Saling Regatta- ÅF Offshore Race

Photo: Oskar Kihlborg, ksss.se (other photos by me!)

It is that time of the year again... the ÅF Offshore Race is in town! The race is this Saturday (June 29th) but the sailing boats are already here and they have a "racing village" set up with live music performances, food & drink tents as well as information tents through Sunday.

I stopped by yesterday evening with a friend to check out the boats and have a drink, soaking up the sailing atmosphere! The racing village is set up on the island of Skeppsholmen next to the beautiful Af Chapman sailing frigate, just across the water from the royal palace. They have several food & drink tents set up... of special note is the one set up by Operakällaren, called Operabaren på Kajen (The Opera Bar on the Pier) with some great dishes! The village is open every day this weekend until 11pm, except Sunday when they close at 5pm. Full program linked above.

The race itself starts at 11am on Saturday and it is a staggered start. I watched it last year and it was quite fun to see the boats tacking back and forth, getting into position. From Stockholm, the racers head out through the archipelago to the sailing mecca of Sandhamn. From there it is out into the Baltic Sea and around the island of Gotland. Last year we stood near Fotografiska (photography museum) which is just a 15 minute walk from the Rival Hotel, and that was a good place to see the start of the race... otherwise anywhere in the harbour should be good. Especially the south shores of the islands of Djurgården, Skeppsholmen and Kastellholmen.

"Under the Bridges" Boat Tour

Boat arriving at Strömkajen with Royal Palace in background.

Last week I was at the premiere for the new sightseeing boat terminal at Strömkajen. So I, of course, took a sightseeing boat tour while I was there! The company Strömma has a few different boat tours, but this time I took the Under the Bridges tour (a personal favourite) which is their most comprehensive tour.

One hour and 50 minutes long, this tour takes you under 15 bridges and through 2 locks. Stockholm is located at the point where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea and you need to travel through locks to go from one side of the city to another! It is guided (audio guide) in several languages and you get to see both the historic and new parts of Stockholm, as well as both nature and urban. I usually recommend this for visitors to do at the beginning of their visit, to get a feel for the city and a good overview.

The tour departs at the top of every hour from Strömkajen and during the peak summer weeks they have departures between 10am and 7pm. You can also catch the tour at Nybroviken at 5 minutes past every hour. The tour costs 220 SEK for adults and 110 SEK for children between the ages of 6 and 11 (free for children under 6).

You can buy tickets on their website (linked above), at the two terminals (Strömkajen and Nybroviken), at the Tourist Information Center or, if you are staying at the Rival Hotel, talk to me and I can book your tickets. If you only have a short time in Stockholm and feel like (almost) 2 hours is too long to spend on a tour, then try their Royal Canal Tour (50 minutes long) instead!

Waterfront of Södermalm.

Strömkajen Open Again for Sightseeing Boats!

Yesterday I was invited by the Strömma sightseeing company for the "new" premiere of the Strömkajen dock, which has been closed for renovations over the past two years. Strömkajen is located just across the water from the Royal Palace, next to Kungsträdgården park... very central.

Two of Strömma's most popular sightseeing boat tours, Under the Bridges and Royal Canal Tour, depart from Strömkajen as well as Nybroviken. During the past two years the tours have only departed from Nybroviken... but Strömkajen is closer to the Rival Hotel, so we are happy that they have reopened! Strömma has a ticket office there and you can purchase tickets not only for the two boat tours but also for any of their other sightseeing options (bus, boat, combination, etc;).

Another popular boat company, Waxholmsbolaget, also has departures from Strömkajen. These boats aren't sightseeing tour boats, instead they are commuter boats that travel out into the archipelago and are used by both tourists as well as archipelago residents. They have quite a network of boats and their online schedule tends to be a bit complicated. You can contact me directly, if you are staying at the Rival Hotel, for help... otherwise check out their new terminal at Strömkajen, where you can get information as well as book tickets.

Brunch and Boat Cruise with Strömma

s/s Stockholm at dock in Nybroviken

What to do on a snowy weekend? Why not head out on a boat cruise of the inner Stockholm archipelago? While the archipelago is a more popular destination during the summer months, the snow covered islands do have a serene beauty during the winter as well! Even as a Stockholmer you forget that the further you get out of the city the more snow you have... which is always nicer to view from a cosy boat than trudging through on the city streets.

