Written by Satu
25 Jul 2016
Few days ago a friend from Holland message me on Facebook and told me that she and her husband is in Stockholm. “We visited spots in the city, now we want something only a locals know. Can you walk with us?” I am not sure I considered as a local but it’s a tempting challenge. Do I know a place only a locals know? My thought went to many places labelled as “not in the guide book” in my mind. The cemetery Skogskyrkogården, the forest of Bagarmossen, and so on. When she told me that they don’t have transport card, the list got filtered again. Out of nowhere, my thought went “Dude, you know beautiful spot in the end of Kastellholmen. That is within walking distance”
moreMy personal definition of Skeppsholmen is “museum island” because there does not seems to be any house or some people living on it, instead it is some museums and small castle.
Getting there
The best way would be by feet. It is only 2 km from the central station. There are a lot of beautiful place you will pass, like Kungsträgården, Drottninggatan the busiest street in Stockholm, the beautiful Strömbron bridge. If you have a valid transportation card, then you can also board a public boat from Gamla Stan or Djurgården and get off at Skeppsholmen.
af Chapman
The word “Skepp” itself is a Swedish word for “Ship”. One reason is probably because when you enter the island you will see this big white boat that used to be a sailing boat in the old time. Now it served as a youth hostel and restaurants. I think af Chapman also become the icon of Skeppsholmen. If you walk in the side of Gamla Stan, you can see the white boat is the biggest landmark in Skeppsholmen.
Museums and other features
The island host the famous Modernamuseet (Museum of modern art), architectural museum, and Östasiatiska Museet (East-Asian museum). Other than the museum, there are also Admiralty House and Royal Swedish Naval Academy. The garden space in this island also decorated with kid’s playground, benches and some nice café and restaurants.
In the end of Skeppsholmen you will see a bridge connecting the island to smaller island called Kastellholmen. There is Skridskopaviljongen, a conference center that shaped a bit like church. Then there is this beautiful small red castle in the end of Kastellholmen.
My favorite seating spots
The first one is in the end of Kastellholmen, the side that is facing Gröna Lund (the amusement park). There are no bench around but the rocky surface is good enough to sit and chat with friends. The swede also use this spot to enjoy the sun while having a small picnic. You can see rollercoasters and some other ride in Gröna Lund and often hear people screaming too. The public boat going here and there is also a nice addition to the scenery. And since the sunset will be behind you, you will get a reddish color in the sky in front of you, plus the moon rising.
Second spot is this small bridge between Skeppsholmen and Kastellholmen. I guess the reason the government provide many benches in this spot is the same reason I have: it is a nice place to see the sun goes down. Not directly in the center, but some degree on the side, which is good for some strong red color. Not to mention the hilly side of Södermalm, the water, and the cruise ship decorating the scenery.
Best time to go
As for the season, it will be in the summer, obviously. But autumn is great too, as the trees will be colorful addition to the blue sky. As for the daily time, I would say couple hours before sun down is perfect for a nice walk and end up sitting in one of the two spots I mentioned.
Tell me your opinion if you have checked out that spot 🙂
