Helenas guidebok
Sightseeing
We go to Vaxholm seevetal times a year. It takes about 40-45 min from our place.
Vaxholm is a cute little town with little boutiques and nice cafés. It is also the best place for people north of the city to catch the ferry to the archipelago.
When we visit Vaxholm, we usually stroll down the main street and enjoy the old houses and typical Swedish archipelago flair. Sometimes we buy an ice cream in the harbour, from where you see the Vaxholm Kastell (or fortress), which used to be an important defense from attacks on Stockholm. You can catch the boat across and visit the fortress, now a museum.
We usually stroll from the harbour down the little streets along the shoreline to the small beach.
After that we always finish off with the highlight of our visit: the cafe called Vaxholm Hembygdsgårds Café. Its garden is surrounded by water on two sides, and the cake buffet is heaven.
145 Einheimische empfehlen
Vaxholm
We go to Vaxholm seevetal times a year. It takes about 40-45 min from our place.
Vaxholm is a cute little town with little boutiques and nice cafés. It is also the best place for people north of the city to catch the ferry to the archipelago.
When we visit Vaxholm, we usually stroll down the main street and enjoy the old houses and typical Swedish archipelago flair. Sometimes we buy an ice cream in the harbour, from where you see the Vaxholm Kastell (or fortress), which used to be an important defense from attacks on Stockholm. You can catch the boat across and visit the fortress, now a museum.
We usually stroll from the harbour down the little streets along the shoreline to the small beach.
After that we always finish off with the highlight of our visit: the cafe called Vaxholm Hembygdsgårds Café. Its garden is surrounded by water on two sides, and the cake buffet is heaven.
Stockholm Archipelago is a very unique place to visit, with its thousands of large and small islands, red little cottages and big luxurious summerhouses from the turn of the last century.
You can catch the ferry from Vaxholm to a large number of different islands. There are two companies who take you out there: Vaxholmsbolaget and Cinderella. You buy the tickets onboard and hand them to the steward when you get off. Make sure to state your destination when you get on to double check you’re on the right boat.
Apart from the boat ride itself, which is truly an experience (make sure to get a seat outside), we enjoy these islands:
- Grinda, where you can visit a farm and see the animals, go to the sandy beach next to the farm or the “cliff beach” up in the north. You can have lunch at the big beautiful inn, or the smaller café.
- Möja, large green island, beautiful for a hike and swimming
- Sandhamn, further out, but super cute with more of a village, a few different restaurants, a large hotel and a nice sandy beach on the far side of the island (walking distance)
- Utö (but this you reach by driving to Strömma and catching the boat from there). Nice village and lovely scenery!
37 Einheimische empfehlen
Stockholm archipelago
Stockholm Archipelago is a very unique place to visit, with its thousands of large and small islands, red little cottages and big luxurious summerhouses from the turn of the last century.
You can catch the ferry from Vaxholm to a large number of different islands. There are two companies who take you out there: Vaxholmsbolaget and Cinderella. You buy the tickets onboard and hand them to the steward when you get off. Make sure to state your destination when you get on to double check you’re on the right boat.
Apart from the boat ride itself, which is truly an experience (make sure to get a seat outside), we enjoy these islands:
- Grinda, where you can visit a farm and see the animals, go to the sandy beach next to the farm or the “cliff beach” up in the north. You can have lunch at the big beautiful inn, or the smaller café.
- Möja, large green island, beautiful for a hike and swimming
- Sandhamn, further out, but super cute with more of a village, a few different restaurants, a large hotel and a nice sandy beach on the far side of the island (walking distance)
- Utö (but this you reach by driving to Strömma and catching the boat from there). Nice village and lovely scenery!
This is Sweden’s oldest city and is about the same size today as it was when it was founded in the 10th century.
Take a stroll down the main street (see picture) and pop into the many cute stores, go to a cafe (Tant Brun is a favorite) or have lunch at the hotel by the end of the street, and go down to the shores of Mälaren fire waffles or an ice cream and some mini golf.
There are plenty of historical sites to see in Sigtuna. Make sure to read up online on Sigtuna’s history, and visit the Information in the square to find out where to go and what to see. Always dragging kids along, we haven’t done this part for a while, but I remember rune stones, church and convent ruins and much more.
49 Einheimische empfehlen
Sigtuna
This is Sweden’s oldest city and is about the same size today as it was when it was founded in the 10th century.
Take a stroll down the main street (see picture) and pop into the many cute stores, go to a cafe (Tant Brun is a favorite) or have lunch at the hotel by the end of the street, and go down to the shores of Mälaren fire waffles or an ice cream and some mini golf.
There are plenty of historical sites to see in Sigtuna. Make sure to read up online on Sigtuna’s history, and visit the Information in the square to find out where to go and what to see. Always dragging kids along, we haven’t done this part for a while, but I remember rune stones, church and convent ruins and much more.