The brunch buffet!

And if the views are not enough, a nice brunch buffet is laid out for you to enjoy. The buffet is filled with Swedish and international favorites, both hot and cold. Herring, smoked salmon, gravad lax, Jansson's Temptation, omelette, bacon, sausages and more. One of my colleagues, that went with me last week, is a vegetarian and there was plenty for him to choose from... including different mixed salads and roasted vegetables. But pace yourself! You don't want to be too full to attack the dessert buffet, set up in a seperate room, filled with cookies, cakes, puddings, pies and cheeses.

Snow covered archipelago islands

This brunch cruise is run by the Strömma company and during the winter months it departs from Nybroviken/Strandvägen every Saturday and Sunday at 12 noon (more often in the warmer months). The beautiful ship, s/s Stockholm, was built in 1931 and the cruise lasts approximately 3 hours, taking you a bit out in the inner archipelago. The cost, which includes the brunch, is 430 SEK for adults, ½ price for children between 6 and 11 years of age and free for kids under 6. Tickets can be purchased through their website (linked above) or at the ticket booth in Nybroviken. If you are staying at the Rival Hotel, contact me directly and I can book it for you!

Heading back to Stockholm!

Advisory: Sightseeing by Boat This Fall

Strömkajen

This Fall they are continuing the renovations to the Strömkajen boat dock in front of the Grand Hotel. This means that Strömma's two boat sightseeing tours, Under the Bridges and Royal Canal Tour, start at the Nybroplan boat dock instead. Strömkajen is planned to be open again by Spring, 2013... just in time for the Summer season. To get to Nybroplan from the Rival Hotel, take the subway (red line) to Östermalmstorg and from there it is a five minute walk to the dock.
I had to also post this picture (see below) that I took the other day... a slice of Stockholm. It was about 12 degrees Celsius and this man was shooting the rapids in front of the Royal Palace (in short sleeves!). Crazy person or dedicated sportsman? You decide...

Revisiting Restaurant Fjäderholmarnas Krog

The boat at Nybroviken

I have written about the restaurant Fjäderholmarnas Krog two years ago, but I revisited it last week and thought I would update the information here. In fact, I usually visit this restaurant at least once every summer... especially if I have friends/family visiting me. The restaurant is located on the Fjäderholmarna islands ("the feather islands"), which mark the beginning of the Stockholm archipelago.

Boat dock at Fjäderholmarna

Views of the archipelago

This is a great place to go for lunch or dinner and get a feeeling for the archipelago without having to make a full day trip. The main island itself is worth a visit... popular with Stockholm sunbathers, you also have shops, cafés and picturesque cabins to keep you occupied before or after your meal.

Pike!

View from their terrace

They have regular boats taking guests out to the islands from both Nybroviken and from Slussen (a 10 minute walk from the Rival Hotel). The boat trip takes 25 minutes. Click here for a timetable for the boat between Slussen and Fjäderholmarna. It is in Swedish, but basically... the boat out leaves at the top of every hour and the boat back leaves at the bottom of every hour.

Indoor seating as well...

Sightseeing: Royal Canal Tour

On a sunnier day! Photo: Gomer Swahn, Strömma

There were some dark and ominous clouds in the sky this past Wednesday morning, so I thought it would be the perfect day to take some visitors on a sightseeing boat tour (it is indoors!). So we headed down to Strömkajen dock and caught the Royal Canal Tour. This tour starts daily at the bottom of every hour between 10:30am and 7:30pm during the summer high season.

Cruising the Djurgårds Canal

This is a 50 minute long boat tour that takes you around the island of Djurgården, once the royal game park, passing the Old Town (Gamla Stan), Skeppsholmen and the district of Östermalm along the way. Djurgården is a national city park (the first in the world), rich in both history and nature, and the location of many points of interest like the Vasa Museum, Skansen, Nordic Museum and the Gröna Lund amusement park. The tour is guided in 11 different languages with an accompanying map and the boat has both a café and bathroom facilities on board. Tickets can either be purchased online, at the departure point or, if you are staying at the Rival Hotel, contact me and I will help you with the reservations. Free with the Stockholm Card (limited seating per tour).

