It has been nicknamed the Venice of the North for many excellent reasons. The enchanting city of Stockholm is an elegant gem, 14 small islands situated where Lake Malar meets the Baltic Sea, replete with its broad streets, waterside parkland, pedestrian walkways and 50 bridges.
Guests sailing with Regent Seven Seas Cruises take in all this and more, including some of the most incredible architecture in the world. Imagine a mix of stately heritage formality and renowned modern design, which is an international symbol of simplicity, functionality and beauty. Let’s not forget that Stockholm has a pretty fashionable bohemian side, too. Here are some of Regent's complimentary shore excursions that send you right into its Scandinavian heart.
Accessible Stockholm and Vasa War Ship
This tour gives guests an abridged history lesson, moving deep into the heritage of Stockholm with touchpoints that celebrates the city’s maritime importance and historic past. On first entering the capital, illustrious City Hall will be a focal point, the nucleus of the prestigious Nobel Prizes. Now an icon, the three-spired structure was made with more than eight million bricks.
At the Vasa Museum, the excursion delves into the warship Vasa, which spent more than 300 years at the bottom of the bay. There are also exhibits that showcase the shipyard, what life was like on board, and the role of women in the ship’s construction. The Baroque-style Royal Palace is also on the agenda, with its Royal Armory Museum serving as home to coronation carriages and the royal stables.
Ice Bar & Old Town
Perhaps you would also enjoy a guided tour through the cobblestone streets of Old Town followed by a visit to one of the coolest bars in town? Little has changed since medieval times in Stockholm’s oldest quarter, merely the names and décor of the numerous cafes and shops. Most buildings here date to the 1500s and 1600s, the winding alleys and ancient doorways in full illustration of Stockholm’s rich heritage. See the Royal Palace, Stortorget Square and the old Stock Exchange, now home to the Swedish Academy.
From there, it’s on to the Nordic Hotel and the world’s first permanent ice bar, where the interior is kept at 0º C all year round. You don a fur poncho and mitts, and enjoy a chilled vodka drink served in – what else? – a glass made of ice.
Highlights of Stockholm
This panoramic bus tour lets you see Stockholm’s best landmarks in total comfort. Experience a wide swath of the city’s romantic and storied 800-year-old character, spread over more than a dozen islands – so much like Venice in many ways. Marvel over old and new architecture as you make your way through one iconic region after another.
This tour takes you first around Gamla Stan, the colorful Old Town, with structures that read like a medieval timeline. This includes the magnificent Royal Palace and a stop at the ornate Royal Dramatic Theater along the Strandvägen waterfront street, well-noted for its extravagant skyline. The lush island of Djurgården, which was once a hunting ground, is a verdant green space, home to the fully intact warship Vasa. It was built in 1628 and recovered in the 1960s, filled with many artifacts, which are now on display.
Stockholm has an incredible story to tell
Regent guests wandering Stockholm can also work in visits to one of the Skeppsholmen Museums, including Skeppsholm Church, the Museum of Architecture, the Museum of East Asian Art and the Modern Museum.
And back on board, words defy the pleasantry that awaits. Regent guests enjoy plenty of spa time, afternoon tea, superb dining and soothing atmospheres – as well as their opposite: rousing entertainment! Expect lavishly staged productions, music and fun, casino and karaoke.
If all this sounds strikingly similar to what you’ve been thinking about for a long time, now is your chance. Get in touch with your Tully Travel Designer to see how you can drop into a chair at an outdoor café on the streets of Stockholm very soon.