Stockholm News!

These days the news is filled with stories of nuclear tests in North Korea, an abdicating Pope, war, crime and famine. It can get quite depressing, so I thought I would report on some fun news... things to look forward to in Stockholm in the near future!

www.abbathemuseum.com 

New Museums: The big news in Stockholm is the upcoming opening (May 7th) of ABBA The Museum! There has been a lot of buzz about this both in Sweden and through international media. According to reports, the museum will be very interactive with state of the art technology... like a 360 degree movie screen, holograms and more surprises. The museum will be part of a larger museum called the Swedish Music Hall of Fame, dedicated to Swedish contributions to popular music. Tickets for May can already be purchased on their website (linked above) and summer tickets will be released soon. Keep checking on this blog for more updates.
There are plenty of great exhibitions planned at various museums this year, but one that caught my eye (I am a fashion/photography nerd) is the Jean-Paul Gaultier exhibition "From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk" coming to the Architecture Museum this summer (June 15th to September 22nd). Should be fantastic!

Ad for upcoming Gaultier exhibit..

New Restaurants: The Stockholm restaurant scene continues to evolve and grow... two new restaurants have recently opened which have garnered a lot of attention: Taverna Brillo and Nosh & Chow. I will visit them in the coming weeks and report back here! One event that I am really looking forward to is the "reopening" of the restaurant Oaxen Krog. For many years, Oaxen Krog was located in the southern Stockholm archipelago and consistently made the lists of best restaurants in the world. In September, 2011 they closed the restaurant and announced that they would be moving closer to Stockholm. Well, it is now official... in May of this year they will open the doors of their new restaurant on the island of Djurgården (not too far from the new ABBA Museum) in Stockholm. Besides Oaxen Krog, which will be fine-dining, they will also have a more casual sister restaurant called Oaxen Slip (same entrance). Can't wait!

Photo by Yanan Li, Stockholm Visitors Board

Busy Weekend... Vintage, Autumn Goodies, Beer & Whisky!

Something for everyone this weekend! Besides the wonderful art exhibitions going on in Stockholm, you also have several fairs and markets to keep you busy.

bakatframat.se

If clothes from the 50's, 60's and 70's are to your liking, then don't miss the popular Vintage Clothes Fair (Vintagemässan) going on Saturday & Sunday (29th & 30th of September). Around 40 vintage clothes stores from around Sweden bring their best clothes, accessories and shoes for you browse and buy. This is the 10th time this fair has been held and it gets more and more popular each time. The fair is located at Drottninggatan 81 in the downtown area, entrance is 60 SEK and it is open from 11am to 5pm both days. If you really like to rummage, click here for some tips about flea markets in the city.

Photo by Anna Yu, Skansen

Skansen (park, zoo and outdoor museum) is a favorite place of mine to visit. This weekend is extra special as they will be holding their annual Autumn Fair on both Saturday & Sunday. Lots of great, traditional goodies to purchase... handicrafts, honey & jams, textiles, toys, local produce, cheeses and bakery items. There will be live music as well as traditional games, dancing, food & drink. Skansen is located on the island of Djurgården, a 9 minute ferry trip from Slussen (10 minute walk from the Rival Hotel). Entrance to Skansen costs 100 SEK (adults) and the market goes on between 11am and 4pm. Tip: there is also a Farmers Market every Saturday (10am to 3pm) near the hotel on Katarina Bangata in SoFo. October  20th is their last day for the season.

stockholmbeer.se

Finally, if you are looking for something a little more adult (boozier?), then we have the Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival and Taste Experience going on. Two festivals, one location. Beer & Whisky concentrates on beer & whisky (obviously) as well as cider and calvados. At Taste Experience you will find wine, champagne, rum, tequila, cognac and more. This is the 21st annual festival(s) and very popular... there were over 36,000 visitors last year. At the festival you will find exhibitors, tastings, classes, competitions, restaurants, bars and more. Entrance costs 219 SEK and includes tasting glass which you can take home. Please note that you need to be 20 years old to enter! Opening hours are noon to 11pm on Friday and 11am to midnight on Saturday. In case you are busy this weekend, you have another chance to attend next weekend (October 4th to 6th). It is located at Nackamässan in Nacka Strand. The easiest way to get there from the Rival Hotel is to take bus 443 from Slussen (10 minute bus ride). Happy weekend!

Shopping at Mood Stockholm

Entrance

One of the most anticipated events in the Stockholm retail world happened today... the opening of Mood Stockholm. There has been a lot of press and hype leading up to the grand opening. So I had to, of course, stop by Mood Stockholm today to see what all the fuss was about and I must say that I was very impressed.

Some shopping...

