Essentials: Stockholm
Five facts about Stockholm that will surprise you
1) The Stockholm Metro is an amazing way to get around the city, and it’s maybe the world’s longest art gallery. You can find paintings, sculptures, and mosaics by more than 150 artists in over 90 stations. At the Kungsträdgården station, for example, you can admire some fascinating archaeological excavations. And at T-centralen, the main station, you’ll find some beautiful wall reliefs from the 1950s.

2) For Dancing Queens and Kings! A museum in Stockholm pays tribute to the most successful Swedish pop export of all time: the quartet ABBA, whose hits such as “Waterloo” and “Dancing Queen” still get every party going today. The ABBA Museum itself is a great place for afterwork parties, or karaoke and disco nights. Mamma Mia!
3) The Vasa is like the Swedish Titanic, only 300 years earlier. With its 64 cannons, the ship was the pride of the Swedish fleet, but sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 after just a few minutes and a distance of only 1,300 meters. Some 328 years later, the ship was rediscovered and salvaged. As it was in excellent condition, it was even given its own museum in Stockholm. Incidentally, this is just a few minutes’ walk from the ABBA Museum.

4) One of the great pleasures of living in Sweden is the tradition that’s known as fika. This is something like the Swedish version of British afternoon tea. However, it usually involves coffee and a pastry such as the traditional cinnamon bun, known here as a kanelbulle. Many companies in Stockholm offer their employees sweet treats in the afternoon.
5) I like to move it, move it: Since July 2023, dancing has once more been allowed in Swedish pubs, restaurants, and bars. For a long time, this was only officially permitted with a special license, and if people spontaneously began to swing their hips, the operators actually had to intervene (even if most of them didn’t). Now that this bizarre regulation has been abolished, the motto is, to quote ABBA: “You can dance, you can jive. Having the time of your life.”

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