Sweden - Stockholm

Stockholm “The Beauty on the Water” is exactly as the name described. Our cruise ship sailed into Stockholm in the early morning hours and I was told, the view and the smell of fresh pine are worth the effort waking up early for. Unfortunately, despite the constant reminders, I still could not wake up early. In life there are not many second chances but I had that second chance as our ship was pulling out from Stockholm. The view was indeed mesmerizing! The sailboats, skimming the waterways that wind around Stockholm remind me that these were and still are Vikings!

The other Stockholm “aha” for me was the Vasa Museum. I’ve watched the movie, Titanic and would not have expected to see another ship with similar fate as the Titanic. The warship Vasa was originally built in the 1620 as one of the Swedish kingdoms regal warships. It sank a few minutes into her maiden voyage in 1628 and lay preserved by the brackish water of the Baltic Sea for over 300 years. It was rediscovered and brought to the surface in 1956.

The Vasa museum (opened in 1990), is one of the newest maritime museums in the world and also one of the most visited museums in all of Scandinavia. It houses one of the oldest vessels in the world, transporting its visitors back to the 17th century Sweden and its age of greatness.

Vasa is a magnificent warship built in Stockholm by Dutch shipbuilding masters for the empire-aspiring Gustavus II Adolphus, called the Lion of the North, in the early 17th century. The ship is 69m long (226ft), a truly awesome sight as it sits gleaming like old gold in its specially designed building. The rich carvings that decorate much of the ship are perfectly preserved, and the layout of the building allows you to get a good look from virtually any angle.

Visitors cannot actually board the ship but are still able to get close to the experience of the Vasa - the moist and darkened museum with its uplights and downlights dramatizing the vast ship, the sound of wind and waves and the undertone of the voices of the crew, bringing it back to life. Spend some time to explore the exhibits in the museum. Each piece gives fullness to life aboard a warship in the 1600s. Make sure you bring a good camera to get good pictures.

The question on how did this majestic warship sank? I’ll not spoil the fun. Visit the museum as it does a much better job of explaining this. The Vasa is definitely not to be missed if you are ever in Stockholm.