Surprising Stockholm
Stockholm was a wonderful and surprising weekend break for the two of us…
Landing midmorning at Stockholm, the airport looked clean with good shops and duty free we took a taxi into the city rather than bus or train.
The Sheraton was a very good 4* tourist hotel, although they had 5 stars on the door! but seeing as it is so reasonably priced no-one seemed to mind. The locals are lovely, the place is a lot trendier than I thought but boy were we in for a surprise. Firstly it is not so frighteningly expensive, even the most exclusive restaurants were very reasonable. Alcohol is the only expensive item.
We would have never imagined there being so much water. Stockholm is built upon 12,000 islands of an Archipeligo between Malam Lake and the Baltic Sea, it is more a mixture between Venice and Amsterdam with the reserved and sophisticated style of the Swedes. Its a great place for boutiques, trendy designer shops, designer glass and homewares.
The nightlife is an eclectic cocktail of every kind of fashion, trendy pavement cafes and old world restaurants blended with a young and vibrant atmosphere that feels totally safe - promenading the streets with the locals and their families through to midnight is the norm. The sightseeing boat trips out to some of the 12,000 islands of the Archipeligo are a must even just to confirm that every island house has its own pontoon and sauna hut.
The islands are steeped in history and there is a wealth of magnificent and handsome architecture, parks and yachts. Stockholm is a definite must to revisit but perhaps next time in slightly more comfortable shoes as we did a lot of walking.
Clare and Gary Prior stayed at the Sheraton, 4* hotels start from £65 per room.