"Stockholm - Venice of the North" a Stockholm Travel Page by Elena77

The traditional idea of Stockholm being nothing more than a small, rural capital of a cold country in the far North of Europe is incorrect and antiquated. The city has got a rich cultural heritage and has become a dynamic, lively European metropolis. Stockholm is surrounded by the clean waters of lake Mälaren and the Saltsjön and huge areas of unspoilt nature, incomparable to any other European capital. 750 years of history have created a huge number of fascinating buildings, busy squares, water routes, bars and restaurants and museums full of magnificent art treasures. The city's allure is matchless and almost impossible to describe.

There are many, often contradictory, legends about the founding of Stockholm. But the prevalent opinion is that first settlements at this site were established in order to control the water routes. The site that later should become Stockholm was first mentioned by the Icelandic writer Snorre Sturlasson (1178-1241) as being a barrier of stakes that he called "Stocksundet". Snorre also mentioned a fortification tower right at the place where today you can find the Royal Palace. The medieval Erik-chronicle teaches us that the 1st ruler of Stockholm, Birger Jarl, built a fortress at around 1250 to protect lake Mälaren from plundering pirates. Stockholm has first been mentioned in a document of the year 1252 and already in 1289 it was known as the biggest town of the realm. Between the 13th and the 17th century Stockholm played an important part in the overseas trade of the Hanseatic League.

I've been to Stockholm twice. 1st time I've been stopping here for a day on my way to Sandviken where I visited some friends. It was February, it was extremely cold and the city must have been in the middle of a snow storm. So these weather conditions made proper sight seeing nearly impossible. But gladly I decided to give the city a 2nd chance. ;) We went there again in late September and have been incredibly lucky with the weather. We've been able to catch up on all the sight seeing we missed on our 1st visit and found out that Stockholm is an amazingly interesting and fascinating place. I've very much enjoyed Gamla Stan and Riddarholmen, also the harbour of Nybroviken, the Historiska Museet, Sjätte Tunnan medieval restaurant, the ancient churches, ... I will definitely try to visit Stockholm again as soon as possible!