Travel diary: Stockholm

Pizza at 18 | 89

Flowers at H&M home

Public market in Haymarket

Stockholm is home to some epic shopping including H&M, Weekday and Levi's. 

Spiral staircase surrounding the old iron elevator at Nobis Hotel 

Dinner at Nosh and Chow

Charming alleys in the Gamla Stan district

A peek inside the Royal Palace

A view of the Royal Palace

A building at Skansen, the world's oldest open-air museum

Skansen is home to many animals that are native to Sweden

I found (Dala) horses at Skansen!

And real ones, too 

Buildings were moved from all over Sweden to Skansen in order for locals and visitors to see how people from around the country lived 

A look at the ship Vasa inside the aptly named Vasa Museum 

A look inside my single Captain's room at the Victory Hotel

Charming shower tiles at the Victory Hotel

Major carpet envy at the Victory Hotel. I now need one for my house.

I travelled to Stockholm during the last week of January and, despite being sick with a gnarly cold, I loved it.

For me, four full days in the Swedish city were enough to get a nice taste of the major sights and attractions, while also leaving me wanting more. I'd happily go back, provided I had more time to visit some of the other Scandinavian countries because — the flight from Vancouver is LONG. (Like, 12 hours long!)

During my stay, I had the chance to try out two hotels, the posh Nobis Hotel and the kitschy Victory Hotel. Both were centrally located, had helpful staff and fabulous (with great free breakfasts!), but it was charming atmosphere at Victory that I favoured the most. Plus, it was super fun to stay in the old town neighbourhood of Gamla Stan, which has quant cobblestoned streets, souvenir shops, eateries and more.

For food, I mostly kept it casual, but I had two standout meals — dinner at Nosh and Chow and a pizza-and-wine experience at the surprisingly posh 1889. While Nosh and Chow boasted a delicious menu offering and a cool decor, I loved the upscale ambiance of 1889, and the prices were just right for my tight travel budget.

While in Stockholm, I took a boat cruise with Stromma, which I highly recommend doing. It was a great way to get to see the city from the water, while also learning more about Stockholm's history.

I'm not generally a huge museum person, but one place I knew I wanted to visit was the Vasa Museum, which is home to a 16th century ship that sank in the Stockholm Harbour and laid at the bottom of said harbour for more than 300 years before it was brought to the surface and restoration began. To say the sight of such a huge ship — made entirely of wood — was remarkable, would be an understatement.

It's a visit I would definitely recommend making.

I spent a lot of time walking here and there in the city, getting lost and finding my way around. It's my favourite way to see any new place. But, I did visit one other museum, which I would recommend, and that was Skansen.

Billed as the world's largest open-air museum, the multi-acre destination is like a love letter to Swedish culture, highlighting animals, architecture, history and more. Plus, there are some pretty cute fuzzy animals that call Skansen home.

I didn't do too much shopping while I was there, given the aforementioned tight budget and a depressing exchange rate, but I'd highly recommend strolling around and checking out the plethora of Scandinavian brands on offer. Vegabond, Weekday and Acne Studios are a few of my faves.

All in all, I'd definitely return. It was a city with endless sights, that was clean and safe and I felt comfortable in as a solo traveler. Oh, and I can easily say the rumours are true: I saw some of the best-looking, best-dressed people I've ever encountered there. ;)