I took a trip to Stockholm a while back and was very impressed with what I discovered. Stockholm is among the cleanest capital cities in the world. One of its most distinctive features in the ubiquity of water. This “floating city” is built on 14 islands connected by more than 50 bridges between the Baltic Sea to the east and Lake Mälaren to the west. The beautiful buildings, the greenery, the fresh air and the proximity to the Baltic Sea are all distinctive attributes that appealed to me about this nearly 700 year-old Swedish city. My mid-November journey began at the Baltimore Washington International Airport aboard a United Airlines Airbus A320 aircraft bound for Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. After a two-hour flight, we arrived into Terminal One at about 4:45 in the afternoon and I was connecting to a Scandinavian Airlines flight that departed at 7:45 in the evening. All international flights from Chicago depart from Terminal 5 and finding my way there was easy, thanks to the Airport Transit System, the free service that transports passengers to and from the airport terminals.
With some time to spare, I headed straight for the SAS Lounge located by Gates M19-20. Like all the lounges at O’Hare’s International Terminal, it’s way too small occupying just 2,000 square feet with seating for 117 guests. This lounge was renovated in 2017, and features brand-standard SAS decor, similar to what you’d find at the carrier’s lounges in Scandinavia, which is to say its design is very minimalist and modern in appearance. While SAS officially left the Star Alliance on September 1 and joined that of Sky Team, which is anchored by Delta Air Lines, at the time of my visit it played host to its own passengers as well as those traveling in Business Class on other Star Alliance airlines like Air India, Asiana, Austrian, EVA Air, Swissair, TAP Air Portugal, and Turkish Airlines. This lounge is essentially one big room and every seat was taken when I arrived in the late afternoon, which was understandable but a big disappointment nevertheless. I'm fond of visiting airline lounges, but I also expect to find a seat and enjoy some quiet time in which to relax or get some work done before a flight. The SAS Lounge didn’t offer either and so I decided to simply wander around the terminal before boarding my flight.
The carrier was operating this flight to Copenhagen on an Airbus A330-300 and I settled into seat 2A on the port side of the aircraft. This SAS aircraft contained 32 Business Class seats spread across eight rows in a 1-2-1 staggered configuration. Once onboard, I enjoyed a glass of Piper Heidsieck Brut Champagne as a pre-departure beverage and, soon after takeoff, cocktail orders were taken and served with warmed cashews. Dinner was next and tray tables were set with linens and flatware. SAS gave us a choice between three appetizers and four different entrée dishes. The service was excellent and I was pleased to note there were no trays used in the cabin: everything was served by the plate. This type of service has disappeared from Business Class on almost all airlines, especially on transatlantic flights, and is even becoming more rare in First Class. Another bonus was the free Wi-fi for passengers in the forward cabin. Following the meal, I selected the “bed mode” option on the seat controls and grabbed a few hours of well-deserved sleep before we landed the next morning at Copenhagen’s Kastrup International Airport. Following a brief 90-minute layover, I flew on SAS Connect aboard an Airbus A320 aircraft arriving at Stockhom’s Arlanda International Airport at approximately 2:00 PM.
Customs and Immigration procedures were speedy and orderly and I was in a taxi en route to my hotel about 30 minutes after touching down. Landing in the mid-afternoon proved to be beneficial in that traffic into town was light and we arrived at the Courtyard Stockholm Kungsholmen Hotel in less than 45 minutes. This four-star contemporary hotel in the city center is part of the Marriott portfolio and features 282 rooms and suites throughout its 11 floors. I checked into one of the 300 square foot corner rooms with a king-sized bed, a separate sitting area and large windows giving me an excellent view of Rålambshov Park. The property features a 24-hour fitness center and sauna as well as Soth’s Kitchen, a favorite among local residents, which serves international cuisine and welcomes guests for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This upscale hotel, close to the Stockholm City Hall and a short walk to public transportation, proved to be a good choice for me when selecting a hotel during this trip to Scandinavia.
When business was concluded, I took some time to visit the sights, which were not disappointing. Several miles east of my hotel was Gamla Stan, the historic heart of Stockholm that certainly looks the part. Wandering the cobblestone streets, I was treated to no end of classic, colorful scenery and enjoyed some aimless exploring here before honing in on the region’s landmark attractions. At the heart of Gamla Stan lies the city’s oldest square, Stortorget. It’s here that one finds the boldly-colored buildings for which the city is so famous. Dominating one side of Stortorget is the grand Stockholm Stock Exchange Building, which today hosts the city’s Nobel Prize Museum. Inside the museum, visitors learn all about the Nobel Prize and the incredible people who have been awarded it throughout history. Exhibits here feature a range of artifacts and photographs, including items donated by Nobel Laureates themselves. The museum also makes a great effort to highlight the founder of the award, Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemist, inventor, engineer and businessman. He is known for inventing dynamite as well as having bequeathed his fortune to establish the prestigious prize.
Right next door to the Nobel Prize Museum was the next stop on my itinerary, the Stockholm Cathedral. Known as Storkyrkan, the church was built in the Thirteenth Century and is the oldest in the city. Originally a Catholic church, it's now a place of worship for the Church of Sweden. At first glance, the exterior looked quite plain, but once inside, I was met with a wonderful Brick Gothic interior. The Cathedral’s most prized feature is its evocative wooden statue of Saint George and the Dragon, which also houses several saintly relics, including one said to be from Saint George himself.
The island of Gamla Stan is also home to the Royal Palace, the official residence of the Swedish Royal Family and the setting for most of the monarchy's official receptions. It’s a combination of royal residence, workplace and cultural-historical monument. One of Europe’s largest palaces, it was built in the Baroque style in 1697 by the architect Nicodemus Tessin and is formed as a Roman palace. It contains more than 600 rooms divided between eleven floors with a state apartment facing the city and smaller living rooms facing the inner courtyard. I spent an entire afternoon here as the palace contains so many interesting things to see. In addition to the Royal Apartments there are three museums steeped in regal history. The firsts is the Treasury that features the monarchy’s most important symbols, the State Regalia of crowns and swords, which are kept in dark cellar vaults, The second is Tre Kronor Museum that portrays the palace's medieval history and the last is Gustav III's Museum of Antiquities, which is one of Europe’s oldest museums and features his outstanding collection of sculptures.
There’s so much more to see and do in Stockholm, the largest city in Scandinavia and one of the most beautiful in Europe. I hope to have an opportunity to return in the not too distant future.
Until next time…safe travels.
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