The impression of having arrived in a territory of Northern Europe arose immediately, since the Arlanda Express, the high-speed yellow train that connects the international airport to Stockholm in just 20 minutes, was the first indication of what in the collective imagination can be defined as "Nordic efficiency": in addition to having contemporary and perfectly clean interiors and being precise as a Swiss clock, it drew electricity from completely renewable sources. 

Once we arrived at the central station, we crossed the modern center, full of beautiful shops of any style and kind, and reached the hotel, chosen near the St. Johannes Park, close to the city center.

Stockholm is wonderful for getting lost and photographing its unmistakable Nordic style in many areas of the city, but one above all, Gamla Stan, an ancient city district of medieval origin, deserves the utmost attention.

Here we were surprised, while we were walking in the cobbled alleys, by the pastel colors of the stone buildings that stand side by side, which together with the lights and Christmas decorations gave back an atmosphere that is difficult to describe. Gamla Stan is also home to the royal palace, the Swedish parliament and the cathedral.

Once the evening arrives, it is enough to move a little away from the central island to see the reflections of the architectural lines of the city plunge into the brackish water together with the cold lights of the myriad signs, which in concert return an incredible spectacle for the eyes, to be strictly contemplated in silence.

To end the visit of this surprising and lively capital, we dedicated a total day to the royal palace, the town hall and the splendid Vasa Museum.

Royal palace

The royal palace, called Kungliga Slottet, was built in the Baroque style. The works began in 1697, following a serious fire that destroyed the previous structure, and ended in 1754. The palace, residence of the Swedish royals, externally has a very simple Baroque style, while its interiors are Rococo: this happened because King Karl XII left the architect Tessin the Younger carte blanche. The sumptuous rooms form an intricate labyrinth embellished with antique furnishings and large tapestries. Absolutely to visit are the throne room, and in the outer courtyard the famous changing of the guard. 

City hall

The town hall, called Stadhuset in Swedish, is another of the most characteristic buildings in the capital. Its grandiose form in red brick, of romantic conception, is visible from almost all areas of the city. To visit the interiors of the famous blue hall and the golden hall (which features an immense mosaic of rare beauty), it is necessary to enter from an entrance after crossing a beautiful courtyard.

Vasa museum

The Vasa Museum Vasa can certainly be counted among the most particular museums on the planet, since inside it houses a perfectly preserved 17th century royal galleon.
This warship, built at the behest of Gustav II, sank because at the time, not yet knowing well the formulas that governed the buoyancy, it would have had to proceed with experimentation the addiction of technical changes, such as the use of the heavy artillery on double battery deck (just like the Vasa had them). This technical introduction led to serious errors on the balance of the ship that caused her to sink during her maiden voyage in 1628, a few hundred meters from the moorings.

After 3 centuries, in 1961, it was brought to light together with the approximately 14,000 finds it contained. Its conservation was miraculous, since the ship, sinking into a muddy bottom inhospitable to marine worms, was only minimally affected by them. The multi-storey museum, with the infamous ship in the center, reconstructs the past history, recovery and conservation of the Vasa ship with obsessive care. As in a gigantic puzzle, each of its pieces was examined, disassembled, restored, treated and finally reassembled. His conservative study engaged researchers from all over the world for decades, and the technologies used served to innovate many relevant scientific fields.