Stockholm – The Land of Museums !

I know Sweden for Alfred Nobel, the famous scientist. Alfred is known popularly for the Nobel prizes but very few know that he was the inventor of Dynamites. Legends have it, that Alfred did not want to be remembered by people as a creator of something so destructive hence he left enormous money in his will to be given as Nobel prizes to people who contribute to the mankind in a significant way. Nobel prizes are given for the  subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature and Peace.

He succeeded in what he planned ! I am yet to find a person who knows Alfred for anything other than Nobel prizes !

On my way to Stockholm, I was more curious to visit his museum than see Stockholm itself ! And reality was no different than my expectations. Luckily we visited it on a Tuesday when you get a free access to the museum between 5 to 8 pm. Its a small but informative museum with video recordings of many achievers and nobel prize winners. I tried my best to understand them but I guess I am too young for them now. You can see Alfred’s personal belongings and most importantly his will. You can take part in the quizzes or follow the free guided tour by one of their staffs for better understanding.

No matter how much I enjoyed visiting Nobel museum it’s not the most visited one in Stockholm. Vasa Museet (or Vasa Museum) is the most widely visited museum of Scandinavia. Vasa was set to sail in 1628 and it sank on its maiden voyage within 1 km of its journey. The huge ship lay submerged in water for 333 years until it was again found in 1950. I have never seen a beautiful ship like Vasa more closely. It’s said that it was covered fully in gold. The three poles which can be seen from outside the museum, show the height of Vasa with its mast. To know more about Vasa please watch the film in the museum’s auditorium. Its available in almost all the European languages.

 

From a kid’s point of view there are more sightseeings in Sweden than any other country I have visited before. I absolutely loved the fairy tale inspired Junibacken which takes you on a magical journey in the story train. Tom tits experiments though quite far from the main city is worth a visit for all the children of my age and above.

 

When in Stockholm how can you not visit Gamla stan ? Easily accessible by metro and other transports, its a place to not miss. I have always heard from my parents that all the languages have their roots in Sanskrit and realised that the Swedish word Stan has been picked up from Sanskrit itself and it means ‘place’. Gamla Stan houses little souvenir shops from which we picked up things for my cousins. It’s a beautiful place to take a stroll on. We spent one entire day there shopping and indulging in Swedish delicacies.

 

Some Fun Facts about Sweden which I gathered while touring in Stockholm, can’t wait to share them with you all :

~ Sweden earlier included Norway and Denmark and it is still connected to Denmark with a bridge.

~ The world famous Volvo company is Swedish. In my home country I have spotted many Volvo buses but never knew they came from Sweden.

~ In Sweden people drink tap water. It’s as good as mineral water. People carry empty bottles and fill them up in restaurants or road side cafes. So don’t pay a penny to keep yourself hydrated.

and the most inspiring one …

~ Swedish people use garbage as a source of energy. Infact they recycle it so much that they run out of trash and have to buy it from foreign countries **please borrow it from us 😉

I enjoyed my every breath in Sweden. And I am also having a great time writing it down here and living it all again ! Please visit Sweden and share your thoughts with me.

 

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