The National Museum in central Stockholm features some of Sweden’s most precious historical art. It is the premier Swedish museum for 16th to 20th century art.

Collections
The National Museum has several different collections. One of the more prominent Swedish painters, Carl Larsson, is represented with several famous paintings. Carl Larsson’s last major painting, Midvinterblot (Midwinter Sacrifice), decorates one of the museums walls. Paintings dating back as early as the 16th century leading all the way up to the start of the 20th century, can be found in the collections. The museums doesn’t only offer paintings but also craftsmanship in the form of furniture, jewelry, glass and silverware. Some of the most beautiful wooden furniture’s from the 16th and 17th century can be viewed here! The entire collection of the National Museum formidable and if art is something that interests you then a visit to the National Museum is a must.

Phpto: Ana Ulin

Permanent Exhibitions
Apart from the many objects from the general collection the museum also has two permanent exhibitions: The Modern Form (Den Moderna Formen) exhibition displaying iconic designs and shapes in their original form from 1917 to the present day. The exhibition has everything from concrete chairs to plastic telephones and many other objects in almost any material imaginable.
Form in Sweden (Formen i Sverige) exhibition which takes a look at how interior decorating was done in the period 1500 to 1740. It showcases many foreign imports which Sweden made during this period, like Chinese porcelain, Indian silk and American tobacco. A lot of beautifully decorated and timely pieces are on display allowing you to admire the time and effort the carpenters put in to their work.

Current Exhibition
It’s almost worth a trip to Stockholm in itself just to see the current exhibition, The Deluded Eye (Lura Ögat). The exhibition is all about tricking the eye with threedimensional painting. All of the 150 pieces that make out the exhibition are well worth viewing and will most likely have you confused and amazed. The aim of the exhibition is to blur the line between fiction and our percieved reality.
25 September 2008 to 11 January 2009

Coming Exhibitions
The Pre-Raphaelites (Prerafaeliterna) is an exhibition of English art which shocked contemporary society and still fascinate today. Instead of conforming to the current idea of what art was supposed to be, as dictated by the mid-19th century, the Pre-Raphaelites sought honesty and reflection upon society in their paintings. The painters took the name Pre-Raphaelites from their inspiration of the era before the Renaissance painter Raphael.
26 February 2009 to 24 May 2009
Hans Hammarskiöld – Profiler (Hans Hammarskiöld – Profiles) is an upcoming exhibition of profile photographies shot by Hans Hammarskiöld, one of the biggest names in Swedish photography history. The photographies will be depicting royalty, culturally important persons and his own family, although the objects will be exclusively Swedish. The exhibition will be free and shown in the Gravyrgallery on the entry floor.
15 January 2009 to 30 August 2009

Entry Fee
Free admission with the Stockholm Card.
Full price is 100 SEK
Reduced price is 80 SEK
The reduced price is granted to students, senior citizens and groups of 15 or more.

Opening Hours
1 June to 1 August:

• Monday closed
• Tuesday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday-Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

1 September to 31 May:

• Monday closed
• Tuesday & Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday & Friday-Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Getting To
The National Museum is located at Blasieholmen. The best way to reach the museum is to take the Stockholm subway to Kungsträdgården and then walking about 400 meters along the beautiful dockside.

Visit The National Museums homepage for more information: www.nationalmuseum.se

The Royal Armoury (Livrustkammaren) is Sweden’s oldest museum, founded by Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden in 1628, the same year the Vasa sunk. The museum itself hosts Royal artefacts, including the crown jewels, and clothing from the Kings, Queens which have resided in and around Sweden’s throne throughout the ages.

The Collection
The Royal Armoury features many famous pieces in its collection such as the clothing ranging from Charles XII’s muddy clothing from Fredriksten’s Castle where he fell in 1718 to richly decorated saddles and weapons. The museum even offers a view at stuffed horses in the lower level exhibition of Royal carriages.

Guided Tours
Tours are available, offering easily understandable and interesting facts about Sweden’s Royal Family and Court through the ages and the stories behind the artefacts and museum pieces on display. It is possible to book special tours if you’re interested in just an area of the museum, for example armours or clothing.

Current Exhibition
From November 23, 2007 the Royal Armoury has an exhibition on War-booty, collected during Stormaktstiden, or the “Age of Greatness” during which Sweden was a major European power. As war-booty was a legitimate part of war during this era most of the booty has remained in swedish hands, and the most interesting of which is now available on display for the visitor.

