Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
a week for four people - for more information on prices, contact the tourist office in Stockholm. For summer stays, you'll
need to book well in advance - at least six months before - or you may well find that you've been pipped to the post by
holidaying Swedes. It's important to remember that there are very few restaurants in the archipelago and opening times
fluctuate. It's a much wiser idea to buy some provisions and go self-catering.
GRINDA
Grinda Wärdshus
Södra Brygga
T
08 542 494 91,
W
grindawardshus.se.
Youth hostel, hotel and cabin
accommodation on the south coast, east of the southern
jetty. The hostel and cabins close Nov-April but the hotel
stays open all year and
can be
wonderfully peaceful out of
season. Hostel double
600kr
; hotel double wit
h priva
te
facilities and breakfast
900kr
; two-person cabin
1000kr
SANDHAMN
Sandhamns Värdshus
Main village
T
08 571 530 51,
W
sandhamns-vardshus.se.
An agreeable bed-and-
breakfast establishment housed in an attractive timber
building by the shore, also serving excellent seafood.
Contrary to the S
wedish norm, p
rices rise here in summer
and at weekends.
1290kr/990kr
Seglarhotellet
Main village
T
08 574 504 00,
W
sandhamn.com.
An exclusive and rather swanky hotel,
catering for wealthy yachties and serving excellent
seafood; some of the rooms have desirable balconies
overlooking the
sea. S
elf-catering
apartm
ents also
available. Doubles
2390kr
, apartments
2590kr
2
GÄLLNÖ
Youth hostel
Gällnöby
T
08 571 661 17,
W
gallno.se.
This idyllic STF hostel is surrounded by low-hanging trees
and a pretty garden. The track leading to it is well
signposted f
rom th
e tiny m
ain vill
age. Open mid-May to
Sept. Dorms
200kr
, doubles
400kr
UTÖ
Youth hostel
Gruvbryggan, near where the ferry docks
T
08 504 203 00,
W
utovardshus.se.
This comfortable
hostel has three elegant wooden verandas overlooking the
sea and has t
wo se
lf-caterin
g kitch
ens on site. Open May-
Sept. Dorms
350kr
, doubles
700kr
FINNHAMN
Youth hostel
Finnhamns brygga
T
08 542 462 12,
W
finnhamn.se.
Another STF gem, this one is set in a
dramatically located yellow building complete with
waterfront sauna, an
d perch
ed on ro
cks look
ing out to sea.
Open all year. Dorms
275kr
, doubles
550kr
Around Lake Mälaren
Freshwater
Lake Mälaren
dominates the countryside west of Stockholm, and provides
the backdrop to some of the capital region's most appealing day-trip destinations. Boats
sail frequently to
Drottingholm
, home to the Swedish royal family, as well as pretty
Mariefred
, an enchanting little town on the lake's southern shore with a magnificent
castle. Sweden's main settlement during the ninth and tenth centuries,
Birka
, an island
in Mälaren accessed by boat from Stockholm, is great for anyone interested in Sweden's
stirring Viking past. The main city on the lake is
Västerås
, a modern and thoroughly
enjoyable place with good sandy beaches and some impressive Viking remains, too.
Drottningholm
Palace
April & Oct Sat & Sun 11am-3.30pm; May-Aug daily 11am-4.30pm; Sept daily 11am-3.30pm; Nov-March Sat & Sun
noon-3.30pm • 80kr, 120kr including the Kina slott
Kina slott
May-Aug daily 11am-4.30pm; Sept noon-3.30pm; 70kr, 120kr including
the Palace •
W
royalcourt.se
Even if your time in Stockholm is limited, try to see the architecturally harmonious
royal palace of
Drottningholm
. Beautifully located on the shores of leafy
Lovön
, an
island 11km west of the centre and less than an hour away,
Drottningholm
is
perhaps the greatest achievement of the two architects
Tessin
, father and son. Work
began in 1662 on the orders of King Karl X's widow, Eleonora, with Tessin the
Elder modelling the new palace in a thoroughly French style - giving rise to the
stock comparisons with Versailles. Apart from anything else, it's considerably
smaller than its French contemporary, utilizing false perspective and trompe l'oeil to
bolster the elegant, though rather narrow, interior. On Tessin the Elder's death in
