WHERE:. Vaxholm is 10 miles/16 km northwest of Stockholm. HOW: Strömma Kanalbolaget offers 8-hour cruises. Tel 46/8-5871-4000; www.stromma.se. Cost: from $200, includes lunch and dinner. When: Jul–Aug. FJÄDERHOLMARNAS KROG: Tel 46/8-718-3355; www.fjaderholmarnaskrog.se. Cost: lunch $40. When: May–Aug. HÄRINGE CASTLE: Tel 46/8-504-2040; www.haringeslott.se. Cost: from $275 (off-peak), $425 (peak). WAXHOLMS HOTELL: Tel 46/8-541-30150; www.waxholmshotell.se. Cost: from $175; dinner $50. BEST TIMES: Jun–Aug for the warmest weather; Jul for the Around Gotland regatta, which begins and ends in Sandhamn; Aug for crayfish season.
The Historic Heart of Stockholm
GAMLA STAN
Stockholm, Sweden
Filled with ancient squares, medieval buildings, and cobblestone lanes, Gamla Stan (Old Town) is one of the 14 islands that make up Stockholm and is the site of the original city. Its heart is the main square of Stortorget, and surrounding it, on the narrow streets of Västerånggatan and Österlånggatan, you’ll find dozens of popular restaurants, galleries, and boutiques. Stockholm’s history is revealed through Gamla Stan’s impressive variety of architecture, culminating with the Kungliga Slottet, or Royal Palace, one of the largest in Europe. Built in the 16th century atop the ruins of a 13th-century fortress, the 608-room structure features a lavish interior, from state apartments dripping in 18th- and 19th-century décor and paintings to a royal chapel and a museum exhibiting the castle’s original defense walls. It is used today mainly for ceremonial occasions, as the royal family now lives in Drottningholm, just outside the city (see p. 370).
For an interesting overview of the history of the Nobel Prize, which is presented each year in Stockholm (with the exception of the Peace Prize, which is awarded in Oslo), and its inspiring array of recipients, from Gabriel García Márquez to Martin Luther King, visit the well-curated Nobel Museum in the old Börsen (Stock Exchange) building.
Gamla Stan’s hotel choices may be limited, but a handful that marry the historic with the new are the most inviting. The refurbished waterfront First Hotel Reisen features 144 contemporary rooms, a sleek bar, and a basement pool crowned by a 16th-century arched ceiling. The past and present also commingle at the handsome, nautical-themed Victory Hotel, originally built in 1642 on 14th-century foundations and named after Lord Nelson’s ship (it is also the flagship of a mini-chain of privately owned hotels in the Old Town that includes the nearby Lady Hamilton and the Lord Nelson).
Round out your Gamla Stan night with a meal at the unabashedly luxurious restaurant Operakällaren, which is housed within the Royal Opera House and faces the royal palace. Dress up and expect to pay for a night out at one of Scandinavia’s most famous eateries, an instant landmark since it opened in 1787 by decree of King Gustav III. It has since evolved into a complex of many dining rooms that vary in formality and price, but the main one, Belle Époque, is the draw, a handsome space with carved oak walls and ceiling panels, murals once considered risqué, extravagant crystal chandeliers, and service as impeccably polished as the silverware. A tender fillet of reindeer and other seasonal dishes are highlights. So is Stenborgare, the restaurant’s own schnapps.
If you can splurge on only one dinner, consider Mathias Dahlgren, the namesake of one of the country’s most forward-thinking chefs. It is housed in the Grand Hôtel, a bastion of Scandinavian refinement (see next page) just beyond the Old Town, in the Norrmalm neighborhood. In both the dining room (Matsalen) and food bar (Matbaren), the chef puts forth a “natural cuisine” that wows diners with such pairings as scallops with cucumber foam and foie gras with licorice.
The cast-iron steeple of Riddarholm Church is one of Stockholm’s most distinctive landmarks.
ROYAL PALACE: Tel 46/8-402-6123; www.kungahuset.se. NOBEL MUSEUM: Tel 46/8-5348-1800; www.nobelmuseum.se. FIRST HOTEL REISEN: Tel 46/8-223-260; www.firsthotels.com/reisen. Cost: from $250. VICTORY HOTEL: Tel 46/8-5064-0000; www.victoryhotel.se. Cost: from $250. OPERAKÄLLAREN: Tel 46/8-676-5801; www.operakallaren.se. Cost: dinner $90. MATHIAS DAHLGREN: Tel 46/8-679-3584; www.mathiasdahlgren.com. Cost: dinner $120. BEST TIME: May–Sep for nicest weather.
