Sensational Stockholm

Sweden. ABBA. The Skarsgard family. IKEA. Swedish meatballs. I LOVE SWEDEN. Well, Stockholm, because that's the only place in Sweden I have been to. Stockholm was a wonder to visit, with the grand architecture and new-age builds just minutes from each other. It is a city rich with history, a history that I didn't read a lot into, but that can be done if you so desire.

The best part about Stockholm: Gamla Stan, the Old Town. On a small island in the heart of the city is the starting foundation of Stockholm as we know it. Cobblestone streets, bright, ancient buildings filled with shops and food and drinks, and also the Nobel Prize Museum. You can drive around the island, but you can only walk or bike through the cobblestone streets that lay in the center of the island. There is a city center, which hosts the Christmas Market, and even some residents live in flats in town. And if you're lucky, you may get to see it in the snow at dusk when the lamp lights come on, the people on the streets dissipate, and the small, cozy pubs get crowded. It looks like a Harry Potter movie.

Gamla Stan is only a 5 minute drive from the modern city, so it's easy to stay on the island, or stay in the city and walk or drive to the old town. My stay was in the city near the train station, The Nordic Light Hotel. Once again, these rooms were a bit small, but oh my gosh was it amazing. It is a newer hotel, and it is clean and modern as can be. The staff was so friendly and helpful, and the lobby was always busy with people getting drinks at the bar or just sitting and talking. It was in a great location, and we could just catch an uber to the old town.

The food options in Stockholm were quite similar to those in Copenhagen, so we stayed away from seafood and went for other cuisines. The best were Barrels Burgers in old town and Ami in the city. When you walk around the old town, there are countless pubs and cafe's that all have good food too, and good drinks.

As far as activities go, I wasn't there long enough to do too much, but what I did do was a lot of fun. Of course, walking around in itself is great, especially around Gamla Stan, but on the island of Gamla Stan is also the Royal Palace. This palace definitely beats the palaces in Copenhagen. It was a bit more expensive to get into though, but worth it, and way bigger. Another fun activity to do if you want to splurge and be fancy is to have afternoon tea at the Grand Hotel. They have tea, champagne, and finger foods, and the hotel is so fancy, I felt out of place. But it was so cute and fun to just relax for two hours sipping tea and watching the sun set.

I wish I had more time in Stockholm, because there were so many more islands to discover. But I am glad I explored Gamla Stan, as that was the best part and I highly recommend it, if you only had one thing to do. Next time, I'm going to the ABBA Museum!