Gamla Stan, Stockholm, Saturday May 22

Saturday was a beautiful warm and sunny day – perfect for our 8 hour walking tour. From our hotel we wondered along the pedestrian pathways and crossed over into Gamla Stan. Gamla Stan is the oldest part of Stockholm, where some of the old walls date back to the 13th Century. Most of Gamla Stan is a maze of narrow, cobble stone streets lined with 17th and 18th Century buildings.

We started the tour at the Royal Palace to watch the parade of the guards. Based on the size of the crowd, many others had a similar plan. The Royal Palace was completed in 1754. We were able to view the State Apartments, dating back to the 1690s, and the Royal Treasury which housed historic crowns and swords. Unfortunately, much of the palace was closed to the public due to preparations for the Royal wedding in June.

We ended the day with a visit to the Riddarholmen Church, the oldest remaining building, dating back to 1290. This is where much of the Swedish Royal families have been buried.

We can confirm that Sweden is expensive. For whatever reason, a dish at dinner is 3 times more expensive than the same dish at lunch, and the taxes are hefty. Taxes range between 25% and 37%, depending on what you buy.