Djurgården Island - 10/7/13

We caught a ferry to Djurgården and after a short walk we arrived at the brilliant Vasa Museum. The Vasa was an extravagant state-of-the-art warship commissioned by King Gustavus Adolphus. It was one of the largest ever built and had the most firepower. It was launched in 1628 and it capsized and sank 20 minutes into its maiden voyage. In 1956 it was rediscovered and it was raised in 1961 after a two-year process. It has been painstakingly restored and 95% of the wood is original. So, maybe the ship wasn't state-of-the-art. Maybe the naval architects made some serious errors. But the recovery and restoration were state-of-the-art and this museum is not to be missed.

The Vasa can be seen from several angles and from several different levels inside the museum, along with many artifacts recovered from the ship.  It is quite amazing to be able to view this well-preserved ship that lay submerged in the Baltic for 333 years. The displays are very well done. 

Our next stop was the Nordiska Museum. This museum showcases Swedish cultural history in a magnificent building. Exhibits include Swedish Folk Art, table settings, home interiors, fashion, traditions, and Sweden's indigenous people, the Sami.

Our final destination was Skansen. Skansen is an open air museum covering some 75 acres of living history.

To be continued . . .