Robb's Europe Travel Tips

A few hotels in Stockholm

2007-10-01T23:52:00.001-07:00

If you are traveling to Stockholm, finding a good Hotel is important for your vacation. There are many good - and cheap - hotels in the city center, here are a few options;

Amaranten
Attache
Berne's
Birger Jarl
Elite Plaza
Elite Palace

Of course there are a lot of other hotels in Stockholm, these are just a few good alternatives. If you want to find other hotels in Stockholm, find them at here.

Museums to visit when you travel to Stockholm

2007-09-25T02:12:00.000-07:00

When you travel to Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, you shouldn’t miss its wonderful selections of museums and other cultural sights. Stockholm is an old city, with plenty of historic landmarks. It’s not all about historic museums how ever; there are many other interesting places to visit as well. If you have a few days over, you could easily spend your time at any or all of these museums.

The Royal Castle

For those interested in history, a trip to the Royal Castle is a must. Built in the 18th century by Nicodemus Tessin, this is perhaps the museum with the best architecture. It’s not all about the exterior though, the interior and decoration is famous all over the world.

While already at the castle, one shouldn’t miss…

The Royal Armory

Filled with actual clothing from famous royalties of Sweden, the royal armory is very interesting for those interested in medieval times. See clothes worn by fallen Kings, stained and scarred from battle, or see beautiful gowns worn by Queens and other royalties. The royal armory is located in the basement of the Royal castle.

The medieval museum

An underground museum, with focus on medieval times showing how Stockholm was founded and later grew. Historic views of Stockholm, which was an important export port as early as the 13th century. See parts of the 16th century city wall, or look at old monk habitats – the choice is yours.

Another beautiful castle is…

The Drottningholm Palace

Located some 20 kilometers outside Stockholm city, this is where the Swedish royalties actually live. While you can’t visit their part of the palace, you can visit other parts of the building. This palace is known for its extraordinary garden, as well as its spectacular architecture. A summer walk in the garden is a very relaxing experience, eventually leading you to…

The Chinese Pavilion

Built by King Adolf Fredrik in the midst of the 18th century, this pavilion now is considered an UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located right beside the Drottningholm Palace.

For those not interested in history, there are several other museums more focused on; Art, Culture, Children, animals, nature or even maritime navigation. The number of museums makes it impossible to cover them all, but the most noticeable are;

The Museum of Natural History

A museum focused on education and natural science, with a very "hands on" exhibition. Many areas of the museum are entirely made for "learning by doing", letting visitors – young and old – exploring many aspects of science and physics. This museum is also housing…

Cosmonova

This giant 760 m² IMAX dome theatre is showing various movies several times a day. Although no actual Hollywood movies plays here, the planetarium, and its giant screen, makes any film a great experience. Most films are educational in their nature, but the focus is on the photography, making full use of the huge screen.

Just across the road from Cosmonova and the museum of natural history you will find…

The botanic garden of Bergius

For those who love flowers, plants and herbs, this botanical garden is a must. The famous Victoria house is known for the world’s largest water lily, but the variation of herbs and plants are absolute world class.

These are just a few of many museums Stockholm has to offer, if you travel there – Make sure to find the museum of choice.
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A travel guide to Stockholm - Sodermalm Restaurants

2007-09-18T22:43:00.000-07:00

People wanting to travel to Stockholm may have read my first article where I described the city in a more historical and geographical perspective. This one will focus on the city district of Sodermalm, the southern part or island of Stockholm, and some restaurants in that area that may deserve a visit. Swedes in general are very international people, not scared of trying new things and do not have stubborn ideas of what food and drink should taste or look like. This is a good thing and thankfully means that the variety of restaurants is virtually endless, giving you a wide choice for dining.

On Gotgatan in the northern area of Sodermalm there is a small shopping mall called Bruno. It is easy to find as it is right on top of the hill. Inside in the centre area is a place called Ljunggren. This place has two main areas; a long bar area in the middle of the mall where people travel for after work beer and drinks and an inner table area which is the restaurant. The setting is modern and trendy and the specialty is Asian food. I would recommend booking a table in advance and try to arrive an hour or so early to hang out in the bar for a drink or two before dinner. The menu offer dishes from all over Asia like noodles, curries and a large variety of sushi. The service is very friendly and prices are, I would say, medium.

If you are the mood for Italian, one of the most respected and raved about Italian place on Sodermalm is called Lo Scudetto. People travel into town from the suburbs to eat here. It is located in the eastern part of Sodermalm, on Asogatan 163, and offers a greatly varied menu with both classics and unfamiliar dishes. The interior is cozy with a slightly fiftyish ambiance with black and white photographs on the walls combined with proper white table cloths. An excellent wine list accompanies the menu and I would really recommend choosing something from their collection of Toscana wines. Service is friendly, knowledgeable and helpful.

