Boat-Sightseeing-Tour in the Centre of the City

With the tourist boat through the waters of the city

In order to cancel the bonus of our Stockholm card as early in the day as possible - a trip with a tourist boat is also free - we made an appointment at 08.30 a.m. in front of the entrance of our hostel. The plan worked, although we stayed up to 03.00 a.m. in the in-house cellar. There, beside a hi-fi unit, we also found some burned CDs in a draw and with some Pils, we rapidly made our own party. Our landlord previously allowed us to smoke in one room of his boiler cellar, a thing that, in case of a stay of more than 5 minutes with two or more persons, would have certainly led to an agonizing asphyxia.

Thus, we stood at the mentioned morning of today at 08.30 a.m. in front of the door and first looked for a small breakfast coffee bar that was only approximately 50 metres further in the same alleway. For an equivalence of 2,50 euro, we got there a topped baguette and a large cup of coffee. Three of those - and the day could start.

During the last days, we already passed a couple of times the offset of the sightseeing boat that is located right in front of the Royal Castle. But as approximately 200 persons fit in such a barge and a seat at the window makes more sense as one in the 8th row of the gangway, we had to be at least half an hour before the start there; We already had observed this. Once we finally got our seats close to the window, it took not much to get started.

But it also did not take much time until all the windows were fogged. If those who were sitting at the windows did not eagerly wipe so much, the people who sat in the middle would not have seen anything; After we left the well known places between Skeppsholmen, the National Museum at the edge of the city centre Norrmalm and the Royal Palace that we already some days ago, it got better.

At first, we saw the tiny island Kastellholmen on which a beautiful castle soars above that was built in the year 1848. The island is communicated by a bridge with the neighboured island Skeppsholmen that also accommodates some historical buildings. Then, the 50-minutes-trip led us further around the island Djurgarden that transmitted some very unusual impressions of the city to us.

While on the island, a part of the green lung of Stockholm passed us by, the eyes fell to the other side to the gorgeos streets at the water that are built after the Champs-Elysées of Paris. Thereby, the further the boat removed from the centre, the more casual the construction became and the more pompous it became on the island. The villas of publishing house - bosses and big industrialists dominate here the picture in certain intervals, embeded in landscapes similar to parks and of course situated at the water. But during this trip it specially became apparent how many waterways actually divide the city, as at the wide extended branches, some completely new vistas and perspectives opened up.

But on the way, there were also funny things to see as for example a female dog-walker, who had a walk amidst a sea of small and big dogs together with a colleague, or two industrial cranes that were arranged with giraffe-patterns and giraffe-heads made a very likable impression. In total, it was a nice start into a day of which it was not quite certain how it should be continued. Anyhow, the sky was clowdy and grey and it was supposed to rain , but we still had some big plans as we did not want to miss Skansen.

After our return we looked for the next bus stop and went again to Djurgarden, where Skansen expands over a surface of 300.000 square metres. The special thing is that the park has more than 150 original housings of the last 400 years that were transported form all areas of Skandinavia and rebuilt there.

There is a copied city of the 19th century and numerus small and large buildings that embed into the hilly landscape. In the summer months, the historical life is reproduced here by people wearing costumes and imitating the former daily life. In this concern, the animal park should be specially interesting for children, where approximately 300 animals of almost Skandinavian origin do live.

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Author: Ingo Schmidt; Copyright: Patrick Wagner, www.tourist-guide.biz