna, in the state of erstwhile Uttar Pradesh ( and now Uttarakhand)
Today, thankfully, things are more peaceful at
Kungstradgarden. It is mostly known for Tehuset ("Tea House") offering
coffee, sandwiches, and other refreshing things.
Kungstradgarden
as seen from across the bridge of Strombron
Evening hangout at Kungstradgarden
A series of historically important are
lined-up along the eastern side of the Kungstradgatan. They include the Stockholm
Synagogue and the Headquarters of Handelsbanken to name only a few.
The Great Synagogue of Stockholm located
in Wahrendorffgatan ( in Norrmalm district) , between Berzilli Park and Eastern Kungstradgarden. It is listed in the
Swedish registry of national historical buildings.
The imposing building of Svenska Handelbanken ( on the left side)
Strombron ("The Stream
Bridge") is a 140 metres long viaduct in central Stockholm. It connects the old city Gamla Stan to
Blasieholmen ,near the park Kungstradgarden.
Grand Hotel is a five-star hotel in
Stockholm founded by Frenchman Jean Francois Regis Cadier and opened in 1874.
It opened at the same time as the Grand Hotel in Oslo and all Scandinavian
capitals have a major Hotel called 'Grand Hotel'. Grand Hotel is located next
to the National Museum and opposite the Royal Palace and Old Town. Since 1901,
the Nobel Prize laureates and their families have all been guests at the hotel.
Currently, the hotel is owned by the wealthy Swedish Wallenberg family
Kungliga Musikaliska
Akademien, (Royal Music Academy), Nybrogatan
Some of the notable buildings on the
western side of Kungstradgarden are the Royal Swedish Opera and the Saint James’ Church
Saint James's Church also known as St.
Jacob’s church because as in many other languages, Swedish uses the same name
for both James and Jacob. The church is dedicated to apostle Saint James, the
patron saint of travellers. ( by corollary he becomes my patron saint too !).
Many important landmarks are located close to the church, within easy walking distance namely - Royal Opera, the Square Gustaf Adolfs Torg, the Sergels Torg, the Royal Palace etc.
Many important landmarks are located close to the church, within easy walking distance namely - Royal Opera, the Square Gustaf Adolfs Torg, the Sergels Torg, the Royal Palace etc.
The Royal
Swedish Opera ( Kungliga Operan) located
on the eastern side of Gustav Adolfs Torg ,on the western side of Kungstradgarden and on the northern side
of the Norrstrom river.
The Royal Swedish Opera is connected
to the Royal Palace through the Norrbro bridge
South of King's Garden is the quay Stromgatan interconnecting the bridges Strombron and Norrbro. Both these bridges stretch over to the Stockholm Old Town and the Royal Palace.
The Royal
Palace and its surroundings.
The southern facade of the Royal
Palace faces the grand-style slope Slottsbacken, the eastern facade is
bordering Skeppsbron, an impressive quay passing along the eastern waterfront
of the old town; on the northern front is Leionbacken, a system of ramps named
after the Medici Lions sculptures on the stone railings; and the western wings
border the open space Hogyakterrassen.
Upper section
of Slottsbacken in front of the Royal Palace (right), Storkyrkan ( Great Church) or St. Nikolai Church (centre) and
the Obelisk (left)
Northern
facade of the Royal Palace (Kungliga Slottet) overlooking the quay called
Slottskajen. The palace is built in the Baroque style. Its construction, which
started in 1697, was done in phases and was completed only in 1760.
Scenes from the change of guards at the Swedish Royal Palace
The palace is
guarded by the Hogyakten, a royal guard of members of the Swedish Armed Forces.
The institution of palace guards dates back to the early 16th century.
Stockholm
Palace (Kungliga Slottet)
is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish Monarch.The
private residence of the royal family is however at Drottningholm Palace.
Stockholm Palace is located on Stadsholmen
("City Island"), in Gamla Stan (the Old Town). It neighbours the Riksdag,
Sweden's parliament.