If you really are a food connoisseur and do not mind spending a little more to receive that special experience, Gondolen (the Gondola) is the place to go. The place is looks like a giant catwalk that sits thirty three meters up above the rooftops right next to the water between Sodermalm and the northern districts. Visitors who travel here in the summer want to take the elevator from the base to the roof where you sit outside and get served grilled dishes while taking in the magnificent view of Stockholm in all directions. Take the stairs down to enter the core of the restaurant and wonder over the impressive a la carte menu. The prices are even higher than the place itself so backpackers may be content with a beer or two in the bar.

If you feel adventurous and want to a Swedish culinary experience, KB is the choice. This place, located on Smalandsgatan 7, opened its doors in the thirties and has not changed much since. The clientèle is a mix of artists (some of whose paintings decorate the walls), journalists and culture buffs. The setting wonderfully intimate but at the same time professional with a classic Swedish menu consisting of fish, different cuts of meat and different desserts. Try the crème brûlée with rose hip, it’s to die for.

Stockholm - Sweden

2007-09-17T01:31:00.000-07:00

Stockholm is sometimes referred to as the capital of Scandinavia. People who travel there should know it really is not, but it is a worthy endearment none the less. Located on islands with water all around it is a beautiful place both in winter and summer. This article will cover the general areas of Stockholm and in later ones I will go more in depth considering hotels, restaurants and the like.

Stockholm carries a long history, much of which is much clouded. It was founded in the thirteenth century and the word Stockholm actually means Log Islet because many of the old buildings have a foundation of poles to carry the structures.

The Old City is located on a lake right between the northern and southern city areas. This Old City area has some of the oldest buildings and cobblestone streets dating back to the thirteenth century. This is also the home of the Swedish Royal palace but those who travel here need not knock on the door as the royalties do not live here anymore. The narrow alleyways are crowded with tourists during the summer where there are a lot of gift shops, cafés and restaurants. If you travel here around Christmas be sure not to miss the cosy atmosphere at the Christmas market which takes place during December in Stortorget.

Just south of the Old City is the city district of Sodermalm which is also an island and is connected to other parts by several bridges. This used to be an agricultural area before the seventeenth century with mostly working class houses. It has nowadays become known not as a slum but a chique and fashionable place for entertainment and to live with its wide range of cafés, restaurants and bars. If you travel here try to spend at least a day here walking down Gotgatan from north to south or vice versa and enjoy the sites. The magnificent view of the Stockholm skyline from the rocky high part of northern Sodermalm should not to be missed.

The north western city district is an island called Kungsholmen or The King’s Islet in English. The area is well known for its many restaurants and shopping and a new shopping mall called Vastermalmsgallerian was recently built to further attract people to the area. Several bridges connect Kungsholmen with western suburbs as well as the royal residence further our in the archipelago. If you travel here make sure you visit the south shoreline facing Sodermalm which is a popular walking area with beautiful views. The city park Rolambshovsparken host many concerts and activities during the summer and is also the stationary place for Swedes to celebrate the few successes that the National football team has.

East of Kungsholmen is one large land area which consists of three city districts. Vasastaden has beautiful parks like Vasaparken and Observatorielunden. The hub of Vasastaden is a square called Odenplan, named after the mythological god Oden. From here you can travel by bus anywhere.

Adjacent to Vasastaden is Norrmalm. The lower part of Norrmalm is considered the city centre or downtown and the upper parts are more residential. In the fifties and sixties many houses were torn down to make the area more modern. You can easily tell which buildings are the newer and older ones.

Ostermalm is east of Norrmalm and is considered the posh area of Stockholm. It has many high standard clubs and fancy shopping areas. Housing here is very expensive, although prices have recently gone up all over Stockholm.

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2007-09-17T01:30:00.001-07:00

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Manhattan, New York City - USA

2007-08-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

New York - the city that never sleeps: the Big Apple. The city with many names is a popular travel destination for many people from all around the world. With its over eight million people spread over a relatively small area – New York City is the most densely populated metropolitan area of the United States - there are many things to see and do here. In this article I will try to cover the parts of Manhattan that I visited when I was there the last time.

New York City is located on the south eastern part of the state of New York and stretches out in a peninsula into the East River. It consists of five boroughs which are Manhattan, Queens, The Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island. There are three major airports around the city; JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airport. I would recommend people who travel here to flag down a cab from all airports into town except for Newark which is located about forty five minutes away. For those more economically inclined there are of course trains and subways from JFK and LaGuardia as well.

