Northbound

[gdlamberth]

I see we have the same bitrthday, 10 August. We're arriving on Seven Seas Voyager on 15 August at Stadsgadren 167.My understanding is that this is on the island of Sodermalm, correct? Is this down at or near the Viking Line Terminal? You've said in an earlier post that the Stadsgarden docks are within walking distance of Gamla Stan. About how far? 800-1000m? That's my guess look at a "not to scale" map.

Thanks,
Greg

[north-bound]

Hi Greg,

How nice that we have the same birthday. Where are you when we will be celebrating? For me it's 65 this year, and I will be in Stockholm on that day, having dinner at one of our best restaurants with my kids.

You are correct about Södermalm, and it looks like you will be just beside the Viking terminal. However, when I measure the distance on my map it appears to be a bit further from the Old Town, around 1800 meters.

I will have to think a bit more about it. when I say something is within walking distance. I am a walking person and will usually walk to most places within the inner city from where I live on Södermalm. Usually I consider it walking distance for me if it is less than 1 hour, which will take me around 6000 meters. Even if I know when I post that most people don't want to walk like that, I may still underestimate the distances.

I do hope you will have a great day in Stockholm.

[gdlamberth]

I'll spend my birthday packing for our cruise and (with a little luck) be eating Sushi with my wife and kids in Tucson for dinner. It'll be my 54th. The day we're in Stockholm (15 August) is my son's birthday and we arrive back in Copenhagen for our 27th anniversary! August is a celebrating month for us.

Anything less than 3 or 4 km we regard as an easy walk (neighborhood and terrain permitting).

I just want to add my thanks to several others on this board for all the help you've been with the Baltic trips of so many people.

One more question, please. Is it reasonable to take a bus from Gamla Stan (probably from the train station?) to VASA/Skansen? We were thinking of a bus one way and boat the other.
Greg

[north-bound]

To take the boat one way and a bus the other makes sense. But there is no bus directly from Gamla Stan to Vasa/Skansen. And I am not quite sure what you mean by the train station. The Stockholm Central where the trains stop is not in Gamla Stan, but within walking distance northwest. From there you can take bus 47 the museums.

Are you perhaps looking at the underground stations? There is one in the Old Town and one at Slussen, where Södermalm meets Gamla Stan. Slussen means the lock, and down under all the traffic there is a small lock where boats can pass from Lake Mälaren into the Baltic Sea. From there you can take the underground to the central station to catch the bus, if you don’t want to walk. Near Slussen is also where you take, or get off, from the boat to the museums.

But I understand that you are also easy with walking so I have a suggestion for you. When you get back to Slussen on your way back to the ship, and if you still have some time, you will find an elevator there (Katarinahissen) that can take you up on Södermalm. This part of Stockholm is on a cliff, so when you walk from the ship to get to Gamla Stan you will be walking along the quay with a lot of traffic, beside a cliff wall. Take the elevator up and enjoy the view of the city from above. You can walk in from the elevator to Mosebacke Torg, a nice quiet square. To the left of the square is an area with old houses and cobblestone streets.

If you still have time you can get back an alternative way along the edge of the cliff. If you walk on in direction towards the east you should reach Katarinavägen, a traffic street coming up from Slussen. There are steps to get down to this street, which you cross, and stairs again to get up on the other side to Fjällgatan. This is a well kept and charming 19th century street with a nice view of Stockholm. At the end of Fjällgatan, turn down Erstagatan, and then take Folkungagatan to the left. Soon you will be down, near the Viking terminal.

I know this is a little bit tricky, and you may have to ask the way here or there. But Fjällgatan is one of the main sights in Stockholm, and this walk is not much longer than the one along the quay. But it is much more interesting.

Katarinahissen, the elevator, costs 5 kronor per person to get up, and 5 kronor again if you take it down too. There are stairs would you prefer to walk up or down, but I think the elevator is well worth the cost.

And thank you for the kind words. It makes me happy if what I post is of help to thoose visiting my country.

[Eken]

Hi!

I am new to these boards and just like North-bound, I live on Sodermalm, the southern island in Stockholm. I agree that Fjallgatan is a nice place to visit but it may be easier for you to find this street if you start your walk from the ship at the Viking Terminal, going up Folkungagatan and then turn right on Erstagatan and then onto Fjallgatan. Also, a parallel street located just above Fjallgatan is Stigbergsgatan. It has several quaint red little wooden houses from the 1700's that are quite different from the buildings on Fjallgatan (even though they are of the same age). Up on this hill is also where the gallows were located. On that lot the navigation school was built in 1907. Today its a nursing school. The building has a tower with a time ball on a mast on top of it (unfortunately it doesn't work).

There are wooden steps leading up from Fjallgatan directly to Stigbergsgatan and at the end of Stigbergsgatan (turning to the right on the street) there are other wooden steps leading down to Reinstiernas gata. Then walk Renstiernas gata to the right and walk down Katarinavagen towards Slussen. Just like North-bound suggested you can then take the ferry to Djurgarden where the museums are located. If you want to save time, take the ferry both ways. It only takes 5 minutes. Bus 47 is often crowded in the summer time so I prefer the boat. Just a small tip adding to the great information you have already received from my fellow Stockholmer.

Eken :)


[quote name='north-bound']To take the boat one way and a bus the other makes sense. But there is no bus directly from Gamla Stan to Vasa/Skansen. And I am not quite sure what you mean by the train station. The Stockholm Central where the trains stop is not in Gamla Stan, but within walking distance northwest. From there you can take bus 47 the museums.

