SIS: Newsletters

Gröna Lund

Facelift for Kungsträdgården

Vikings head for Japan

Summer in the archipelago

Stockholm in 26 languages

Multilingual bus sightseeing

The weekend

Baltic cultural centre

Post Museum

Evert Taube

Nynäshamn's golden jubilee

Restaurants Festival plans

Excursions and Adventures

Top women meeting

Jazz and Blues Festival

Royal Coin Cabinet moves

Six Michelin stars

News in brief:

Museum of the Year

Speed-up at Kaknäs Tower

Open house at City Hall

Calder exhibition

Vasa 35th anniversary

Listed cemetery exhibition

Stockholm's main tourist centre

Newsletter 3/96

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Hole in one at Gröna Lund amusement park
The Gröna Lund amusement park on Djurgården unveiled several innovations when it opened for the season at the end of April. There is now an improved play area for small children, a typical Swedish inn with home-cooking specialities, and the old 18th century house has been transformed into a café. There is also a new ultra-fast ride in the dark, Pop-Expressen. The successful "Hole in One", a popular feature of the Stockholm Water Festival, has also been introduced at Gröna Lund. Tees are laid out along the promenade from which golfers can attempt to hole in one into the moving "greens" on the water. As usual, there will be concerts and variety performances on the Gröna Lund stages. Gröna Lund, tel +46-8-670 76 00

Facelift for Kungsträdgården
Kungsträdgården, right in the centre of Stockholm, is always buzzing with special events and activities. This summer will provide new surprises every day, including festivals, rock and blues evenings, dancing and special exhibitions. But as Stockholm is attracting an increasing number of special events, the pressures on Kungsträdgården's facilities mean that it is no longer suitable for some activities. As a result a major renovation programme has been launched, involving in particular the northern section. New trees will be planted, the skating rink will be made even better, the stage will acquire a permanent roof, planted areas and lighting will be improved, and in future Kungsträdgården will be the home of Stockholm's most attractive Christmas tree, which will be lit with due ceremony every year.
Kungsträdgården Park & Evenemang, tel +46-8-24 64 90

Swedish Vikings head for Japan
Some 230 of Sweden's most priceless historic treasures will be shown in an exhibition which is to tour Japan over the coming year. They include two gold neck-bands and scale models of a ceremonial Viking ship, rune stones, 15th century armour, Karl IX's burial crown from 1611 and some of Sweden's largest gold coins. The Japanese company TOEI has taken the initiative to mount the exhibition "The Vikings and their Descendants" which will tour 10 different cities in Japan. The artefacts have been loaned by Sweden's Museum of National Antiquities, the Royal Household, the Royal Armoury, the Swedish Church and Kalmar County Museum. The exhibition opens on 18 July in Kanazawa and will then move on to Hiroshima, Okinawa, Sapporo, Yokohama and other cities. The exhibition is probably the biggest Swedish event ever staged in Japan, and it is expected that many Swedish companies will take part in various activities and special events in conjunction with the exhibition.
Swedish Institute (Svenska Institutet), Lars Romert, tel +46-8-789 20 00

Summer in the archipelago
Stockholm's archipelago is becoming more popular than ever, and it is now much easier to explore the 24,000 islands and skerries. British-style bed-and-breakfast accommodation for about 200 kronor per night and an extensive network of boat services are two ways in which the archipelago is becoming more accessible to visitors from abroad. Two go-as-you-please cards give visitors unlimited travel on archipelago boats for a given period. The Waxholmsbolaget company and Stockholm Information Service sell the "Båtluffarkort" card which is valid for 16 days, and Strömma Kanalbolaget's " Skärgårdskort" is valid for seven days. Visitors can take one of the boat services from Stockholm, stay a few nights on a remote islet in their own tent, or in one of the archipelago's youth hostels or hotels. Many bed-and-breakfast hosts hire out bicycles or boats to help their guests to see more of the archipelago.
Mats Wåhlin, Stockholm Information Service,
tel + 46 8 789 24 08
Bookings: Excursion Shop (Utflyktsbutiken),
tel -+46-8-789 24 15