For all intents and purposes, Mood Stockholm is a shopping center, though they advertise themselves as Stockholm's "newest neighborhood". It is refreshing to see a shopping center with unique stores (mainly clothing & interior design) and not the same chain-stores seen in every other shopping center in Sweden. Some are familiar names, but the majority are stores that I haven't heard of before. Nice, soothing lounge music interspersed with chirping birds(!) can be heard from the loud speakers. Dining options are also not like other shopping centers... no "food court" here! Instead it is trendier options from cafés to restaurants. Two of special note (and much anticipated) are Vigårda Barbecue and EAT (European Asian Taste). Both restaurants have heavy culinary names behind them... Melker Andersson (of F12) and Henrik Norström (of Lux) respectively. Another one that looked interesting is the tapas restaurant Boqueria. Can't wait to try them!

...and dining (Boqueria restaurant & bar)

What makes me happiest about Mood is their location. It takes up en entire city block, just behind the NK department store in the downtown area. This neighborhood has been a strange dead area in Stockholm for many years, surrounded by other vibrant shopping/restaurant areas on all four sides. Mood will be a great face lift for the area! There is also a Concierge Service to be found in Mood which is a fun idea... according to their pamphlet, they offer everything from a personal shopper to babysitting to yard work. You can also "hire a cook/bartender" through them.

The stores in Mood are open from 10am to 8pm on weekdays, 10am to 6pm on Saturdays and 10am to 4pm on Sundays. The restaurants are, of course, open later! It is very easy to get there from the Rival Hotel... a direct subway trip on the red line, 4 stations to Östermalmstorg and exiting to Stureplan. Click here and scroll down for more of my shopping tips!

Nitty Gritty

Photo provided by Nitty Gritty

As we are in between Stockholm's two fashion weeks, I thought I would write about one of my favorite boutiques... Nitty Gritty. First opened in 1991 as a counter reaction to the mainline department stores, this boutique has evolved into an independent boutique that is very popular with Stockholmers. Here you will find both men's & women's fashions, including shoes, outerwear and accessories. They have an interesting mix of brands as well... both Swedish and international, from the well known to the lesser known. For those of you unable to visit the store, online shopping is possible on their website (linked above).
The store is located on the island of Södermalm, just a 10 minute walk from the Rival Hotel.

Stockholm Fashion Week(s)

Photo: Nicho Södling, Stockholm Visitor's Board

Over the past decade or so, Swedish fashion has risen in global prominence with such well known brands as  Filippa K, Whyred, Fifth Avenue Show Repair, WeSC, J. Lindeberg, Acne, H&M, Odd Molly and Cheap Monday among others. Stockholm has become soooo fashionable, there are actually two fashion weeks coming up.
First out is the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (Jan 30th - Feb 1st). Noomi Rapace, Sweden's latest export to Hollywood, will be opening the festivities on Monday... followed by three days of fashion shows and other events. Most of the shows will be held in the Mercedes-Benz pavilion in Kungsträdgården or at nearby Berns. Click here for the schedule of events. Expect the city to be overrun by supermodels, designers, stylists and other fashionistas!
Second out is Stockholm Fashion Week (Feb 6th - 12th), with over 800 brands showing their wares during the week... mainly in showrooms and trade fairs. Most of the shows, events and parties during both fashion weeks are for buyers and press, though some events are open for the general public. Of particular interest is the Fashion Play exhibition (12 designers from the alternative fashion scene) going on all week at the Museum of Architecture.
If you want to explore Swedish fashion at your own leisure... head to either the SoFo or Biblioteksgatan districts, where you will find the highest concentration of Swedish designers.

High End Shopping on Biblioteksgatan

The start of Biblioteksgatan

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is going on in Stockholm right now and Swedish designers are busy showing their Spring & Summer collections for buyers and agents. This Thursday, August 11th, the general public can take part in the fashion extravaganza... during Fashion Night. Stores along Stockholm's premiere shopping street, Biblioteksgatan, will be open late in the evening (11pm) with special offers for customers. There will be a large screen set up in Norrmalmstorg square where you can watch Tiger of Sweden's fashion show plus give-aways, a champagne bar, dj's and more.


Photo by Nicho Södling, Stockholm Visitors Board

Perhaps a few words about Biblioteksgatan are in order? This is a pedestrian street located in the downtown area, starting at the square Norrmalmstorg and running north three blocks to Stureplan. The street and surrounding side streets are filled with high end shops mainly of Swedish origin... Acne, Whyred, Marc O'Polo, Filippa K, WeSC, J. Lindeberg, etc; At the north end of the street you will find the Sturegallerian shopping center for more upscale shopping options and just a block from Norrmalmstorg you will find the luxury department store NK. So, you see, you can spend the whole day in the area shopping for Swedish and international brands! It is easy to get to the area from the Rival Hotel... it's either four subway stops going north on the red line (the stop is Östermalmstorg), 7 minutes by taxi or a 30 minute walk.
Do you only have a short time in Stockholm? Then I would recommend the personal shoppers at Smart City Shopping to help you navigate the stores... otherwise here are some more shopping tips!