The museum is open:
Sept-April Tuesday-Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm & Thursdays 11 am to 8 pm
May Daily 11 am to 5 pm
Jun-Aug Daily 11 am to 5 pm
Closed 18/3, Midsummers Eve, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day

Prices and Admission:
Prices are 60 SEK for 19 years or older.
Admission is free for children 0-18 years of age.

Getting to the museum
The museum itself is located in the Royal Palace in Old Town with entrence from Slottsbacken 3.
The nearest communication is the subway station Gamla Stan and there is also a carpark nearby in Skeppsbron and an underground parking facility at Slottsbacken 6 by the Royal Coin Cabinet.

Because of its central location the Royal Armoury is easily accessible and has access to Stockholm City hotels, such as the Grand Hotel Stockholm, and Stockholm’s many restaurants and shops.

For more information, please see The Royal Armoury’s Official website.

Photo by: Nick Lott

The Vasa Museum offers its visitors the oppurtunity to view the actual ship with their own eyes. The Vasa sunk during her maiden voyage out of the Stockholm harbour area when a gust of wind tilted here such that water was allowed in to her lower gun ports due to serious design flaw. She was raised 333 years later and now resides inside the museum named after itself.

When you visit the Vasa Museum you will have the chance to take a guided tour which will offer exciting insight into the life of 15th century sailors, the construction of the ship, the views of the king on the navy and the reasons as to why she sunk. You will also be able to walk around inside the museum yourself and view the many displays and monitors which cover the Vasa and her sorroundings.

After being raised the Vasa has been in constant conservation. The Vasa has remained in the condition she is in thanks to the protection from the toxicated waters of Stockholms ström which killed many of the organisms which usually eat away at sunken ships, and later, after being raised, by being sprayed with polyethylene glycol. The warship continues to reside in a humid environment inside of the museum. In the spring of 2009 a new exhibition in the museum will open, allowing you to observe how the ship is being continually perserved as the effort continues on this longterm project.

Being a warship, the Vasa had a total of 48 cannons. All of the cannons went down with the ship. Some were salvaged during the 17th century using diving bells while others can be seen on display inside of the museum today!

When you’ve experienced the Vasa museum and seen the warship in all its might you can swing by the museum shop and buy a souvenier cannon, a model of the Vasa or perhaps some glass ornaments and vases.

As the museum is located in central Stockholm several hotels are available nearby, including Grand Hotel Stockholm. It also offers easy access to the Stockholm subway and Stockholm City with its many restaurants and shops.

The Vasa Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from September 1 to May 31 and 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. from June 1 to August 31. The Vasa Museum is closed December 23-25 and January 1.

Price and admission:
Entrence fee is 95 SEK per adult
50 SEK for students with valid ID showing expiration date
Free for children (ages 0-18)

For more information, please view the Vasa Museum website.

Skansen, located on the central island of Djurgården in Stockholm, is the oldest out-door museum in the world and is Stockholm’s premier zoological park, sporting an impressive array of animals and all of Sweden’s most beloved celebratory holliday events including Midsummer 2009, Sweden’s National Day the 6th of June and the annual Christmas celebrations!

The Zoo
Perfect for the family, Skansen’s animals are viewable throughout the day and include,
Brown Bears, Sweden’s biggest predator, weighing up to 350 kg.
Eagle Owls, the largest and heaviest of all of Europe’s owls.
Foxes, a native predator in the Swedish forests, with keen hearing and sight.
Wolves, the wilder relative of domestic dogs, alive and hunting in packs and bringing down large animals like elks.

Events and Restaurants
These and many more exciting and wonderous animals are on display in Skansen’s many habitats. As well as these animals Skansen also hosts events, including “Allsång på Skansen”, a popular music program recorded on the big stage and broadcast on SVT 1 during the summer. And if your company gets hungry Skansen offers 5 different restaurants to choose from with everything from salted herrings to classical Swedish Husmanskost.

Admission fee and opening hours
Skansen offers seasonal admissinon fees. On average you can expect to pay 100 sek per adult and 50 sek per child. Groups of 10 adults or more get a slight discount. Being an outdoor zoo, Skansen is open every day of the year except for Christmas’ Eve. During the summer (20/6-31/8) opening hours range from 10:00 in the morning to 22:00 in the evening. The rest of the year you can expect opening hours of 10:00 in the morning to 16:00 in the evening.

A map of Skansen with all of the habitats and houses listed can be found here. Skansen’s official website can be found here. Have a lovely visit!