Carl von Linné was a Swedish botanist who formed the modern system for naming organisms. All plants and animals have a latin name and are classified in families and groups according to Linné’s system.
When he was not traveling Sweden and Europe, he spent his summers in this house, which is now a beautiful museum. The house is a very well preserved rural 18th century building and the garden has been kept in the same way as it was back then.
The site is 40 min from our place and can be combined with a trip to Uppsala or to the Kings mounds outside of Uppsala.
9 Einheimische empfehlen
Linnaeus' Hammarby
Danmarks-HammarbyCarl von Linné was a Swedish botanist who formed the modern system for naming organisms. All plants and animals have a latin name and are classified in families and groups according to Linné’s system.
When he was not traveling Sweden and Europe, he spent his summers in this house, which is now a beautiful museum. The house is a very well preserved rural 18th century building and the garden has been kept in the same way as it was back then.
The site is 40 min from our place and can be combined with a trip to Uppsala or to the Kings mounds outside of Uppsala.
Carl Gustaf Wrangel’s castle on the shores of Lake Mälaren
Here at Skokloster, Carl Gustaf Wrangel (1613-1676) – potentate and big spender – and his wife Anna Margareta von Haugwitz (1622-1673), created a splendid stately home. They were European aristocracy, and endeavoured to understand the world by collecting art and antiques as well as specimens from nature. The apartments are home to remarkable collections of paintings as well as furniture, textiles and silver and glass tableware.
One of the most famous paintings is the 16th century Vertumnus by Italian master Giuseppe Arcimboldo. It pictures the face of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II as the Roman God of the Seasons, using fruits and vegetables. The painting was taken as war-booty from Prague in 17th century.
The castle armoury and library are particularly noteworthy. They are a veritable "Kunst und Wunderkammer", and house Wrangel's collections of weapons and books, enriched and enlarged by other 17th and 18th century aristocratic bequests, such as those by Carl Gustaf Bielke.
Wrangel stocked the armoury with a medley of arms and armour, and curiousities - exotic animals and Indian objets from the New World, America. The armoury contains the largest collection of personal 17th century military weapons in the world. Mostly muskets and pistols, but also swords - including Japanese samurai swords - small cannons, pikes and crossbows. The weapons collection also includes various exotic items such as a 16th century Eskimo canoe, snake skins and others. The original architect´s scale model of the castle, which the Wrangels commissioned, is also here.
From Holland the Wrangels commissioned shiny gilt leather hangings for the state apartments and tools for the exclusive lathe workshop. Maps and travellers’ accounts of faraway places were purchased for the library. The rooftops of the castle’s octagonal towers were decorated with models of the universe – armillary spheres.
17 Einheimische empfehlen
Schloss Skokloster
Carl Gustaf Wrangel’s castle on the shores of Lake Mälaren
Here at Skokloster, Carl Gustaf Wrangel (1613-1676) – potentate and big spender – and his wife Anna Margareta von Haugwitz (1622-1673), created a splendid stately home. They were European aristocracy, and endeavoured to understand the world by collecting art and antiques as well as specimens from nature. The apartments are home to remarkable collections of paintings as well as furniture, textiles and silver and glass tableware.
One of the most famous paintings is the 16th century Vertumnus by Italian master Giuseppe Arcimboldo. It pictures the face of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II as the Roman God of the Seasons, using fruits and vegetables. The painting was taken as war-booty from Prague in 17th century.
The castle armoury and library are particularly noteworthy. They are a veritable "Kunst und Wunderkammer", and house Wrangel's collections of weapons and books, enriched and enlarged by other 17th and 18th century aristocratic bequests, such as those by Carl Gustaf Bielke.
Wrangel stocked the armoury with a medley of arms and armour, and curiousities - exotic animals and Indian objets from the New World, America. The armoury contains the largest collection of personal 17th century military weapons in the world. Mostly muskets and pistols, but also swords - including Japanese samurai swords - small cannons, pikes and crossbows. The weapons collection also includes various exotic items such as a 16th century Eskimo canoe, snake skins and others. The original architect´s scale model of the castle, which the Wrangels commissioned, is also here.
From Holland the Wrangels commissioned shiny gilt leather hangings for the state apartments and tools for the exclusive lathe workshop. Maps and travellers’ accounts of faraway places were purchased for the library. The rooftops of the castle’s octagonal towers were decorated with models of the universe – armillary spheres.
A sight for those of you interested in history. This is a peculiar site with several big mounds from the iron age. A couple of them have been excavated and showed they are graves, lenely from the kings of Uppsala from that time.
You can walk up to the top of a few of the mounds.
The Old Uppsala Museum next to the mounds is well worth visiting.
Uppsala Kungshögarna
A sight for those of you interested in history. This is a peculiar site with several big mounds from the iron age. A couple of them have been excavated and showed they are graves, lenely from the kings of Uppsala from that time.
You can walk up to the top of a few of the mounds.
The Old Uppsala Museum next to the mounds is well worth visiting.