Stockholm is an absolutely gorgeous city that I view as sort of a mix between Berlin and Venice. Made up of 14 islands, Stockholm is a joy to wander around either on foot, while riding a bike, or by taking a ferry. There are around 50 bridges connecting every part of the city, allowing for tremendous views from every corner.

With around 1 million people living in the urban area along with the large number of tourists, Stockholm can get a bit hectic at times. However, once you start to feel overwhelmed, simply take a stroll through the old town where everything slows down.

I was fortunate to find a hostel located in the heart of this unique area. The cobblestone alleyways lined with crooked buildings are full of cafés, restaurants, shops and galleries. When you think about a picturesque European alleyway, an image of Stockholm’s old town should be one of the first thoughts that comes to mind!

Besides walking the streets of Stockholm, there are a few museums worth checking out. There is a free national history museum that has a new Viking exhibit.

There is also the Vasa museum, Scandinavia’s most popular museum. This contains the worlds only preserved seventeenth century ship which was salvaged after 333 years on the ocean floor. It is roughly $20cdn to enter.

*these are some of the detailed carvings found on the front of the ship.

A few additional thoughts on Stockholm and Sweden as a whole:

– ö in Swedish means island.

– The cheapest meal in a restaurant found anywhere near the city centre is 15-20$ cdn. Kebabs or any pre-made salad\wrap found in a grocery store are close to $10 as well. Stockholm definitely lives up to it’s reputation as one of the more expensive cities!

– I visited Stockholm during high school graduation. This meant that I was fortunate enough to see truck loads of celebrating students drive around the city in succession while music pumped out of a loud speaker. I guess this is a yearly ritual in Sweden. Pretty funny to see!

– Maybe they were celebrating because they will now receive 3000 to 4000 krona per month. Each person gets the equivalent of 450$ – 600$ each month simply for graduating high school. Additionally, University is completely free AND students are provided with free lunch all throughout their first 18 years in school!

Overall, Stockholm instantly became one of my favourite European cities. Sweden is a fascinating country and I will share some more thoughts on Gothenburg, Sweden in the next few days : )

Tack ( thank you )