Are you perhaps looking at the underground stations? There is one in the Old Town and one at Slussen, where Södermalm meets Gamla Stan. Slussen means the lock, and down under all the traffic there is a small lock where boats can pass from Lake Mälaren into the Baltic Sea. From there you can take the underground to the central station to catch the bus, if you don’t want to walk. Near Slussen is also where you take, or get off, from the boat to the museums.

But I understand that you are also easy with walking so I have a suggestion for you. When you get back to Slussen on your way back to the ship, and if you still have some time, you will find an elevator there (Katarinahissen) that can take you up on Södermalm. This part of Stockholm is on a cliff, so when you walk from the ship to get to Gamla Stan you will be walking along the quay with a lot of traffic, beside a cliff wall. Take the elevator up and enjoy the view of the city from above. You can walk in from the elevator to Mosebacke Torg, a nice quiet square. To the left of the square is an area with old houses and cobblestone streets.

If you still have time you can get back an alternative way along the edge of the cliff. If you walk on in direction towards the east you should reach Katarinavägen, a traffic street coming up from Slussen. There are steps to get down to this street, which you cross, and stairs again to get up on the other side to Fjällgatan. This is a well kept and charming 19th century street with a nice view of Stockholm. At the end of Fjällgatan, turn down Erstagatan, and then take Folkungagatan to the left. Soon you will be down, near the Viking terminal.

I know this is a little bit tricky, and you may have to ask the way here or there. But Fjällgatan is one of the main sights in Stockholm, and this walk is not much longer than the one along the quay. But it is much more interesting.

Katarinahissen, the elevator, costs 5 kronor per person to get up, and 5 kronor again if you take it down too. There are stairs would you prefer to walk up or down, but I think the elevator is well worth the cost.

And thank you for the kind words. It makes me happy if what I post is of help to thoose visiting my country.[/QUOTE]

[canyousayvacation]

Question for Eken and Northbound: We will be arriving on the Jewel of the Seas on August 25th. We are piecing together our sightseeing for the day. Do ferries run from Nybroplan to Djurgarden also? Also, how often do the ferries run from Slussen and Nybroplan? I have been trying to locate a ferry schedule on the interenet, but all I can find is a schedule for the European ferries. We are trying to see as much as possible, so I don't want to be sitting around for 30 minutes waiting on a ferry!

The information you provide on these boards are great! Thanks so much for taking the time to tell us about your country.

[aqua]

Would someone from Stockholm be kind and explain the floating finger to me? We were just in your beautiful city, but that work of art seemed a little out of place. Is it pointing to something???? Thanks!!!

[Eken]

[b]To Canyousayvacataion:[/b]

There are two major ferry companies in charge of the harbor and archipelago traffic in Stockholm: Waxholmsbolaget (their stacks are yellow and blue with a big black W) and Stromma Kanalbolaget (their stacks are black and red with a white anchor).

Waxholmsbolaget:
The ferries between Slussen and Djurgarden run every day around the year, in the summer every 5-10 minutes. The pris for a one way trip is SEK 25.

Waxholmsbolaget has a deal with SL, the public transport company, so if you have bought a SL Travel Card trips with this ferry are included. The 1 day-card costs SEK 95 for adults and SEK 55 for children and a 3-day card costs SEK 180 for adults and SEK 110 for children. You can buy the cards at the SL Center at Slussen. It gives you unlimited travel during 24 hrs or 78 hrs. A single trip inside the city is SEK 30 and the ticket is valid for only 1 hr so getting a card is a good deal.

There is also a Stockholm Card that can be used on the ferry. Besides free travel on the public transports it gives you free entrance to 75 museums (did you know we have that many?!). A 1 day card costs SEK 260 for adults and SEK 100 for children. There is also a 2 day card and a 3 day card. These are sold at SL Center at Slussen (right next to Stadsgarden). If your boat docks at Frihamnen you can but the Stockholm Card at Scandic Hotel Ariadne which is located in the harbor.

Stromma Kanalbolaget:
In the summer (every day from mid May to mid August and on weekends from April to September) there is also a ferry that runs from Nybroviken to Djurgarden, stopping at the Vasa Museum on the way. It runs every 20 minutes and the prices are:
SEK 60, roundtrip, adults
SEK 35, one way trip, adults
SEK 30, roundtrip, children
SEK 18, one way trip, children

I have checked with Stromma Kanalbolaget and you can use the SL Travel Card for this ferry but [u]NOT[/u] the Stockholm Card.

[b]To Aqua:[/b]

Who can explain art? I have read about the hand in the water in the newspaper some time ago but I don't remember the name of the artist or the hand's purpose. If I find ut, I will let you know, OK? Modern art is often a mystery. That's what makes it so much fun.

Eken :)

PS. Did you know that there are more than 24 000 islands in the Stockholm archipelago?

[aqua]

Thanks, Eken. I didn't know that there were over 24,000 islands, but we found all the ones that we saw to be beautiful. I would love to return to Stockholm!

[canyousayvacation]

Eken-

Thank you for all the information on the ferries! This is a great help in trying to plan our day in Stockholm. It sounds like a wonderful city and we want to enjoy as much of it as possible in the short time we have there. It is my understanding that we will dock at STADSGÅRDEN 167. We have already ordered our 24 hour Stockholm Card online, so we should be getting them in the mail soon.

Your help is greatly appreciated!