DESTINATION PORT
Our final stop, Stockholm, Sweden. And what a stop! This is by far my favorite port.
THE LOWDOWN
This city is majestic and charming- couldn’t get enough of Gamla Stan (the old town) with cobblestone streets and acre-colored buildings. You don’t need to take a cab to get to the city if you don’t mind the walk (30 mins). It’s quite far for some people but the scenic route is so worth it.
DON’T MISS
Stockholm’s Old Town, Gamla Stan, is stunningly beautiful, steeped in history with narrow streets and majestic buildings. We had a list of places that we wanted to see but given the limitation of time, we were not able to participate in most of those tours.
The Royal Swedish Palace was one of them. We were hoping to see the exceptionally beautiful rooms (several hundred) decorated in the Rococo Style. We got there a lot earlier than the open hour so we just hung outside the museum and around the area instead.
We also wanted to do the rooftop tour in Gamla Stan but it seemed dangerous for our kids so we decided not to join in on the fun with other folks.
While waiting for the palace to open we stopped by the Swedish Parliament but they were also closed. Luckily, the Nobel Museum was open and we were able to tour the inside housed with short movies and clips about the Nobel laureates as well as books written by the Nobel Prize for Literature winners. It was an awe-inspiring experience for us.
We did a lot of walking, eating, and drinking coffee most of the time and enjoyed every second of it. We didn’t have time to tour the Temppeliaukio (Rock Church), a one-of-a-kind Lutheran church that was built into a solid rock. Some passengers from the cruise did visit this place and told us how beautiful the church was with natural light pours in from the church’s glazed dome. The rough stone interiors would amplify the sound which makes this church a unique concert venue.
ORDER THIS
The Swedes love Licorice, especially if they are salty. We tried it. Our twins liked it but didn’t ask for seconds. I took a bite and that was that – I’ve never been into Licorice so just leave it at that but glad that I tried a local snack. We did try their cinnamon bun though and it was very delicious. Of course, we had to try the lingonberries with meatballs and the taste was exquisite. So if you want to try some local Swedish food here in the U.S I would highly recommend the restaurant in IKEA!
WHAT TO WEAR
The weather was beautiful in June – not too cold and not too hot. The mornings are a bit chilly so pack accordingly. However, it can get quite humid so stick with natural fibers like cotton or linen and you should be fine.
WHAT TO BUY
Scandinavian design is sleek and minimal from furniture to handbags. After all, this is the land of IKEA & H&M. The funny thing is that H&M (one of my favorite stores) was not even on my mind at the time. I was so mesmerized by the architecture of Gamla Stan that shopping was the furthest from my mind. Looking back in retrospect I should have bought some wool sweaters and socks because they’re not as pricey as here in the U.S.
We are so grateful to be able to visit these amazing countries in such a short period of time. If you have a family with small toddlers and want to see the world I highly recommend cruising. I felt like I had brought my nanny, chef, and housekeeper with me on this trip so that we could all enjoy our time without worrying about food, driving in a foreign country, or cleaning our rooms.
45 Comments
Never been to Sweden. Is it wrong I always thought it was freezing there 🙈🙈 love the pic. And you’re right up really makes me want to go 😊
I thought it was cold too but the weather in June was gorgeous!
We had swedish friends. But never visited them. I love buildings like that. Hope to see sweden soon.
Thanks for the motivation to travel to sweden.
You have to stop by when you have a chance!
Certainly beautiful! It would be a dream come true to visit this place. Just look at those architectural designs, wow, art and history in one.
Yep, the history and culture is so rich.
This looks like such an amazing place. That architecture is next level! I am so amazed!! Great photos
It’s an amazing place!
I’ve been many times to Stockholm and I absolutely love it! I think it’s a really beautiful city. Thank you for reminding me of the place with your positive photos. 🙂
Stockholm is one of my favorite cities to visit. I will definitely come back again.
I love your photos! I want to visit Stockholm now! What a grand time you must have had!
I love your photos! I want to visit Stockholm now! What a grand time you must have had!
ps – I notice you passed up the heels for walking shoes on this trip!
Thank you, Noel. I sure did! It wasn’t practical to wear heels and walk on cobblestone streets let alone walking from the port to the city for 30 to 40 minutes while carrying my kids’ jackets and water. Sometimes you just have to give up certain things to enjoy others 🙂
What a beautiful adventure , your pics. are Amazing !!
Thank you, Marc and Paula!
What a fun trip this looks to be. I think a cruise is the best way to travel to see new places. I’ve always wanted to visit here but haven’t made it yet. Your photos are the next best thing to being there.
Thank you, Terri. We had a blast!
Fabulous! Can’t wait to visit Stockholm one day. On a cruise would be a great way to do it!
You will love it!
Oh man, I would cruise just about ANYWHERE if it wasn’t for the cost. With a family of 6, the cruising options get trickier. But it looks like you guys had a great time and yes, I totally agree, the architecture and charm of Sweden is AMAZING!
We bought our cruise package with Costco Travel which saved us a lot of money.
Wow! I love the place <3 This is dream travel for me! and also I love photos of you!
Thank you, Maysz!
That place looks amazing and would be a great place to visit. Everywhere you look, every corner is so beautiful and Instagram worthy too.
Yep!
This sounds like an amazing and fabulous family bonding trip. I have never been to Sweden and did not know there such thing as salty licorice. Thanks for sharing this I will be thinking about this for our next trip. 👍🏼
We had a great time!
This place is so beautiful! I haven’t been yet, but we’ve been considering a family cruise either Baltic or Mediterranean. It would definitely be a cheaper, lower-stress way to pack in a lot of different sights.
The cruise is the way to go if you are traveling with little ones!
This place looks amazing! We have a 2.5-year-old and it’s so frustrating trying to travel with her if you can imagine lol. We’ve been talking about a cruise this fall/winter. I think it’d be the easiest on us all and like you said, it allows you to see more than one place in a short time span.
Cruising is great if you are traveling with kids. Make sure your check the youth program with them first since every cruise line is different.
This looks so gorgeous. If nothing else creates a desire to go overseas, this definitely can.
Thank you!
Dear Janise, what a wonderful trip you have had around the baltic sea. I love all of your posts, especially since this region is on my wish list. I had to hide a smile when reading about your liquorice experience. The Dutch love this as much as the Swedish do and I know from experience that hardly any tourists like it. Funny right, how almost a complete nation can love some food tremendously while the rest of the world seems to think: what’s the fuss about! (or even really don’t like it at all). Love, Lieske
Thank you, Lieske! I tried to like their Licorice but it’s just wasn’t my thing…
I am blaming myself for my long overdue vacation, this is a wonderful place to go to and you captured amazing photographs.
You have to go!!!
WOW! The cobblestone streets look so stunning. Their streets certainly look very clean too simply georgous 🙂
That city is extremely clean!!!
Wow, looks like every place you went to is picturesque. I love the subtle hues and the ambiance as a whole.
These places were dreamy…so I’m grateful to be able to travel there to enjoy them.
I liked your photos, I hope I can visit Stockholm one day.
I hope so too! Good luck!!!
OMG those pictures are breathtaking! Amazing job!
Thank you!