People don't talk about Stockholm the way they talk about other European cities, like Paris, the alluring City of Love, or timeless Rome, dubbed the Eternal City. I had to look up what Stockholm's nickname was; turns out, it's the Venice of the North. Venice of the North, however, has been given to several European cities with canals, including Amsterdam. Is Stockholm not special enough to claim it's own charming nickname? I've never been to Paris, Rome, or any other European city, so I can't say for sure. But my time in Stockholm was so magical that I feel it is a highly underrated European gem.
Traveling to Stockholm, Sweden
Why did I choose Stockholm to travel to over all of the other wonderful destinations in the world? Because Stockholm is the home of one of my closest friends, as well as one of the most generous, as she proved when she invited me and two other mutual friends to come stay with her in Sweden for two weeks during the summer. It was an amazing opportunity that came straight out of my wildest dreams; a trip to Europe seemed farther away every summer that my family said, "Eh, maybe next year."
We landed in Stockholm at 9 am Swedish time, but our body clocks thought it was 1 am, and time to crash into bed. You can imagine how that first day went; dragging feet, mumbling words, and almost falling asleep at the dinner table. But the effects of being awake for 24 hours were numbed by the extraordinary excitement of being in a new country.
Stockholm was a little chillier than I had expected for late July - early August. The temperature hovered in the high 60's for the majority of our time there, but it was a welcome change from the sweltering Virginia summers where I live. Running in the cool Stockholm weather was amazing. My friend Sarah and I went on several runs in the Djurgården park, and even spotted a glimpse of the Swedish princess!
One of my favorite things we did in Stockholm was just shopping and exploring the gorgeous city. It's odd and wonderful to see popular, modern stores on old cobblestone streets. We took a trip to Gamla Stan as well, a charming part of Stockholm that everyone should go to if they ever visit the city. There will be more posts to come about my favorite sights and attractions in Stockholm, but I just wanted to share in this post how enjoyable my time there was, and that I think it is definitely a city worth your time.
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