Home to Ikea, H&M and Swedish meatballs, Stockholm has a lot to offer any traveler. Here is a list of fun little facts/observances I have made during my week’s stay.
(1) Most of the stairs in the city have ramps to allow ease of bringing bikes up and down.
(2) If you have ever wanted to spend the night, look no further than Stockholm. There are tons of hotel/hostel boats.
(3) People use their cards to pay for everything, although I bet you would too if you had to deal with 3 digit currency.
(4) During loud concerts headsets are offered to the little kids so they don’t hurt their ears. Smart, right?
(5) Stockholm has a recovered warship from the 1600’s that went down during it’s maiden voyage. The ship is almost perfectly intact because of the salinity of the water in Stockholm. It’s called the Vasa and it’s one of the most famous things to see - if you are ever in Stockholm then you definitely need to go.
(6) Speaking of museums Stockholm has almost as many as New York. There is so much to do on any day.
(7) The food is amazing in Stockholm. Every meal I had out was absolutely amazing, and yes I did try to the meatballs ha ha! You can eat like a king for lunch as well, as they offer reasonable lunches that are large portions and come with several courses. They also offer reindeer to eat, although I am afraid that I never got the chance.
(8) Sweden has a palace where I learned a few fun facts. First: they have had 32 course meals there for the royal family. Second: there was a huge party there for the millennium and they were concerned that the floor wouldn’t hold out for all of the dancing. So, they had all the palace guards come in and jump up and down on the floor to make sure that it would hold. Third: many of the palace guards were women which I thoroughly enjoyed seeing.
(9) There really are quite a few blond-haired blue eyed beauties in Sweden. And let me tell you, the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen.
(10) Pretty much everyone speaks English in Stockholm - which has been a lifesaver for me. I am amazed at how easily they are able to switch back and forth between the two.
(11) Everything is expensive there….but not the shoes! Ladies - if you go you will be in heaven. There are so many shoe shops with reasonable prices. I definitely made sure to pick up a pair for myself. But….$8 for a beer? Um yes, not worth it. If you do drink a lot go to the few liquor stores they have. There is this one Elk beer that they have that is 7.5% and is only a couple of dollars for each. Doesn’t taste the greatest but it will do the job, eh?
So there are several cool things to know about the Sweden. I daresay a week may have been too long (an expensive!) to spend but I am definitely glad I saw the sights and would highly recommend it to any traveler.