A Meal Fit for a King
SMORGASBORD
Solna and Stockholm, Sweden
Sweden is famous throughout the world for its superb buffet-style smörgåsbord, the nation’s great culinary art form. And while some of it may not be for everyone (the preponderace of herring may raise eyebrows), much will delight even the unadventurous palate.
According to unofficial smörgåsbord etiquette, one never mixes hot with cold nor sweet with sour, and multiple visits to the food-laden table are expected, the first for herring (there are often over a dozen varieties) and the last for desserts. In between are a panoply of Nordic specialties such as smoked eel, gravlax, sweet Baltic shrimp, reindeer, those famous Swedish meatballs or pork chops with lingonberry sauce, and the much-loved national specialty, Janssons frestelse (Jannson’s Temptation)—a delectable quiche of anchovies, potatoes, onions, and heavy cream. And then there is the cornucopia of sweets, the final undoing for many. The typical beverage to accompany such indulgence is beer or Swedish aquavit with a beer chaser. For a true Swedish experience, time your splurge for Christmas and the traditional Julbord (Christmas table), an even more lavish affair.
Families generally reserve smörgåsbords for weddings and special occasions. And because it is expensive and difficult for restaurants to prepare, the smörgåsbord is not as ubiquitous as visitors may think. But there is one place long known for the feast: Ulriksdals Wärdshus, 5 miles from downtown Stockholm. An elegant country inn built in 1868 within its own parkland upon request of the Swedish crown, it serves what is arguably the nation’s finest layout. Expect to find tables elaborately laden with more than 75 different offerings that have drawn everyone from royalty (including the present-day king and queen) to local regulars. The inn also has one of the finest wine cellars in the country, and all except the most expensive are available by the glass. If you visit at sunset (which is not until 9 P.M. in July), watch as the country’s blue-and-yellow flag is ceremonially lowered out on the lawn and everyone stands to sing the national anthem. It’s one of the inn’s more delightful traditions.
Enjoy similarly extravagent dining without leaving Stockholm at the Grand Hôtel, an 1874 showcase of old-world charm. Here, the smörgåsbord is proudly rolled out every day at lunchtime and dinner in the glass-walled Grand Veranda, with its magnificent views of the harbor and the royal palace (a simple á la carte menu is also available). The quayside hotel also offers the city’s top accommodations. During the second week in December, it hosts Nobel Prize winners and their entourages, but less distinguished guests enjoy the same elite hospitality year-round. Even if you aren’t staying overnight, stop for a drink at the classic Cadier Bar or for a memorable meal by celebrity chef Mathias Dahlgren (see previous page) at the stylish restaurant of the same name.
ULRIKSDALS WÄRDSHUS: Tel 46/8-850815; www.ulriksdalswardshus.se. Cost: lunch smörgåsbord $40; dinner smörgåsbord $70. GRAND HÔTEL: Tel 46/8-6793500; www.grandhotel.se. Cost: from $325 (off-peak), from $440 (peak); smörgåsbord at the Grand Veranda $75. BEST TIME: mid-Nov–Dec for Christmas smörgåsbord at Ulriksdals Wärdshus.
Sweden’s Most Powerful Battleship
VASA MUSEUM
Stockholm, Sweden
The magnificent royal warship Vasa—a 226-foot, 64-cannon man-of-war—was built to be the largest and most powerful battleship ever constructed. It took two years to complete on the site where Stockholm’s Grand Hôtel now stands. But on August 10, 1628, the pride of the Swedish war fleet sank before she even left the harbor on her maiden voyage (sudden gusts of wind and not enough ballast are the most popular explanations).
Salvaged 333 years after her demise and since then painstakingly restored, the warship can now be viewed at the Vasa Museum, the only maritime museum of its kind in the world and the most visited museum in Scandinavia. Large enough to nearly fill the wondrous structure specially built
around her at enormous cost in 1990, the Vasa is the oldest fully preserved warship in the world. Elaborate wooden carvings cover the exterior, and the ship’s salvaged cargo includes 4,000 coins, medical equipment, and a backgammon set.