The offices of the monarch and the
other members of the Swedish Royal Family as well as the offices of the Royal
Court of Sweden are located there. The palace is used for representative
purposes by the King whilst performing his duties as the head of the state.
The palace has 1430 rooms, 660 with
windows and is one of the largest royal palaces in the world still in use for
its original purpose. The palace consists of four rows: western, southern,
eastern, and northern. The southern facade represents the nation, the western facade represents the king, the eastern facade represents the queen, and the
northern facade represents the common royal. These four rows surround the inner
courtyard.
Parliament
House is the seat of the Swedish Parliament , Riksdag, and is located at the island of
Helgeandsholmen
The surroundings of the Parliament House of Sweden
Riddarholmen
(Riddarholmskyrkan) church is a 13th Century church
and is one of the oldest buildings in Stockholm . It is located on the
island of Riddarholmen close to the
Royal Palace.
.
Riddarholmen Church was originally built as a Greyfairs Monastery.
After the Protestant Reformation, the monastery was closed and the building
transformed into a Protestant church. A spire was destroyed by a strike of lightning
in 1835 after which it was replaced with the present cast iron spire. Today the church is used only for
burial and commemorative purposes.
It is a church on the islet of Skeppsholmen. It was secularized in 2002. Since 2009 the building is a concert hall called Eric Ericsonhallen, named after the Swedish conductor Eric Ericson.
Stockholm is one of the most crowded
museum-cities in the world with around 100 museums. The most renowned national museum is the Nationalmuseum,
with Sweden's largest collection of art: 16,000 paintings and 30,000 objects of
art handicraft. The museum was founded in 1792 as Kungliga Museet
("Royal Museum"), but the present building was opened in 1866, when
it was renamed the Nationalmuseum.
Nationalmuseum
(National Museum of Fine Arts) is the national gallery of Sweden, located on the
peninsula Blasieholmen in central Stockholm
Gamla stan
The city's oldest section is “Gamla
Stan” (Old Town). It dates back to the 13th Century and is located on
the original small islands of the city's earliest settlements. It still
features the medieval street layout;
alleyways, cobbled streets and archaic architecture. Just after Second World War several
blocks and alleys in Gamla Stan were demolished for the enlargement of the Parliament From the
1980s, however, it has been preserved as a tourist attraction.
Some of the important buildings in and
around Gamla Stan are Stockholm Cathedral, Nobel Museum, and the Riddarholm
Church, the Swedish Royal Palace, built in the 18th Century after
the previous, Tre Kronor ( Three Crowns ) burnt down.
The main streets from the point of view of sightseeing and shopping are Osterlanggatan ( Eastern Long Street) and Vasterlanggatan,( Western Long Street).
The main streets from the point of view of sightseeing and shopping are Osterlanggatan ( Eastern Long Street) and Vasterlanggatan,( Western Long Street).
Osterlanggatan.
Osterlanggatan ( Eastern
Long Street)
is a street in Gamla Stan, the old town
of Stockholm, Sweden.. Major sights include the statue of Saint George and the
Dragon on Kopmanbrinken., the restaurant Den Gyldene Freden, established in
1722 and mentioned in Guinness Book of Records as one of the oldest restaurants with an
unaltered interior.
Like Vasterlanggatan, Osterlanggatan used
to pass outside of the city walls and was for many centuries one of the city's
major streets. Compared to Vasterlanggatan,it is today a relatively quiet
street .
Den Gyldene
Freden ("The Golden Peace"), named after the Treaty of Nystad. It was
opened in 1722, located on Osterlanggatan.
It is the oldest existing
restaurant with an unaltered interior. and most famous restaurant in Sweden.
Vasterlanggatan
Vasterlanggatan (The
Western Long Street)
is a street in Gamla Stan. A demolished 13th century defensive wall stood once
stood on this street. Today renowned as
one of Gamla stan's most picturesque and busy tourist magnets, Vasterlanggatan
was for many centuries one of the major streets of Stockholm.
