Scandinavian Discovery - Stockholm Sweden 16/7

Friday 16^th July

Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm - is the capital and the largest city of Sweden. It is the site of the national Swedish  Government, the Riksdag, (parliament), and the official residence of the Swedish Monarch as well as the Prime Minister. Since 1980, the monarch has resided at Drottningholm Palace outside of Stockholm and uses the Royal Palace of Stockholm as his workplace and official residence. The Stockholm metropolitan area is home to approximately 22% of Sweden's population, Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden with a population of 841,612 in the municipality, 1.25 million in the urban area, and 2 million in the metropolitan area.

Founded circa 1250, Stockholm has long been one of Sweden's cultural, media, political, and economic centers. Its strategic location on 14 islands on the south-central east coast of Sweden at the mouth of Lake Mälaren, by the Stockholm archipelago, has been historically important. Stockholm is known for its beauty, its buildings and architecture, its abundant clean and open water, and its many parks. It is sometimes referred to as Venice of the North. Stockholm is the second most visited city in the Nordic countries after Copenhagen, with around one million international visitors. Stockholm is also known as the "Summer Night City", after its most famous residents', ABBA, song about the town.

Gränna

Gränna is known for its red and white polkagris (literally "polka pig" in Swedish) stick candy, also known as peppermint rock. This was first made by the widow Amalia Eriksson in 1859.

Vadstena

The city of Vadstena is noted for two important artefacts of Swedish history: it was in Vadstena, in 1350, that Saint Bridget of Sweden, founded the first monastery of her Bridgettine Order; and Vadstena Castle is one of Sweden’s best-preserved castles from the era of Gustav Vasa in the 16th century. Today the surviving buildings of the monastery are occupied by a hotel: the Vadstena Klosterhotel, and the castle houses the provincial archives, and a museum of 16th and 17th century furniture, portraits and paintings.

The Journey

Travelling along Lake Vattern we come to Granna, a short stop at the local candy factory, continuing our journey towards Vadstena where we shall stop for lunch. In the afternoon we leave Lake Vattern and travel beside the Gota Canal, our afternoon stop is at the Berg Locks, near Linnkoping. Rejoining the motorway for the final part of the day to Stockholm, arriving at our Hotel for the next 3 nights, The First Amaranten.