Passing Waldemarsudde

If you are interested in a longer, more comprehensive tour... then I would recommend the Under the Bridges Tour.

This Weekend: Sailing Regatta & Shakespeare

Photo: Oskar Kihlborg, ksss.se

This weekend (June 29th to July1st) is the annual sailing regatta, ÅF Offshore Race, filling Stockholm harbour with hundreds of sails and a festival atmosphere. The race starts in Stockholm with the contestants heading out into the Baltic, around the island of Gotland before returning... ending at the island of Sandhamn in the outer Stockholm archipelago.
The boats will be moored at the island of Skeppsholmen (location) and this is also where you will find the Race Village. In the Village you will find food & drink, performances as well as information about the race. Click here for a schedule of activities as well as race times. The best plaes to see the race start is along the south coasts of the islands of Skeppsholmen, Kastellholmen, Djurgården as well as the north coast of the island of Södermalm. My tip? Fotografiska museum should be a great place to see the start! Click here for a map of the starting line and best viewpoints.
Looking for something completely different to do this weekend? How about "Shakespeare On The Hill"? A potpourri of scenes from the Bard's most beloved plays and sonnets... all performed in English! Performances on Friday, Saturday & Sunday (June 29th to July 1st) starting at 6pm at Observatoriemuseet.

Photo: KSSSBILDER

City Sightseeing by Boat

Photo: Gomer Swahn, Strömma

Tourist season is gearing up! One of the most popular ways to see Stockholm is by boat, especially the sightseeing boats run by the Strömma company. They offer three different tours in the central part of the city. The Royal Canal Tour, around the island of Djurgården, started its season on April 5th with daily departures. Next out is the grand dame of sightseeing boat tours: Under the Bridges. My personal favorite, this tour is the most comprehensive boat tour of Stockholm. They do a soft start in April with weekend departures only (Fri-Sun); daily tours starting on April 28th. The third tour, the Historical Canal Tour (around the island of Kungsholmen), starts with daily tours on June 2nd.

Photo: Strömma.se 

The onset of the sightseeing boat tour season means that the bus/boat combination tours have also started! Stockholm in a Nutshell is the name of the tour, a combination of the Royal Canal Boat tour and the Panorama bus tour. Daily departures since April 5th! Strömma has ticket offices at the tour departure points, otherwise you can buy tickets on their website (linked above) or at the Tourist Information Center. If you are staying at the Rival Hotel, talk with me directly about purchasing a tour voucher.

Tourist Season is Gearing Up!

Just in time for the Easter Holidays... three sure signs that the tourist season will soon be upon us! The first sign comes tomorrow (March 30th) when the Strömma boat tour to Drottningholm Palace starts up for the season. The boat tours will be operating on Fridays to Sundays until April 27th, when they start operating on a daily basis. Drottningholm, the home of the Swedish king & queen, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a great place to visit. The boat trip is half the fun and a wonderful way to see Stockholm.

Drottningholm. Photo by Gomer Swahn

The second sign... the start of the City Bike season (April 1st). A great and inexpensive way to see Stockholm! I will be writing more about this next week, but in the meantime you can check what I wrote last year. The Rival Hotel will be selling the card again this year (only to our hotel guests).

City Bikes

The third sign? Restaurants, bars and cafés all over Stockholm are opening up their outdoor seating areas. Apparently more restaurants than ever have applied for licenses to have outdoor seating this year! The Rival Hotel will be opening the Bistro balcony and Café outdoor seating on April 2nd... come snow, rain or sunshine! See you there!

Café Rival

Sightseeing Tours Starting Up Again

After a break of a month or so, the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours have started up again. There are two lines to choose from... the Yellow Line which travels through southern & western Stockholm and the Blue Line which takes you through the northern & eastern parts of the city. You can also purchase a combination ticket for both lines. This is a perfect way to combine a guided tour of the city with visits to most of Stockholm's most interesting sites and venues. If you prefer your bus tours to be stop-free, then there is the Panorama Bus Tour which runs year round.
There is still too much ice in the harbor for the city sightseeing boats... they will be starting up in the first weeks of April. In the meantime you have the Stockholm Winter Tour (daily) and Little Archipelago Tour (weekends), two boat tours that take you out into the inner Stockholm archipelago.

