Guided Food Tours in Stockholm

Typical SoFo view.

Yesterday afternoon, I had the chance to partake in a food tour... a guided walking tour where food is the focus. The tours are arranged by Food Tours Stockholm and, so far, there are two different tours on offer. The first one is a tour through the SoFo neighbourhood on the island of Södermalm (home to the Rival Hotel) and the other is in the Vasastan neighbourhood. While the Vasastan tour concentrates on Nordic food culture, the Södermalm tour is more multicultural, reflecting the bohemian feel of the SoFo neighbourhood... and it was this Södermalm tour that a colleague and I went on yesterday.

Piccolo Metro deli selection

I really enjoyed the tour and think it is a great, unique activity for visitors to Stockholm! The tour is 3½ hours long with 8 stops at different restaurants and food specialty stores. As I mentioned earlier, the stops represent the multiculturalism of modern Sweden... with everything from Swedish to Chinese to Italian and in between. One thing I really like about the tour was that the guide Fredrik was very informative about both the food and the surroundings, so it is a great way to see a picturesque Stockholm neighbourhood, get the background story as well as try some delicious food. I also liked that the restaurants seemed generally interested in our visit and were happy to present their food.

Paneer Palak Korai at Shanti

The tour started at China, a traditional Chinese restaurant that has one of the only (if not the only) authentic Peking duck ovens in Europe. From there it was on to a newly opened Italian restaurant and deli called Piccolo Metro, where we got to sample some pasta and wine. They do specialize in Appertivo, the traditional pre dinner cocktails with small dishes. Next was Shanti, a great Indian restaurant (not your run-of-the-mill curry house) where they served us Paneer Palak Korai. Very good! The tour then continued on to Fang Yuan Shi Wu... a quaint hole in the wall where they serve Stockholm's best dumplings. Just meeting proprietress Wencui Cui made it well worth the stop. Cute as a button!

Urban Deli!

The tour then moved on to more local tastes with a stop at Urban Deli, which is one of the most popular restaurants in the Sofo district. Urban Deli combines a restaurant with a deli, bakery and grocery store. Here we tried different tastes from their deli selection (sausages, meats and cheeses). Just across the street was the next stop on the food tour... newly opened Nytorget 6. A great restaurant where the focal point is the beautiful rotisserie and bar. We were treated to some delicious chicken from the rotisserie as well as some local beer.

Rotisserie at Nytorget 6

Time for dessert! First we stopped at the famous Pärlans Konfektyr where they hand make caramels. You can actually watch them cook and roll the caramels every weekday in the shop. After trying an array of different tastes, we moved on to the final stop... local ice cream parlor: StikkiNikki. Here they serve ecological, home made ice creams and sorbets with tastes like peanut butter crumble, strawberry/rhubarb and salted liquorice. The perfect end to the tour!

Pärlans Konfektyr

The price for this tour is 695 SEK per person, which includes all of the food & drink, bottled water to have with you as well as the guided tour. I found the tour to be well worth the price as you do get quite a lot of food and information. The tours are guided in English & Swedish. Be aware that they run on different days, so check their website to find the right date and tour. You can book either of their tours on their website or, if you are staying at the Rival Hotel, by contacting me directly. Bon Appétit or smaklig måltid!

StikkiNikki

Guided Tours with Stockholm Our Way

There are many great ways to explore and discover Stockholm... either with established bus & boat sightseeing tours (like with Strömma) or more intimate tours. The company Stockholm Our Way offers several guided tours of the city and allows you to explore on foot, by bike or even by kayak. All with an experienced guide! If you want a more private experience or have any special interests, you can also book a private guide through them.

They offer several guided walking tours... either a visit to the historical city center (Gamla Stan & Riddarholmen), an expanded tour which includes Gamla Stan as well as nearby sites or you can have a bit of fun and immerse yourself in Swedish culture with a Viking guide. While most tours are in either Swedish or English, they do also offer a walking tour in German. If you feel like getting more physical, then you can either try their kayak tour or their bicycle tour. Stockholm is best seen from the water as well as being an excellent city to bike in, so these two tours are perfect for the visitor who wants to leave the beaten path!