On the southern tip of Manhattan the financial district is located and close by are the remnants of the Twin Towers. The city has arranged a form of memorial here, with pictures from nine eleven showing firemen, police officers and civilians in the moment of the attacks. In other words: a place for thought and prayer. Travel south and you will reach the financial district with some of the city’s most famous landmarks like Wall Street, the New York Stock Exchange among others. This place is great in the evening with the architectural buildings beautifully lit up.

Follow the central street of Broadway north and after fifteen minutes or so you will end up outside City Hall. Here the city government along with the governor reside and is definitely worth a look. Most who travel here do not know that New York actually was the capital between seventeen eighty nine and seventeen ninety.

Continue north about ten minutes until you come to the intersection with Canal Street. You are now in street vendor Mecca. I can not recommend buying anything here, but it is fun to just browse around. If you choose travel east here you will end up in Chinatown, a place I will cover in future articles.

On your travel northwards, follow Canal Street west and the north again on Sixth Avenue and you will stumble upon my favourite area of New York City, namely Greenwich Village. Here the lower buildings, cosy restaurants and bars and diversity of stores and hotels make for a grand experience. Take Bleecker Street east and treat yourself to some food. May I recommend Italian and some whine as usual?

Bleecker ends up on Broadway once more so follow it there and make north once again until you arrive in Union Square. This place is noted for its impressive statue of George Washington. If you are lucky you will catch some street performers here playing music or doing rollerblades and the like. A nice travel pit stop for café latte.

This was the first part of the New York article series for people who want to travel here. In the next article I will continue northwards and give you some more tips on bars and shopping.

Rome - Italy

2007-08-25T00:54:00.000-07:00

A lot of people from all around the world travel to the old city of Rome every year. The city is always described in many ways, different ways depending on who you are and what your interests happen to be. First and foremost, Rome is a city deeply reminiscent of ancient, elder days of greatness.

Literally everywhere you, go old traces of the ancient civilization are forever present, traces of a long gone kingdom of vast importance and magnitude. It blends in with modern Rome, forming a unique relationship together. Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance and many more styles appear like layers between then and now. A modern apartment house can be attached to a medieval church which is next to a cylinder-shaped antique temple.

A good tip for tourists to start is the Capitolum which is situated on a hill. The Capitolum was the equivalence of ancient Athens’s Acropolis. People used to come here to pray the Gods in the Temple of Jupiter. Today, the Capitolum is dominated by Michelangelo’s city plan from the 16^th century. Proceed down the steps to an area of broken and worn down pillars and mounds of stone. This was the ancient downtown - Forum Romanum - the prototype for a modern city.

Bordering Forum Romanum is perhaps Rome’s most famous figure of architecture, the Colosseum. This was the home of the gladiator-games and stood ready on 80 BC. Not only an architectural masterpiece, but also a well built arena that housed over 55 000 people, three time more than hockey night in Madison Square garden. Take a walk on both levels and admire the view in the summertime, side by side with many other tourists who have decided to travel to Rome.

Just a stone thrown The Ancient temple of Pantheon (meaning Temple of all the Gods), which later became a church, is always a beautiful sight as the sun goes sets over it in the afternoon. It is still used and is one of the best preserved of all the old Roman buildings, and perhaps the best preserved building of its age in the world. The perfectly round hole in the centre of the temple’s ceiling is designed so that it never rains inside, quite an achievement being it was finished in 125 AD.

Further along the way, The Baths of Caracalla is very intriguing. They were Roman public baths, called thermae, the ruins of which have become a popular tourist attraction.

Rome also has many lovely squares and other art treasures from different ages. Piazza Navone is an elongated square which gets very busy at night. The edges of the square are full of restaurants in different price ranges. This is a perfect place to spend and evening with a nice Italian meal together with some whine watching the people bustle around the beautiful fountains.

For all you honeymooners out there who decide to travel to Rome, a good travel tip is Piazza di Trevi at night. The beautiful fountain is lit up by lights and the stone benches in front of the fountain is a perfect place to end your night with another bottle of whine on the way beck to the hotel (depending on where you live of course).

Paris - France

2007-08-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

The history of Paris is a very exciting on and many people choose to travel here every year. The city started out as a Celtic market place and has during the centuries been bombarded, besieged, invaded and haunted by robbers and plagues. Today, however, Paris is a large world metropolis with over nine million inhabitants.