Ferry to Djurgården Island

I wrote about this in one of my first blog entries, nearly 2 years ago, but I thought I would repeat it as it is one of the most useful tips for tourists in general and Rival Hotel guests in particular. Plus, I took some pretty pictures of the ferry in the winter light the other day!
If you look at a map of Stockholm, you will see that the city is made up of a myriad of islands (14 in central Stockholm alone). This can seem daunting when considering how to get from point A to point B, especially when getting to the island of Djurgården which is a little further away and has no subway station. Djurgården is of particular interest to visitors as it is the home of such places as the Vasa Museum, Skansen, Waldermarsudde and plenty of beautiful parklands. Thankfully there are a couple of convenient ferries that connect the island with the center of the city making traveling easy!

Picking up passengers at Slussen/Gamla Stan

Of special interest for our hotel guests is the ferry that runs from Slussen (10 minute walk from the hotel) to Djurgården with a stop at Skeppsholmen (where you will find the modern art museum). The trip just takes 8 minutes and the ferries run year round, every day until about 7pm and depart approximately every 15 minutes. A one-way ticket costs 45 SEK, with discounts for seniors and youths, and tickets can be purchased at the dock. The fare is included in SL cards, though not with SL paper coupons or the Stockholm Card. For more information, click here to visit their website.

Sightseeing Tours During the Fall

Many sightseeing tours stop running at the end of August... but there are still many that run through the Fall. Be aware that while many tours run through the Fall, they usually don't have as many start times as they do during the Summer. Check the timetables in the links I provide below for the times, prices and more information. Here is a list of your choices of tours provided by the tour company Strömma:

• Hop On Hop Off- both the blue and yellow bus lines run year round. The hop on hop off boat will only be running until September 11th. 


• The sightseeing bus tour Panorama also runs year round!


• Sightseeing boat tours- while the Historic Canal tour is over for the season, the Under the Bridges tour runs until November 6th and the Royal Canal tour until December 18th.


• Boat tours out to Drottningholm Palace will be running until November 6th.


• The Little Archipelago boat tour will be running into December, but only daily until September 25th after which it will run on the weekends until December 31st.


• Only a few more days to take advantage of the boat tours to the Viking city of Birka. Last tour runs on September 11th.


• The Cinderella boats, that take you outer archipelago are also in their final weeks... last trips on September 18th!

Royal Haga Boat Tour

I have blogged earlier both about Haga Park and Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing. Now Strömma Kanalbolaget has made getting to and around the park easier for visitors with a relatively new bus line out to the park as well as a boat tour on the lake (Brunnsviken) in the park. Both the bus and the boat are of the Hop On Hop Off variety giving you the opportunity to explore on your own.
I've been to Haga Park many times, but yesterday I was invited by Strömma to try their tours for the first time and I was impressed with the trip. Haga and northern Djurgården make up a huge park complex with many interesting sights spread throughout the area. The Royal Haga boat tour is a guided tour with six separate stops along the lake shore. The boat stops at every dock once an hour and a ticket allows you to get on and off as you wish. Some highlights of the tour are The Natural History Museum, The Butterfly House, The Copper Tents, Haga Palace, the Bergianska botanical garden as well as acres of beautiful parkland and gardens in the English style.

To make matters easier, Strömma has created a new Hop On Hop Off bus line (green line) which takes visitors from downtown Stockholm to the boat dock in Haga Park. The green line meets up with the blue and yellow lines at several spots in the downtown area which makes it easy to combine them. The Royal Haga boat tour costs 120 SEK (24 hour ticket), and you can combine it with the Hop On Hop Off green line for 220 SEK. A Supreme Pass costs 350 SEK and is a 24 hour ticket for all Hop On Hop Off boats and bus tours including the Royal Haga boat tour as well as special discounts at some of the sights along the routes.
Click here for other sightseeing recommendations...