Stockholm in 26 languages
Since April, foreign visitors who want to take a guided tour in Stockholm have had the choice of 26 different languages. There are now four authorised guides who can speak Greek and Hebrew, and for the next guiding course Stockholm Information Service is looking for speakers of Thai and Turkish. Visitors to Stockholm have been able to use the services of an authorised guide for more than 50 years, and there are now some 300.
Stockholm Information Service,
Kirsi Kangas, tel +46-8-789 24 11

Multilingual bus sightseeing
City Sightseeing's specially-designed bus, built almost entirely in glass, is now offering an additional service. Apart from the magnificent views through the windows, all passengers now have a choice of commentary language during their tour. A headset is provided at each seat, along with a display from which passengers can choose their preferred language: Swedish, English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Finnish, Russian or Japanese. Seven of these languages can be used simultaneously, and the commentary is voice-activated by the driver through a computer at the appropriate place. The "Stockholm Panorama" tour in the glass bus lasts 1 hours and operates three times a day throughout the week.
City Sightseeing, tel +46-8-24 04 70

The weekend when it's all happening
The weekend of 1-2 June will be packed with the largest number of special events that Stockholm has ever experienced. The Stockholm Marathon, with runners and spectators from all over the world, will compete for attention with a 1970s festival featuring 12 hours of musical and cinematic nostalgia; 37 restaurant tents in the Restaurants Festival on Kungsträdgården; a historical festival with clowns, music, plays and choral concerts; a car festival at Solvalla; a qualifying match for football's World Cup; Steamboats Day; the Gärdesloppet race; and the season's première for the Drottningholm Court Theatre. The weekend's events and special activities will involve tens of thousands of participants and hundreds of thousands of spectators.
Eva Svensson, Stockholm Information Service, tel +46-8-789 24 10

Baltic cultural centre at Hässelby Castle
Next year Stockholm is to have a Baltic cultural centre at Hässelby Castle, on the same site as the Nordic capitals' cultural centre. The centre will be a contact and information point between Sweden, the other Nordic countries and the Baltic states. It will be independent and will be able to take on both private and official projects. The centre will also arrange contacts within its areas of activity, will take its own initiatives for cultural productions, and will hold courses and seminars with the aim of increasing the number of cultural exchanges between the Nordic countries and the Baltic states. The centre will be run as a company owned jointly by the Baltic states and their capital cities.
Torbjörn Forsell, Hässelby Foundation (Hässelbystiftelsen), tel +46-8-620 34 44

Dirty work at the Post Museum
Forgeries and copying are the main themes for a new exhibition at Stockholm's Post Museum. The exhibition shows both forgeries and originals, not just of stamps but also of seals, coins, antiques, toys, musical instruments and designer clothing. One of the many interesting stamp forgeries is a franked yellow 3 shilling stamp by the master Italian forger Jean de Sperati. The Post Museum has also opened a "little Post Office" where the children can load parcels, sort and frank the mail and see some unusual letter boxes.
Post Museum, Vesela Stridsberg, tel +46-8-781 17 55

Taube commemorated at City Museum
The work of the artist Evert Taube will be the theme for this summer's exhibition at the Stockholm City Museum. Taube was one of Sweden's best-loved composers and artists and died 20 years ago. The museum will be highlighting his involvement with Stockholm, both in his composing and writing and in his contribution to the fight against vandalism and environmental damage. During the period of the exhibition there will also be a Taube festival with troubadour evenings, concerts, lectures and guided walking tours.
Marie Hasselrot, tel +46-8-700 05 98

Nynäshamn's golden jubilee
The archipelago and harbour community of Nynäshamn to the south of Stockholm celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The year began with a jubilee fireworks display and gala dinner, and each month has a special theme. In July, for instance, the theme will be tourism. The year's programme of events is wide-ranging, and in certain months something different is happening virtually every day. Among the planned special events are the Big Boat Cup on 5-7 July, the Harbour Festival on 26-28 July and the Archipelago Festival on 24 August.
Lennart Lindbladh, Turist Nynäs, tel +46-8-520 145 90

