Stockholm and the Vasa
Coming into Stockholm
It is a wondrous thing to sail into Stockholm. The Swedish capital encompasses several peninsulas and l4 islands, and is a sailor's paradise. The harbor opens into an archipelago of 24,000 islands and islets. The city itself is over 700 years old and is quite simply one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I want to return and spend more time in this sparkling jewel, and indeed all of Sweden. If pressed to name my favorite port of call on this cruise, it would be Stockholm. We chose two tours to try to make the most of our time. The first was Panoramic Stockholm and the Vasa Museum. On our way to the museum, we stopped at Fjallgetan, a tiny street lined with charming historical wooden houses that offers a magnificent view of the city. Our next stop was at Blasieholmen for a look at the Royal Palace, and then to Sergel Torgs, the focal point of the city center. We passed by the city hall where the Nobel Prize banquet is held each year. Our guide said the banquet is held in the red room that was actually painted blue (or was it the blue room that was actually painted red?).
Stockholm City Hall
The centerpiece of this tour is the Vasa Museum. The Vasa was built in 1628. King Gustav wanted the biggest and best warship in the world, and he got it. Against the advice of many learned shipbuilders, the king ordered more guns, more sails, more of everything (the original ship had 700 sculptures as part of its decoration). The warnings became stronger: she's too top-heavy, there's not enough ballast, there are too many guns, she will capsize, but the answer to all the warnings was, "The king wishes it so." On August 10, 1628, the Vasa was launched. She had gone less than a mile when a gust of wind caught her sails and, in front of thousands of horrified onlookers, the Vasa slowly capsized and sank almost immediately to the bottom of Stockholm harbor, all in 27 minutes.
The Baltic Sea is the world's largest brackish-water sea. There were times when the passage to the North Sea was wider and the Baltic had a greater saline level, but at other times it was an inland sweet water lake completely cut off from the North Sea. Close to the shoreline, the salt content is a mere 0,3 percent. Thanks to the brackish water, old shipwrecks are well preserved on this sea bed. Such was the case with the Vasa. The ship was salvaged in 1961, and the feat was considered an engineering triumph. On board were found more than 4,000 coins. carpenter's tools, sailor's pants, and many other items of archeological interest. Best of all, 97 percent of the ship's 700 sculptures were recovered. These were carefully restored and are now back on board. The ship looks stunning with its grotesque faces, lion masks. fish-shaped bodies, and other carvings, some still covered with the original paint and gilt. I could go on and on about this museum built around a ship, but time and space do not permit. Go to Stockholm and see it for yourself. Or go to www.vasamuseet.se and take a look at a marvel.
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The centerpiece of this tour is the Vasa Museum. The Vasa was built in 1628. King Gustav wanted the biggest and best warship in the world, and he got it. Against the advice of many learned shipbuilders, the king ordered more guns, more sails, more of everything (the original ship had 700 sculptures as part of its decoration). The warnings became stronger: she's too top-heavy, there's not enough ballast, there are too many guns, she will capsize, but the answer to all the warnings was, "The king wishes it so." On August 10, 1628, the Vasa was launched. She had gone less than a mile when a gust of wind caught her sails and, in front of thousands of horrified onlookers, the Vasa slowly capsized and sank almost immediately to the bottom of Stockholm harbor, all in 27 minutes.
The Baltic Sea is the world's largest brackish-water sea. There were times when the passage to the North Sea was wider and the Baltic had a greater saline level, but at other times it was an inland sweet water lake completely cut off from the North Sea. Close to the shoreline, the salt content is a mere 0,3 percent. Thanks to the brackish water, old shipwrecks are well preserved on this sea bed. Such was the case with the Vasa. The ship was salvaged in 1961, and the feat was considered an engineering triumph. On board were found more than 4,000 coins. carpenter's tools, sailor's pants, and many other items of archeological interest. Best of all, 97 percent of the ship's 700 sculptures were recovered. These were carefully restored and are now back on board. The ship looks stunning with its grotesque faces, lion masks. fish-shaped bodies, and other carvings, some still covered with the original paint and gilt. I could go on and on about this museum built around a ship, but time and space do not permit. Go to Stockholm and see it for yourself. Or go to www.vasamuseet.se and take a look at a marvel.
Click Here
Return To The Index