ÅF Offshore Race- Sailing Regatta

Photo by Oskar Kihlborg

The classic race Gotland Runt ("Race around the island of Gotland"), the largest offshore race in the Nordic region, has made some changes this year. It is now called ÅF Offshore Race. The start of the course has changed as well. The elite class and the classic boats will now start in Stockholm and race to Sandhamn first before continuing on to Gotland with the other racers. This is great for visitors to Stockholm... the harbor will be filled with sailing boats and thousands of onlookers can now watch the start.
The race will start at 11am on the Wednesday July 6th and the starting line will run from the island of Kastellholmen south to the Fotografiska museum on Södermalm. The best places to view the start will be on the north-east coast of Södermalm (near the museum and just a 15 minute walk from the Rival Hotel), as well as the south coasts of the islands of Kastellholmen, Skeppsholmen and Djurgården. Between the 4th and 6th of July, an event area will be open for visitors by the restaurant Josefinas, next door to the Vasa Museum.

Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing

Are you only visiting Stockholm for a few days and wondering how you are going to manage to do both a sightseeing tour as well as visit the main attractions? Well the Strömma company has the perfect solution... Hop-On Hop-Off sightseeing tours. This is a guided sightseeing tour which stops at all of Stockholm's main attractions. You can choose when and where you want to get off and, whenever you are ready, you can board a new bus to continue your tour. The busses go every half hour which makes it very convenient. There are two bus tours/routes to choose from, or you can buy a combination ticket which is good for both. One tour, the Blue Line, concentrates on the downtown area, Djurgården and Östermalm. The other tour, the Yellow Line, concentrates on the Old Town, Kungsholmen and Södermalm. The two tours do meet at three stops (central train station, Gustav Adolf Square and Kungsträdgården) which makes it easy to move from one tour to the next if you buy the combination ticket.

I took a trip on the Yellow Line yesterday, which has a convenient stop a 10 minute walk from the Rival Hotel at Slussen. The busses are double deckers and the top floor has no roof... which means you can work on your tan while sightseeing! The guided tour is available in 8 languages and can be heard via headphones at each seat. Each tour costs 220 SEK and a combination tour costs 260 SEK and tickets are good for 24 hours from when you first board the bus, which means you can start in the afternoon and then continue the next morning. Tickets can be bought online or on board the bus(cash only- SEK or Euro). Guests staying at the Rival Hotel can also buy tickets through me!
There is also a Hop-On Hop-Off Boat Tour which stops at a variety of places like the Royal Palace, Fotografiska, Gröna Lund, Vasa Museum and Skeppsholmen. 24 hour tickets cost 100 SEK, otherwise there is a supreme bus & boat combination 24 hour ticket which costs 350 SEK.
Click here for more sightseeing tips!

Sightseeing by Boat this Spring

The weather is warming up and the ice is disappearing from the waters around Stockholm... all this means that the boat sightseeing tours of the city are starting up again for the season. Stockholm is made up of 14 islands and the best way to see the city is by water. The company Strömma runs the sightseeing boat tours and offers the following tours of the city this Spring:

1. Royal Canal Tour- Around the island of Djurgården, starts on April 8th with several departures daily.
2. Under the Bridges Tour- Around the island of Södermalm and a bit into the archipelago. Starts on April 15th but only on the weekends, daily tours start on April 29th.
3. Historical Canal Tour- Around the island of Kungsholmen, starts on May 28th with several departures daily.
4. Hop-On-Hop-Off Boat- The name says it all: a great way to see the city and visit some of the most popular tourist sites on your own. Starts on April 29th.

Royal Canal Tour- photo by Gomer Swahn

Of course, the Archipelago Tour continues with three departures a day- Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Daily departures start on June 3rd.

And finally... boat tours to the Drottningholm Palace (on the UNESCO World Heritage List) kick off on April 9th with three trips a day every Saturday and Sunday. Daily trips start on April 30th. 

Tickets can be purchased on their website or at ticket booths where the boats depart. Otherwise, if you are a guest at the Rival Hotel, contact me at the hotel and I can book tickets for you. You will receive a voucher from me and the cost will be added to your room bill.

Winter Sightseeing With Strömma

Strömma is Stockholm's premiere sightseeing company and last night a colleague and I attended their pre-winter party... a nice evening on their boats where they presented their winter offers and tours.
The Archipelago Tour w/ Guide continues through the winter taking visitors a bit out in the archipelago leaving each Saturday & Sunday at noon. During the winter Strömma adds a special Winter Tour several times a day from December 21st until April 7th (yes our winters can last that long!). The tour takes you through the Stockholm port and out to the islands of Fjäderholmarna... running about 1 hour and 15 minutes. There is food and drink available onboard and the cost is 190 SEK, half price for children between 6 and 11.