The statue of Evert Taube, waiting for a taxi.
Evert Taube was one of the finest troubadours of Sweden and is best
known for his folk songs
Kopmanbrinken (Merchant’s Slope). It is a street
consisting of two slopes. Both slopes connect to the larger street of
Osterlanggatan
A peep into the alleys and old buildings so characteristic of Gamlastan
Ostermalmstorg is a square in the
district of Ostermalm, Stockholm. It is known for its food market hall,opened
in 1889.
Ostermalm is the most affluent district of Stockholm,
having the highest housing prices in Sweden.
(Some famous
buildings in this area are shown below. These shops perhaps require no introduction to the trendy and brand conscious among the viewers !!!)
Norrmalmstorg is a square in Central Stockholm. It connects shopping streets Hamngatan and Biblioteksgatan. It is also the starting point for tram travellers with the Djugarden line. Close to the southwest is the park Kungstradgarden.
The modern centrum Normalm
(concentrated around the town square Sergels Torg, is the largest shopping
district in Sweden. It is the most
central part of Stockholm in business and shopping.
Normalm is home to Stockholm’s
central station and numerous shopping opportunities (mostly along the busy
Drottninggatan). One of the cultural attractions, which I could just about manage to capture in the darkness of the night is the Kulturhuset .
The square is famous for the
Normalmstorg robbery which gave name to the Stockholm Syndrome.
|
Sergels Torg
(Sergel's Square)
is the most central public square in Stockholm.
It is named after the 18th century sculptor Johan Tobias Sergel, whose workshop was once located north of the
square. It was created in the 1960s, followed by the total clearance of large
areas to make room for new development projects
.
Together with the underground mall
east of the pedestrian plaza and the T-
Centralen metro station and other continuous underpasses west, Sergels Torg forms part of a continuous
underground structure almost a kilometre in length.
Night view of
the obelisk "Crystal - vertical accent in glass and steel (Kristall -
vertikal accent). The 37 metre
tall glass obelisk by
night against the backdrop of Sergels Torg and Kulturhuset.
The contest for the central monument was in 1962. The sculpture was finally completed in 1974 and since haunted by technical problems, never was able to deliver the intended visual output.
The contest for the central monument was in 1962. The sculpture was finally completed in 1974 and since haunted by technical problems, never was able to deliver the intended visual output.
.
Kulturhuset
Kulturhuset
.
Kulturhuset is one of Stockholm's most popular public buildings and, besides the theatre, also includes small cafes, book shops, a bar and a restaurant, a library, various exhibitions, public debates, lectures, book signings, a small medieval museum, and workshops.
Kulturhuset is one of Stockholm's most popular public buildings and, besides the theatre, also includes small cafes, book shops, a bar and a restaurant, a library, various exhibitions, public debates, lectures, book signings, a small medieval museum, and workshops.
Nordiska Departmental Store near Sergels Torg and Kulturhuset
In 2009, Stockholm was awarded title
of first European Green Capital by the European Commission. The almost total
absence of heavy industry makes Stockholm one of the world's cleanest metropolises and capitals.
Applicant
cities for this award were evaluated in several ways: climate change, local transport, public
green areas, air quality, noise, waste, water consumption, waste water
treatment, sustainable utilization of land, biodiversity and environmental
management.
Out of 35 participant cities, eight finalists were chosen. Of these three were from Scandinavia,, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo.
(I consider myself blessed having not only seen these cities but also having soaked in the spirit of these cities ( as also of Helsinki), by walking extensively through the streets of the central and historical districts of all these cities.)
Out of 35 participant cities, eight finalists were chosen. Of these three were from Scandinavia,, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo.
(I consider myself blessed having not only seen these cities but also having soaked in the spirit of these cities ( as also of Helsinki), by walking extensively through the streets of the central and historical districts of all these cities.)
.
No comments:
Post a Comment