Restaurants Festival plans
Over the weekend of 1-2 June Stockholm's most central park, Kungsträdgården, will be taken over by 37 restaurant tents in which local restaurateurs will be showing off their cuisine in a gigantic festival, underlining the city's wide gastronomic choice and the skills of its chefs. Last year the event attracted 500,000 visitors. This year's Restaurants Festival will be the biggest of its kind in Sweden, as well as one of the most environment-friendly. Food waste, plates, cutlery, glasses etc will be sorted on the spot and recycled wherever possible, providing perfect soil for the flowers which will greet visitors to next year's festival!
Restaurants Festival, tel +46-8-24 64 98

Excursions and Activities
"The temptations of Vaxholm", "See Stockholm from a hot-air balloon", "Overnight at Krägga Manor", "A whole day in Sandhamn" and "Travel back to the Viking times" are just some of the options in the latest edition of Stockholm Information Service's popular brochure "Excursions & Activities in and around Stockholm", also produced this year in English and German. The object of the brochure is to show what a rich variety of sights, excursions and outdoor experiences Stockholm has to offer. The brochure contains a mixture of tips and bookable packages. The archipelago has its own special pages and the lake Mälaren region is described with an illustrated map giving tips on the best places to discover along the shores of the lake, including the many stately homes and other sites of cultural interest.
Mats Wåhlin,
Stockholm Information Service, tel +46-8-789 24 08
Bookings: Excursion Shop (Utflyktsbutiken),
tel -+46-8-789 24 15

Top women meet in Stockholm
More than 40 distinguished female leaders of governments, business and organisations from all over the world will meet in Stockholm from 5-7 May at the International Women's Leadership Forum. The president of the forum will be Iceland's President Vigdís Finnbodadóttir and the hosts will be Birgitta Dahl, Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, and the Stockholm's Mayor, Mats Hulth. The two-day programme has been planned around the themes of "New Challenges to Leadership" and "Local and Global Economic Leadership". Apart from the various female heads of government, several other special guests have been invited to participate. Also taking part are 15 specially-nominated "fellows" - young women who have been judged to be the leaders of the future - six of whom are Swedish. As many special services as possible during the forum will be performed by women, including The Women's Motor Corps, a voluntary organisation which will be responsible for all transport.
Stockholm Information Service, Catharina Ramel, tel +46-8-789 24 48

Skansen's own Jazz and Blues Festival
The Skansen open-air museum is always introducing new features for its year-round programme. One of the 2,000-plus events planned for 1996 is a four-day Jazz and Blues Festival to be staged from 5-8 July. Negotiations for artists are still going on, but confirmed performers include Isaac Hayes, Chick Corea, Buddy Guy, Victoria Tolstoy and Arne Domnerus. Around the festival area there will be plenty of tents serving food and drink, including a Lapp tent offering typical hotly-spiced dishes.
Skansen Jazz and Blues 96, tel +46-8-667 01 74

Royal Coin Cabinet moves
The Royal Coin Cabinet will open to the public in April next year in new premises at Slottsbacken, opposite the Royal Armoury. The Coin Cabinet is Sweden's oldest museum with its roots in the 16th century. The aim is to make it into Europe's first museum specialising in methods of payment and trading from all ages and all countries. Among the most interesting finds are coins from the Viking age which illustrate the flourishing trade relations that existed at that time, particularly towards the east. In addition to coins and seals, the collection will include various types of medals, purses, money-boxes and banking equipment. For the children there will be a special exhibition where the youngsters can climb into a pirate ship carrying a cargo of gold treasure. There will also be a museum shop, auditorium and café.
Maria Palmkvist, Royal Coin Cabinet (Kungliga Myntkabinettet), tel +46-8-783 94 29

Six Michelin stars for Stockholm
Eight Swedish restaurants, six of them in Stockholm, have been awarded a star in the latest Guide Michelin. One star denotes "exceptionally good cuisine in its category". The starred Stockholm restaurants are Eriks, Paul & Norbert, Wedholms Fisk, KB and Edsbacka Krog plus the Leijontornet Restaurant which has won back the star that it held three years ago. The restaurant on the Fjäderholmarna islands has also won international recognition for its excellent cuisine. Head chef Fredrik Eriksson was chosen as a European master chef by a jury made up of star chefs from all over Europe.