Photo by Magnus Rietz

A special Swedish Christmas tradition is the julbord, a holiday version of the classic smörgåsbord. Strömma gives you the opportunity to combine the julbord with a boat tour. Between November 25th and December 22nd, several boats a day will take guests through Stockholm and out among the islands all the while they enjoy a traditional Christmas feast. Four different boats leave at several times during the day... at noon, in the afternoon or in the evening. The cost runs from 425 SEK up to 675 SEK, depending on the time of day. There is also a special Christmas by Light tour that stays close to the city... you can enjoy an American/Swedish Christmas buffet while admiring the Christmas light displays along the waterfront. This is offered from November 30th through December 21st and the cost is 675 SEK per person.

Photo by Magnus Rietz

While many of the traditional sightseeing boat tours take a break during the winter season, remember that the Panorama bus tour runs year round!

Day Trip - Skokloster Castle

The tour to Skokloster Castle goes on the same boat as the one to Sigtuna (see last entry below). After stopping at Sigtuna the boat continues on for 1 hour more to the castle. The cost is the same... 290 SEK for a round trip tour.

Skokloster Castle is one of many castles and palaces scattered thoughout the Mälar Valley and perhaps the most well preserved baroque castles in the world and a monument to Sweden's Age of Power. Completed in 1676, the castle was built by Carl Gustav Wrangel and later came into the posession of the influential Brahe family. Wrangel was quite the collector and the armoury is filled with an amazing display of weaponry and even exotic objects from around the world. The baroque interior design is spectacular... hard to know where to rest your eyes with all of the magnificent furniture, tapestries and paintings. You are met by a guide at the boat dock who takes you through the castle, explaining the contents of the castle as well as about the Wrangel and Brahe families. The grounds are beautiful, especially considering that the castle is located in the Skohalvön nature reserve. There is a gift shop and a café for lunch on the castle grounds as well as a nearby church. You have two hours in all before the boat heads back to Stockholm. You are back in town at around 6:10pm.

The tour runs Wednesday through Sunday from July 3rd to August 22nd.

You want to go to Skokloster Castle on your own? Take the commuter train north to Bålsta and then get on bus #311 for Skokloster. The trip takes approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. Click here for more information on public transportation.

Day Trip - Sigtuna

I had the pleasure today to try out two new day trips that Strömma are offering Summer 2010. They are Sigtuna town and Skokloster Castle. The tours both leave on the same boat from in front of City Hall (Stadshusbron), you just choose if you want to get off first at Sigtuna or continue on to Skokloster. The cost is the same... 290 SEK for a round-trip ticket.

Sigtuna is located just north-west of Stockholm on the way to Uppsala. It was an important trading center and is considered the first city in Sweden. Sigtuna had its golden age between the late 900's and the mid 1200's when Stockholm rose to prominence. The city layout looks today much like it did back in its heyday with the main street (Stora gatan) still in place... though the buildings are mainly from the 17 and 1800s.

The tour starts by boat at 9:45am and the trip to Sigtuna takes approximately 2 hours. It is a beautiful trip through the forests and farmlands surrounding Lake Mälaren, sometimes going through narrow waterways and draw bridges. There is a cafeteria onboard serving light refreshments and a guide is there to explain the history of the countryside passing by. The tour continues on land with a guide who takes you through the charming streets of Sigtuna as well as seeing the church, ruins and runestones that are scattered through the town (the county has the highest concentration of runestones in Sweden). You then have some time on your own to explore, shop and eat lunch. Entrance to the Sigtuna Museum is included in the tour price. All in all you have 4 hours in the town before the boat picks you up for the trip back to Stockholm. You are back at about 6:10pm.

The tour runs Wednesdays through Sundays from July 3rd to August 22nd.

Would you like to visit Sigtuna on your own? Take the commuter train north to Märsta, there get on the bus #570 going towards Hässelboskolan. The trip takes approximately 1 hour. Click here for more information on public transportation.