What to see in Stockholm, one-day itinerary including the main monuments and places of interest, including the Royal Palace, City Hall, Vasa Museum and Nobel Palace.
Tourist information
Capital and main economic and cultural center of Sweden, Stockholm overlooks the Baltic Sea along the east coast of the country, at the point where the Malaren lake joins the sea.
Developed on 14 islands connected by bridges, the city is located in front of an archipelago made up of more than 24,000 islands and islets, of which only a thousand are inhabited.
Founded in about 1255 by Birger Jarl, ruler of the throne of Sweden, already at the end of the twelfth century it was one of the most important Scandinavian cities, thanks to the advantageous trade that took place towards the Hanseatic ports.
In 1397, at the behest of Margaret I of Denmark, the unification of Denmark, Norway and Sweden in the Union of Kalmar took place, which recognized a single sovereign, while retaining the laws and administrations of each individual country.
During the following century the nationalistic spirit manifested itself in the population through numerous battles against the Danes.
In 1520 the Danish ruler Cristiano II, king of Sweden, hanged a hundred people, an episode known as the "Stockholm bloodbath" causing riots by the people who led the nobleman Gustavo Vasa in 1523, driving out the Danes from Stockholm.
The new independent Swedish state was founded which will have Stockholm as its capital.
What see
Among the major places of interest is the old medieval city, characterized by picturesque views made up of narrow streets and ancient buildings.
Stockholm is an important cultural center comprising the university, the Royal Institute of Technology, the Academy of Fine Arts and Sciences, the Nobel Palace, home of the foundation where these types of prizes are awarded.
There is no shortage of museums, including the National Museum, which contains important collections of paintings and sculptures.
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Among the monuments it is worth mentioning the Royal Palace, the church of St. Nicholas, the church of Riddarholm, located on the island of Riddarholmen, where the Swedish rulers are buried, and the Parliament building, which is located on the island of Helgeandsholmen.
No less important are the Town Hall, the zoo and the Royal Dramatic Theater.
The only area of the city that retains a remarkable medieval architectural complex is the Staden district, which represents the oldest urban nucleus and is located on an island located in the heart of the city.
On the island of Riddarholmen, in the thirteenth century the castle and the walls arose, the remains of which were incorporated into subsequent constructions.
From the same period are the church of San Nicola, the Cathedral, internally transformed into Gothic forms in the fifteenth century and externally in the classical style in the eighteenth century, and the Church of the Knights, where the tombs of the Swedish royalty are kept.
The bell tower of this church, built in 1841, is one of the elements that characterize the urban profile of Stockholm.
In around 1640 the construction of the Palace of Nobility was begun, the first large classical-style building in the city.
With the beginning of the construction of the new Royal Palace, in about 1680, the Roman Baroque was introduced to Sweden by N. Tessin, the Younger.
The palace was completed in 1750 in rococo forms by K. Harleman.
The Stock Exchange building and the Kina castle in Drottningholm are from the late eighteenth century.
The Nobel Prize ceremony is held annually in the Town Hall.
Among the many museums to visit, the National Museum is very interesting, with a rich collection of Swedish, European, sculptures, prints and drawings, and the Vasa Museum, which takes its name from Vasa, the seventeenth-century vessel, sunk in the seabed of the port of Stockholm and recovered in 1961, perfectly preserved in a pavilion.