Something else they offer, which I think sounds like a fun idea, is a visit to a Stockholm home. Have you ever been in a foreign city and wondered what it looked like inside a home? I can't be the only one who is curious! This experience also includes a walking tour of Kungsholmen and a traditional Swedish "fika". So, as you can see, quite a variety of tours. Please note that certain tours are only available on certain days, check their website for dates. They can all be booked on their website or, if you are staying at the Rival Hotel, you can contact me directly for help. (Edit: all pictures in this article provided by Stockholm Our Way... thank you!)

Take a Walk on the Island of Djurgården

Café at Blockhusudden with view of harbor

Well marked paths

If you enjoy walking in Hyde Park when visiting London, Tiergarten when in Berlin or Central Park when in NYC... then you shouldn't pass up the opportunity of visiting Djurgården when in Stockholm.

Täcka Udden

Ditto!

Most tourists do visit Djurgården, mainly to see such popular attractions like the Vasa Museum, Skansen and Gröna Lund. But Djurgården is so much more than that! Beyond Skansen you will find acres and acres of parkland, forest and wetlands dotted with art galleries, gardens, cafés, monuments and other interesting buildings.

Part of the islands southern shoreline

Freedom Gate, a gift from the Estonian people

There are well marked paths through the parklands as well as along most of the shoreline. You can just concentrate on seeing the great nature there or visit the art galleries and museums like Thielska, Waldermarsudde or Liljevalchs... or combine nature with culture. Click here for my past posts on some of the points of interest on Djurgården... The world's first national city park!

Part of Waldemarsudde

The gardens at Rosenlund

The other day I took my visiting mother on just such a walk. We took bus #69 (not 69K which only goes as far as Kaknästornet!)) from Norrmalmstorg out to the last stop at Blockhusudden and then walked back along the south coast of the island to Djurgårdsbron (the bridge connecting the island with central Stockholm). The walk took about 1½ hours including some shorter stops for pictures and water. The pictures in this blog post are from this walk and for your inspiration...

Cross over to northern shoreline... Kaknästornet in distance

The Blue Gate- entrance (or exit) to Djurgården

Walk Along Västerbron (The Western Bridge)

View from the top, looking at City Hall

One of my favorite walks to take on a sunny, summer day is over Västerbron (The Western Bridge). Built in 1935, this 600 meter long bridge connects the islands of Södermalm (where the Rival Hotel is located) and Långholmen with the island of Kungsholmen. It provides great views of Gamla Stan and downtown Stockholm to the east and the Essinge islands in Lake Mälaren to the west. Location.

Locks left by lovers at the top.

As there are great walking paths around both Södermalm and Kunsgholmen, the bridge can be combined with a longer walk... for example, there is a beautiful promenade along the south coast of Kungsholmen between the City Hall and Västerbron. Lovers have taken up leaving padlocks on the railing at the apex of the bridge, symbolizing the hope that their relationship will last forever.There are subway stations on each end of the bridge. On the Södermalm side you have Hornstull (red line) and on the Kungsholmen side you have Fridhemsplan (green & blue lines). A bit of trivia: this walk is part of the Stockholm Marathon route and is considered (with its slow uphill rise) to be one of the toughest parts. Much easier to walk it!

View of the bridge from Kungsholmen.

One of Sweden's most beloved artists, Monica Zetterlund, sang a beautiful song about Stockholm called "Sakta vi gå genom stan" which contains a wonderful reference to the bridge.

Four Statues, Four Kings

This post is for those of you who, like I, are curious about historical statues one encounters when visiting a foreign city. Plus, with the birth of a royal princess this week it felt fitting to write about some of her ancestors.

Charles XIV Johan

If you walk to the Old Town from the Rival Hotel, you encounter the first statue as you cross the bridge. The statue is of King Charles XIV Johan astride a horse. It was unveiled in 1854 and depicts the king riding into the city, as the newly elected crown prince. A bit of trivia... the king was born Jean Baptiste Bernadotte and was one of Napoleon's field marshals before being elected to the throne during a dynastic crisis in Sweden. The current king is of the Bernadotte dynasty.

Gustav III

If you continue along the waterfront of the Old Town you will encounter the next statue in front of the Royal Palace. This is Gustav III. Unveiled in 1808, it depicts the king returning in triumph from the Russian-Swedish War. The statue is inspired by the famous Roman statue Apollo Belvedere. A bit of trivia... Gustav III was assassinated during a masquerade ball in 1792 at the nearby opera house.