After your visit, stroll through more history at nearby Skansen, an outdoor museum—it’s said to be the world’s first and is often called “Old Sweden in a Nutshell.” More than 150 reconstructed dwellings were brought here from all parts of the country to re-create a 19th-century town on 74 acres of parkland. In the summertime, you can enjoy folk dancing and free concerts, and in December there’s a Christmas market, best appreciated with a glass of glögg, the traditional Swedish mulled wine.
VASA MUSEUM: Tel 46/8-519-54800; www.vasamuseet.se. SKANSEN: Tel 46/8-442-8000; www.skansen.se. BEST TIMES: in Skansen, the weekend closest to Jun 24 for Midsummer festivities and late Nov–Dec for Christmas market.
The Versailles of the North
DROTTNINGHOLM PALACE AND COURT THEATER
Lake Mälaren, Svealand, Sweden
The official year-round home of Sweden’s present-day monarchs, King Carl XVI and Queen Silvia, Drottningholm is widely held to be the finest northern European royal palace and one of the most delightful on the continent. The many-windowed Rococo structure, set in Lake Mälaren, on its own tree-covered island (Drottningholm means “queen’s island”) is open to the public even when the royal family is in residence. The palace was built in 1622 for Sweden’s Queen Eleonora, and the interior still dazzles with its collection of opulent 17th- to 19th-century art and furniture, gilt ceilings, and magnificent chandeliers. Fountains and Baroque gardens further encourage comparisons to Versailles. To enjoy an afternoon on the grounds, bring a picnic meal or stroll the gardens in the direction of the Chinese Pavilion, built in 1753 and now open to the public as a café.
The Drottningholm Court Theater is the palace’s highlight, the world’s most perfectly preserved 18th-century theater, where performances are still given using original sets and stage machinery. Originally lit by 400 candles, today it is illuminated by as many flickering, flame-shaped electric bulbs. The wooden, chocolate-box structure was built in 1766 by Queen Louisa Ulrika for her son King Gustav III. This was the golden age of the palace, when it was a veritable beehive of activity, and the 18th-century operas and ballets performed today during the summer season by some of Europe’s premier talents (accompanied by musicians playing original period instruments) transport audiences back to that golden age.
WHERE: 7 miles/11 km west of Stockholm. COURT THEATER: Tel 46/40-635-6200; www.dtm.se. BEST TIME: late May–Aug, when the theater holds performances during the Drottningholm Festival.
A Royal Castle in a Lakeside Village
GRIPSHOLM CASTLE
Mariefred, Svealand, Sweden
The endearing lakeside village of Mariefred (Marie’s Place), with its impressive redbrick Gripsholm Castle, is the perfect jaunt from Stockholm—arrive on a century-old, coal-fired steamboat, the SS Mariefred, then return by vintage narrow-gauge steam train. The castle, a 16th-century, onion-towered structure on Lake Mälaren, was occupied until 1864 and is one of the royal palaces of Sweden. But it’s principally known as the national portrait gallery, with a superb collection of paintings and one of Europe’s largest collections of displayed portraits. The castle also houses the lovely Gripsholm Theater, which dates to 1781 and the reign of Gustav III, the “actor-king.” Although not as spectacular as the Drottningholm Court Theater, built by his mother (see previous page), it is nevertheless beautifully preserved.
Mariefred invites wandering, followed by a few hours spent over a wonderful lunch in the glassed-in veranda of the lakeside Gripsholms Värdshus & Hotel, the oldest inn in Sweden and a ten-minute walk from the castle. It first welcomed guests in 1609, when it was just a hospice built on the site of a monastery that was first occupied in 1493. The restaurant features traditional Swedish cooking, including roast lamb and game when in season, and the romantic guest rooms and lakeview suites are beautifully decorated in a country style. It all makes for a wonderful and easy getaway, and day-trippers often regret not planning an overnight stay: Bring your toothbrush and check in.
WHERE: 40 miles/64 km southwest of Stockholm. GRIPSHOLMS VÄRDSHUS: Tel 46/159-34750; www.gripsholms-vardshus.se. Cost: from $265; dinner $65. BEST TIME: Jun–Aug for nicest weather.
