341. Gamla Stan

Where: Stockholm, Sweden
When: November 17, 2008
With: Jen

As I said in my post on the Vasa Museum, I came to Sweden to visit my college friend, and had done literally no research on what there was to do. So my entire trip felt like one big, amazingly friendly Scandinavian mystery. 

The last stop on my trip was to the island of Gamla Stan, which is Swedish for "old town". Gamla Stan sits on its own island within the island chain of Stockholm where some of the buildings date back to the 13th century. Stepping on this island felt like stepping back in time. 

The streets are still cobblestoned, there's low, arched alleyways and a maze of old buildings, all colorfully painted in pastels. 

While I think the island itself is really the thing to see, the biggest site in Gamla Stan is the Royal Palace. While this is no longer the official residence of the royal family, there are several offices and court is still held here. Sadly, this was closed on the day we were there. Again, no planning went into this!

Just like England, without the big, furry hats. 

Where there's a palace, you know Parliament isn't far away!

But now let's get back to the "real" old town. Formerly, this area was called "staden mellan broarna" which means "town between two bridges". While I'm not sure which two bridges they meant, the views back on the rest of Stockholm from Gamla Stan, with the water in between, was pretty beautiful. 

The National Musuem, from across the water. 

Another fun aspect of Gamla Stan (and perhaps the Swedes themselves!) is that there are funny little sculptures everywhere. Some are out and obvious, but some are so tiny and obscure, you have to know where to look!

The most famous of the obscure, and the smallest sculpture in Sweden, is called Järnpojke. He sits in the small square of Bollhustäppan, hidden away down an alleyway and really is so tiny, he can be hard to find, even when you're in the square. 

Tourists give him money for good luck, and locals knit him scarves and hats in the winter to keep him warm. The full name of the sculpture is "Boy looking at the moon" and is meant to represent the artist, Liss Eriksson, as a small child on a sleepless night. As you can tell from his super shiny head, it's considered good luck to give him a little rub. 

Our next stop was at the Stockholm Cathedral or The Great Church or the Church of Saint Nikolas or Storkyrkan - take your pick! It's been around since 1279, and used to be the only parish in the city. Because of its proximity to the Royal Palace, it has been the site of many famous royal events, such as weddings and funerals, over the years. 

The craziest thing inside the church is this wooden statue of Saint George and the dragon. With actual antlers adding the final accents onto this statue, it was definitely a dramatic one to see. 

As darkness fell (which was early, around 3pm in the winter!), we continued to just wander the streets and take in the quiet mood. 

And the best way to end a chilly, historic evening in Gamla Stan is with the best cup of hot chocolate I've ever had in my life. While Stockholm is by all rights a modern city, it was fun to see where it got its start. Loved this!