Waldemarsudde Art Museum

I can't write about the street car trip to Waldemarsudde without writing about the place itself, can I? The full name for this art museum is Prince Eugen's Waldemarsudde which is located on the southern shores of the island of Djurgården. Prince Eugen was the younger brother of the current king's great grandfather and was an accomplished painter and art collector. The prince bought the land in 1899 and had the mansion built upon the premises. Upon his death, Waldemarsudde was turned into an art museum showing his work and collection as well as the work of others in temporary exhibitions. The prince was an avid gardener which is apparent by the gardens surrounding the mansion. In the gardens you will find several sculptures by well know artists like Rodin and Carl Milles.

Besides the permanent collection of Prince Eugene and other Swedish artists, there will be two temporary exhibitions at Waldemarsudde this summer. The first (May 7th to September 18th) is a retrospective of Swedish designer Lars Wallin's career so far. Wallin is Sweden's leading haute couture designer and has dressed Sweden's most beautiful women including the royal family. The exhibition will contain over 150 gowns and sketches. The second exhibition (June 21st to August 28th), in collaboration with the Italian Institute of Culture, will feature some 20 Venetian masterpieces from the 1700's.
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 11am to 5pm... though on Thursday they close at 8pm. Entrance costs 100 SEK, free for youth under 19. Free for Stockholm Card holders. How to get to the museum? Check my blog entry just under this one. Guests from the Rival Hotel can get to Djurgården by ferry from Slussen, then it is just a short walk or bus/tram trip to the museum.

How Do You Say "Sale" In Swedish?

Christmas is coming to an end... now comes the time that Swedes call Mellandagarna, meaning "middle days", which is the time between Christmas and New Years. It is the big shopping week here in Sweden and all types of stores drop their prices to get rid of excess stock brought in for Christmas. Wherever you go in Stockholm you will see signs that say REA! which is Swedish for "sale", or perhaps MELLANDAGSREA!

Where to go for the sales? The best place is the downtown area which has the highest concentration of stores. A great place to start is the NK Department Store which is located at the head of Kungsträdgården park. A beautiful store, here you will find everything from food to bedding to clothes to interior design. Across the street (kitty corner) you have the Gallerian Shopping Center with loads of stores. If you exit NK at the basement level you come to Sergelgången, an underground passageway lined with stores and leading to the Sergels torg square. At the far end of the square you come to a street that bisects the square called Drottninggatan (Queen's Street). This pedestrian street is a shopping mecca... heading north you'll first find Åhlen's Department Store and a couple of blocks later the PUB Department Store which is on the corner of Drottninggatan and Kungsgatan (King's Street). Heading east on Kungsgatan, you come to a high concentration of electronic stores like On/Off, Siba and Elgiganten. At the end of Kungsgatan you come to the posh district of Stureplan. Right on Stureplan square you have the Sturegallerian Shopping Center. This whole area, including the street Biblioteksgatan, is where you will find the high-end designer shops. To the east of Stureplan is Östermalm, a great place to find interior design stores... like Svensk Tenn.
That pretty much gives you a good overview of the downtown area. If you think it's too cold to fight the crowds in town, then you can find some great shopping closer to the Rival Hotel. Within a 10-15 minute walk of the hotel we have the pedestrian street Götgatsbacken, the shopping center Skrapan and the hip neighborhood of SoFo... all of which I have written about earlier.
Happy Shopping! For more shopping tips, click here!
.

Stockholm Fashion Week

Fashionistas have descended upon the city in droves! That is because it is Stockholm Fashion Week this week (August 16th to 22nd). Although the majority of events are only open to industry members, there are a few fashion events open to the general public:

• Carin Wester will be showing her collection at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Pavillion, set up in Kungsträdgården, on Tuesday, August 17th at 7:30pm. Come in time... her shows are popular!
• Cheap Monday will be showing their collection at the Evert Taube's Terrace on the island of Riddarholmen on Tuesday, August 17th at 5:45pm. Love their jeans! Make sure to RSVP on their website (linked here) before space runs out.
• The street Biblioteksgatan is considered ground zero for Stockholm high fashion. This Thursday (August 19th) the boutiques along this street will be open late into the evening (10pm). Many Swedish designers will be there to meet their customers... expect sales and other activities.

Expect a lot of parties at different nightclubs during the week... filled with models and fashionistas. Thanks to Metro Newspaper for the tip!