"Stockholm: City of Thousand Islands " a Stockholm Travel Page by Pieter11

I went to Stockholm in the summer of 2005, not knowing what to expect at all. I knew Stockholm has a lot of islands, and water of course and I had the feeling that the city had something that makes it different from other European cities. After the four days in Stockholm in August 2005, I know what this different thing is. Stockholm is not only a European city, most of all it is Scandinavian. The difference? The city is organised, it is calm, the beautiful nature is very close and you can clearly smell the difference in the air: fresh and clean.

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Stockholm has a long history with heroic battle, brave heroes and mighty kings. All these things influenced the looks of the city and they still do at this moment. Because the old centre was only built with bricks and not with wood, the houses still look the same as they did long ago. This makes the centre of Stockholm to a great place to see some great culture. Some of my favorite places:

Royal Palace : This building at Gamla Stan has been a centre of the Royal Family for centuries. Inside you can still see the oldest parts from the time that it still was a fortress.

Cityhall of Kungsholmen : A great design at a great position in the city. Looking at it is a beautiful sight, looking out from its high clocktower is possibly even more beautiful.

Alleys of Gamla Stan : The best thing though about the old city centre of Stockholm are definitely its many, narrow alleys. If you take a walk on Gamla Stan or Riddarsholmen, you will see lots of these picturesque places.

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The very special thing about Stockholm, that makes it completely different from a lot of other European capitals, is the fact that the beautiful Scandinavian nature is always close, no matter where you are in the city.

Skargarden : The most beautiful attraction during a visit to Stockholm to me is the archipelago. A unique area with thousands of islands in all kinds. Easy to reach from the city centre and a completely different world!

Djurgarden : The familypark Skansen at Djurgarden may be a cultivated area, but still the natural things you can see inside the park are beautiful. Very nice landscapes, with tall trees and quiet streams, and an impressive collection of Scandinavian animals!

Water : What makes Stockholm so special is the enormous amount of water in the centre. Everywhere in the city you can see islands surrounded by water that is so clean that even in the very centre of Stockholm you can still see people fishing.

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