Charles XII

Continuing across the bridge towards central Stockholm you will come to the park Kungsträdgården and there you will find the statue of Charles XII, Sweden's Warrior King. The statue was unveiled in 1868 in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the king's death and depicts him pointing towards Russia and his arch-nemesis Czar Peter the Great. A bit of trivia... an exceptional military leader, the king spent the majority of his reign abroad at war with Russia, Denmark and Poland.

Gustav II Adolf

To the left of the statue is the Royal Opera House and behind it is Gustav Adolf Square where you will find, what else, a statue of Gustav II Adolf. The king was known as the "Lion of the North" and is most famous for leading the Protestant forces during the Thirty Year's War and thereby started Sweden's Age of Power. The statue was unveiled in 1796 and shows the king astride his warhorse Streiff.
This walk, from beginning to end (with short stops, won't take you more than half an hour or so.

Free Walking Tour of the City

Photo by Yanan Li, Stockholm Visitors Board

I have blogged earlier about private walking tours of the city that I recommend and I would like to add another option... Free Tour Stockholm. As the name suggests, the tours are free of charge- though if you like the tour please tip your guide! The walking tour is 1½ hours long, guided in English and has gotten some great reviews recently. The guides are all passionate about Stockholm history and promise a fun & interesting tour. There is no need to make a reservation. You just show up at the appointed time to join the tour. The tours are run no matter the weather or amount of participants. The meeting place for the start of the tour is at the top of the big staircase at the square Sergels Torg. Click here for a map. Generally speaking, they offer 2-3 tours a week starting at 10am. Check their website, linked here and above, for actual dates and times.

Private Walking Tours of the City

Photo: Stockholms Visitors Board

Stockholm is a city made for walking... and if you would like to avoid the big bus and boat tours and get a more personal tour of the city, then a walking tour is a great idea. There are many companies, both large and small, that organize tours and in many cases it is a set tour that is offered. The Old Town (Gamla Stan) is the most popular tour itinerary and the most interesting district from a tourist's point of view with its palaces, churches, cobblestone streets and long history. Other districts have become popular with walking tours, especially the Södermalm district (where the Rival Hotel is located) which also has a lot of great history.

It is often a good idea to book a tour directly with the company as there are many details to iron out (when, where, what as well as payment). I can recommend some good companies that I have used in the past. One such is Stockholm Stories. Their guide Maria, a 4th generation Stockholmer, is very personable and has a wealth of information about the city and its history. Another popular tour company is Story Tours which offer several themed walking tours. A third option is to book one of the 400 authorized guides through the Stockholms Visitors Board. An advantage here is that you have the option of personalizing your itinerary as well as if you wish to have the tour in a language other than Swedish or English. Booking a tour with any of these companies can be made on their websites which I have linked above.

Strandvägen Waterfront & Esplanade

Strandvägen with Strandbryggan in the foreground

Strandvägen is the waterfront road located in the Östermalm district with some of the most prestigious addresses in Stockholm. With its tree-lined esplanade, boat quays and gorgeous architecture, it has become a favorite promenade for tourists and Stockholmers alike. It is about 1 kilometer in length and connects the downtown area with Djurgården (where you will find popular sights like the Vasa Museum and Skansen Park). Along the way (in the summertime) you will find a few cafés and casual restaurants. One of special note is Strandbryggan Sea Club, a floating restaurant & bar that I've mentioned earlier just at the base of the bridge over to Djurgården.

The palace guard cavalry marching on Strandvägen

On the western end of the street, along the shores of the Nybroviken inlet, you have the starting point for the Strömma and Cinderella boats heading out to the archipelago. Don't feel like walking? The Djurgård Streetcar line runs along Strandvägen taking people from the downtown area out to Djurgården and back. Want to walk even further? The Djurgårds Canal walking/jogging path starts at the Djurgårds bridge. The easiest way to get to Strandvägen from the Rival Hotel is by subway... red line, 4 stations to Östermalmstorg and then it's just a ten minute walk down to the water.

Streetcar that traffics Strandvägen

Stockholm Adventures

Photo: Stockholm Adventures

The biggest trend in tourism these days is eco-friendly and adventure tours. Travelers are moving away from the packaged bus tours and are choosing more adventurous ways to see cities and countries. Adventure tourism tends to have less of a negative impact on the environment as well as being more fun and memorable. It's also a nice way to see a part of the city and countryside not covered in guide books. Stockholm, with its archipelago, forests and national parks, is the perfect city to try a bit of adventure tourism.