Celebration in the Spiritual Home of the Swedes
MIDSUMMER EVE IN DALARNA
Tällberg, Svealand, Sweden
All Scandinavia celebrates the Nordic festival of Midsommar (Midsummer), but perhaps nowhere is it heralded with as much enthusiasm as in Sweden. This ancient Germanic ritual honoring life itself has pagan roots—originally a fertility rite, it was held at the exact time the sun and earth were considered at the peak of their reproductive powers. These days Swedes take to the countryside, often dressing in colorful local costumes, to engage in singing and maypole dancing, eat favorite foods, and imbibe substantial amounts of aquavit. Young girls believe they will dream of their future husbands if they sleep with a freshly picked bouquet of nine different wildflowers under their pillows.
One of the best places to celebrate Midsommar is in Sweden’s central, rural province of Dalarna. With the beautiful Lake Siljan at its center, this hilly area is often referred to as Sweden’s “folklore district.” Traditions and customs still flourish here, and are on display at the Dalarnas Museum in Falun. Sweden’s most famous painter, Carl Larsson, found great inspiration here, and his garden-surrounded lakeside cottage outside of Talun is a popular pilgrimage site. To explore the lake further, head to either Leksand or Tällberg, the charming waterfront towns that are the gateways to Lake Siljan. Tällberg is less built up and more authentic and is home to one of the region’s great historic country inns, the family-owned Åkerblads Hotel, a 15th-century, red-framed farmstead that was converted to an inn in 1910 and expanded upon in the century since. The old-fashioned rooms are furnished with canopied beds and grandfather clocks and decorated with paintings and carvings, while the restaurant is known for hearty, home-style cooking and a weekend smörgåsbord.
Maypoles and Swedish flags accompany the start of Dalamas Midsommar festivities.
WHERE: 155 miles/250 km northwest of Stockholm. DALARNAS MUSEUM: 46/23-765-500; www.dalarnasmuseum.se. ÅKERBLADS HOTEL: Tel 46/247-50800; www.akerblads.se. Cost: $175; dinner $30. BEST TIME: Midsummer is celebrated on the Fri closest to St. John the Baptist’s feast day (Jun 24).
AFRICA
NORTH AFRICA
WEST AFRICA
EAST AFRICA AND SOUTHERN AFRICA
ISLANDS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN
NORTH AFRICA
A City By—and Beneath—the Sea
ALEXANDRIA
Egypt
Founded by Alexander the Great, captured by Julius Caesar, and home to Cleopatra and Antony, Alexandria was a leading city of the ancient world, known for its Pharos lighthouse and its library. The ruins of the lighthouse, lost to earthquakes in the 14th century, were recently discovered underwater. Debate still rages over whether the library was burned during Caesar’s invasion or simply deteriorated over time, but the city replaced it in 2002 with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, which stands on the same site and houses museums, galleries, a planetarium, and a manuscript restoration center. Its main building is a marvel of hypermodern architecture, a giant cylindrical slice of stone, steel, and glass, rising diagonally from the coastline. Inside, 11 sun-drenched levels cascade into a vast reading hall.
Most of the modern-day city is along or near the Corniche, its waterfront boulevard, while most of ancient Alexandria lies beneath the water just offshore. It’s here that archaeologist-divers discovered Cleopatra’s palace and a treasure trove of thousands of ancient objects, including 26 sphinxes, statues bearing gifts to gods, and Roman and Greek shipwrecks.
While plans are under way to open the world’s first underwater museum, there’s still lots to see above water. The famed Roman catacombs are not f
ar from the 88-foot-tall Pompey’s Pillar, built in A.D. 297; and the hulking Quaitbey Fort, erected in 1480 on the site of the Pharos lighthouse, is also well worth a visit. Long a home to artists, intellectuals, and literary giants (including Lawrence Durrell and E. M. Forster), the city is also renowned for a vibrant café society. The ornate Trianon Café, in Saad Zaghloul Square, is perhaps the most famous place to linger with an aperitif. Dinner at Fish Market involves choosing from the fresh catches bathed in ice near the entrance, then settling in for moonlit views of the harbor and the fort. The pinnacle of contemporary opulence in the city is the Four Seasons Hotel at San Stefano Beach, where most rooms have balconies overlooking the ocean. Back on the Corniche, the venerable Windsor Palace Hotel showcases Edwardian architecture and furnishings in 70 comfortable nostalgia-filled rooms.
Made of granite, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina’s exterior features carvings of characters from more than 100 different languages, both living and dead.
1,000 Places to See Before You Die Page 60