A Grand Old Time In Stockholm, Sweden (July 2016)

This was my second time in Stockholm, Sweden, in over a decade, but my first time seeing it in the summertime. Previously, I experienced a Stockholm covered in snow and filled with holiday cheer. Buildings were colorfully vibrant and so was city life. The Old Town beautifully aged with alleyways in cobblestone and graffiti. It was like a thrilling treasure hunt for photographers. The intersection of Prastgatan and Marten Trotzigs Grand was the coolest find. It led to the narrowest passageway I had ever seen (under a meter wide!).

One huge distinction in this trip versus the prior one was the amount of construction happening around. In order to get a better bird’s eye view of the city development, I ascended the viewing tower in Stockholm’s old town, Gamla stan, by the restaurant Gondolen. Similar to Boston’s Top of the Hub, I had to walk through a fancy dining hall in order to access the city’s scenic overlook. Places change over time, so it was nice to at least try to appreciate that moment of what the city looked like. Stockholm’s renown medical university, Karolinska Institute, was a good example, as the campus was redeveloping to expand its research and educational needs.

Of course, my visit to Stockholm was incomplete without revisiting some old sites, like the Nobel Museum and Grand Hotel where Nobel laureates stayed during Nobel Week. A few more pretty sites in Gamla stan were the Royal Palace, Stockholm Cathedral and Stockholm Concert Hall with its towering columns.

As for parks, Ulriksdals slott in the Royal National City Park held weddings. Behind the Stockholm School of Economics, off of Sveavagen, was a peaceful area to sunbathe or picnic. This parkland included a large pool and the Stockholm Public Library, with its striking interior rotunda. Both this Sveavagen park and the library were designed by the Swedish architect Gunnar Asplund.

Equally as interesting as the streets was what was happening below ground as seen in Dansmuseet, the world’s first museum of dance and movement. It was located in the basement of the Royal Swedish Opera. There was much to uncover in this old city, and many more stops and cobblestone hops.

Stockholm, Sweden Gallery