Photo: Stockholm Adventures

The tour company Stockholm Adventures is a great place to start. They offer many different sightseeing tours and adventures, something for every taste and ability level. Here are some highlights of what they have to offer:

• Hikes- they have both urban wanderings in the city as well as hikes in Tyresta national park and the archipelago.
• Bikes- tours of the city.
• Kayaks- from shorter tours in the city to full-day tours in the outer archipelago.
• Wildlife Safari- see moose, boar and deer... just a 20 minute ride from the city.

So, take a chance to see Stockholm off the beaten path and/or experience Sweden's beautiful natural landscape and wildlife. Tours can be booked on their website, at the Stockholm Tourist Center or, if you are staying at the Rival Hotel, contact me directly and I can help you make a reservation.

ABBA- The Walk!

Bengt H. Malmqvist © Premium Rockshot

People often wonder why Stockholm doesn't take more advantage of its association with ABBA... like Liverpool does with the Beatles and Detroit does with Motown. Heaven knows that there is a market! For a few years now there has been talk of an ABBA museum, but the plans keep getting delayed. Now the Stockholm City Museum is doing something about it. The museum, responsible for the highly popular Stieg Larsson Millenium Walking Tour, will be offering a guided tour of the city this summer with ABBA as the theme... called ABBA: The Walk.
They are starting with tours in Swedish on May 19th (Saturdays) and then they will be offering tours in English every Friday and Saturday at 4pm in July, August and September. The tour is about 2 hours long and costs 120 SEK per person. Tickets can be purchased at the museum or on Ticnet. They also have a special city map with all ABBA related places marked out for sale at the museum (40 SEK).
The Stockholm City Museum is located at Slussen, just a 10 minute walk from the Rival Hotel. And who knows... maybe the hotel (owned by Benny Andersson and the venue of the gala premiere of Mamma Mia The Movie) will be on the tour?
And for a little inspiration:

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!
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Tip #11 - Walking/Jogging Paths

The Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation has created special paths throughout the country (110 so far) designed to make walking or jogging safe and easy. There are four in central Stockholm and the paths are well marked with kilometer markers and maps. My favorite is the one that goes around Djurgårds Canal... it is 7 kilometers long, though there is a bridge along the way if you would just like to do a five kilometer walk/run. The walk takes you along both sides of the canal through leafy forests, wetlands, parks and embassy village. Along the way you will find a few cafés, restaurants and ice cream kiosks if you want to take a break. I did the whole walk a few days ago with friends and it just took a couple of hours (with a stop or two).
The other three paths are Södermalm (11 km- and perfect if you are staying at the Rival Hotel), Kungsholmen (9 km) and Brunnsviken/Haga Park (12 km). All three of these paths are through green areas (mainly), along the water and with plenty of interesting things to see... and, of course, there is nothing saying you have to do the whole course!

Haga Park

Last week I took a wonderful walk through Haga Park ("Hagaparken"), which is a vast nature area located on the northern outskirts of Stockholm. This English inspired park was founded through the initiative of Gustav III in the late 1700's and is the location of many interesting monuments, castles, ruins and museums. Haga Park has received a lot of interest of late since Haga Castle located in the park, will become the residence of the Crown Princess and her husband after their wedding on June 19th, 2010. Gustav III's presence is strongly felt through the many temples, pavilions and gazebos erected by the king in the park. This includes The Copper Tents, The Echo Temple, The Turkish Kiosk and Gustav III's Pavillion. Also located in the park grounds are the ruins of a grander palace planned by the king and then abandoned after his assassination in 1792.

I really enjoyed the Butterfly House, a 800 sq meter greenhouse where you can wander through a tropical rain forest filled with hundreds of butterflies as well as frogs, fish, birds and other animals. Keep your eyes open for the Dwarf Partridges wandering on the paths. It is open daily (10-17:00 are their summer hours), year round, and costs 90 SEK for adults and half off for children between the ages of 4 and 15.

Feel like some excercise? It is a 12 kilometer jog/walk around the lake Brunnsviken on well marked paths!

To get to the park, take the commuter train from the Central Train Station going in the direction of Märsta and get off at the first stop (Solna). From there it is a 1,200 meter walk to the northern gate of Haga Park. Another option is to take bus #515 from Odenplan and get off after about 10 minutes at the Haga Norra (northern gate) stop.