News in brief:

Museum of the Year - The Royal Armoury at the Royal Palace in Stockholm has won the title "Museum of the Year" awarded by the Swedish Museums Association. The Royal Armoury won the prize because of its work involving children, including the formation of the Knights' Club. The jury said that the Knights' Club was also active outside the museum and was able to communicate with children in other parts of Sweden and abroad.
Royal Armoury (Livrust-kammaren), Carin Orrling, tel +46-8-783 94 00

Speed-up at Kaknäs Tower - The tourist information office and entrance area at Kaknäs Tower have had a much-needed renovation during April. The entrance area has been redesigned so that visitors will be able to enter and leave more quickly. There are also more cash desks to reduce queuing.
Stockholm Information Service, Ina Holmgren, tel +46-8-789 24 35

Open house at City Hall - It will be open house for both Stockholmers and visitors at the City Hall on 11 May. Visitors will be able to meet Stockholm politicians, take a free sightseeing tour by bus or boat, have a guided tour of the City Hall gardens, listen to concerts, take part in debates and much more. One of the highlights will be the crowning of this year's Mälaren Queen by Stockholm's Mayor, Mats Hulth.
City Hall Information (Information Stadshuset), tel +46-8-785 90 00

Calder exhibition - Works by the sculptor Alexander Calder will be on display at the Museum of Modern Art until 27 May. Calder is best known as the father of the mobile, and there are many examples of moving sculpture in the exhibition. Calder's fascination with balance and equilibrium is evident in his models of circus artists.
Museum of Modern Art (Moderna Museet),
tel +46-8-666 43 65

Vasa 35th anniversary - At 09.03 on 24 April it was exactly 35 years since the royal warship Vasa broke the surface when it was salvaged after 333 years at the bottom of Stockholm's harbour. A 35th anniversary is not normally anything special to celebrate, but the Vasa Museum did not want to wait any longer to collect as many memories, artefacts and pictures as possible from those who were involved in the salvage operation. It was a day of reunions and reminiscences, and visitors were invited to take part in seminars and discussions.
Vasa Museum (Vasamuseet),
Katarina Villner, +46-8-666 48 65

Listed cemetery exhibition - Since the Skogskyrkogården cemetery in the south of Stockholm was listed as a World Heritage site, the Stockholm City Museum has been taking an inventory of its architecture and planning features which enabled the 1920s park to be preserved for posterity. The inventory has now been completed and the City Museum is exhibiting photo-graphs, furniture, lighting etc designed by the architects Gunnar Asplund and Sigurd Lewerentz.
Stockholm City Museum (Stockholms Stadsmuseum), tel +46-8-700 05 66

Stockholm's main tourist centre is in the area around Sweden House, the Excursion Shop, the Sweden Shop, the Forex foreign-exchange bureau etc. Also in the same area are the popular meeting place Kungsträdgården and the famous NK department store. Now the area's tourism profile has been further enhanced with the opening of a 24-hour automatic foreign-exchange cash dispenser outside the Sparbanken branch at the Hamngatan/Regeringsgatan intersection. Initially the automat will be able to handle US dollars, German marks, French francs and Spanish pesetas.

Golfing in Stockholm - Sweden has countless golf courses, many of them in the Stockholm area. Sweden is now being promoted as a golfing country in a new brochure which includes information on 14 golf courses and nearby accommodation in the Stockholm area.
Swedish Golfing Federation (Svenska Golfförbundet), tel +46-8-622 15 00

Underwater sport
Since its opening in 1992 the Swedish Sports Museum has tried to reflect Swedish sport from every possible angle. So successful has it been that it was named as Museum of the Year in 1995. Now it is turning its attention to underwater sport with a colourful photo cavalcade which presents sports like scuba diving, underwater rugby and orienteering etc.
Swedish Sports Museum (Sveriges Riksidrottsmuseum), Thomas Forss, tel +46-8-600 31 30

Editor: Katarina Gentzel
Translated by Philip Ray

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