The most beautiful city in the world can at times be difficult to understand. The twenty city districts (called arrondissement) are arranged in a swivel-like pattern from the islands on the Seine River outwards in numbered sequence. Once upon a time, Paris could also be divided between the southern and northern river beaches. The southern port was the place for red whine, bohemians and Latin quarters. On the northern there was Chanel dresses, champagne and the Arc de Triomphe.

Today’s Latin quarters are chique hangarounds for students and other younger crowds, but also an excellent area for romantic walks among book salesmen and ice cream vendors. If you travel here, a good tip is to keep your eyes peeled for classic and cosy Paris restaurants on narrow side streets. Sometimes the best ones are the hardest to find.

Paris most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower, is located in the seventh district. It towers majestically from the Champ de Mars, a large public green-space. If the weather is right, a good idea is to walk here right along River Seine. It’s easy to find as well because of its height of 1,063 ft. The tower is named after its designer, Gustave Eiffel and was built in 1887. Be prepared to stand in line for a while with other tourists who have chosen to travel here, as the tower had nearly seven million visitors in 2006. If you are planning on visiting the Tower, a good tip is to come early, when the lines are only half the size they'll be later in the day.

If your legs are up for it, take a walk downtown along the river. After about thirty minutes you will spot the Louvre Museum on the other side. This has to be the most famous and visited museums and art galleries in the world, the oldest and largest as well. You could spend several days in here if you are a real art buff, but most people come to see Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa (which most people say is a lot smaller than they expected), and to see for themselves the scenes from The Da Vinci Code. Why not prepare and bring a bottle of whine and some sandwiches and have a nice bite on one of the benches in the wonderful square in front of the buildings?

Looking further down river you will spot and island in the middle, the Ile de la Cité. There are actually two islands, another behind the other. On Ile de la Cité stands the church of Notre Dame, famous from the Victor Hugo novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The cathedral is also regarded a historical world monument by the United Nations. The inside of the church shows magnificent architecture and breaths history and greatness. The tour up and down the stairs to see the gargoyles and the huge church bell is a must if your travel arrangements bring you here.

Amsterdam - Netherlands

2007-08-24T02:01:00.000-07:00

If you decide to travel Europe for a while, be sure not to miss Amsterdam. Contrary to many believes, it is not only Red Light District and stoner coffee shops that make the city what it is – there are many cultural, romantic and historical aspects to the city as well.

The good thing about Amsterdam is the general ambiance of the place. The city part of town is very compact and laid back and all major streets are separated by canals which are ever present throughout the city. The canals also mean that the major part of town is spared from heavy traffic and you can easily (albeit thirty-five to forty-five minutes from north to south) walk everywhere. Somewhat complicated is the way the streets are arranged. They follow the canals in a kind of pentagonal way, which will most likely get first time visitors lost. It's a good tip to make sure you bring a good map with you when you travel here.

Transport to and from Schiphol airport is first-rate and convenient. The train station connected to the airport has a train leaving for Centraal Station every twenty, thirty minutes or so. Originating almost right outside of Centraal Station is the street Damrak, which can be considered the main avenue of Amsterdam. Here you will find a tourist information centre, bars and restaurants targeted mostly at other tourists who have chosen to travel here, and more business oriented hotels. Parades and demonstrations are usually held here as well which can be an interesting site sometimes. Damrak takes you straight towards the heart of the city, and it’s a big heart.

Damrak ends up in Dam Square which is busy day and night with both locals and tourists. Located here is the glorious Royal Palace (Koninklijk Palace). The king and queen are usually not at home anymore, however, as the palace is mainly used for official receptions and banquets nowadays. Another interesting port of call in the square is Madame Tussauds, the world famous wax museum.

If you make it eastward from here, you will eventually end up in the infamous Red Light District. Here, religion and conscience is left at the door and prostitutes, sex shops, peep shows and strip clubs are of abundance. This part of town has its own history; dating back to the sixteenth century when Amsterdam was a major port for world trade and sailors needed to distract themselves before they would travel further. Contrary to popular beliefs, the Red Light District is actually the safest part of Amsterdam; just keep your wallet in a safe place. It is usually very busy and overcrowded with tourists and as always opportunists are afoot.

If you continue south you will end up in Rembrandt Plein. This is a great centre for nightlife with bars, clubs and cafés. If you are young and travel alone, the grassy area in the middle is a good place to meet other young people on sunny days.

Make your way westward and you will find yet another busy nightlife square, Leidseplein. It has plenty cinemas, theatres, coffee-shops, restaurants and clubs. If you travel here during the summer, enjoy a drink or two in one of the many pubs’ outdoor seating. This place is usually busy until the early hours.