The Vasa and Djurgården

The number one attraction in Stockholm on Tripadvisor is the Vasa Museum, so we made sure it was one of the first things we visited. We were not disappointed!

Model of the Vasa as it would have looked in the 1600's

Back in the 1600's, Sweden's king commissioned the Vasa.  At the time it was the largest warship ever constructed, and one of the few in the world with two gundecks for cannon.  It was an ornate and beautiful piece of art as well, with gilt woodcarvings decorating the stern.  The only problem?  It was too narrow and top-heavy.  It was so unstable that on its maiden voyage it sank in Stockholm harbor after being hit with a light gust of wind.  It lay buried in mud for 333 years.

The Vasa today - so massive I couldn't fit it all in one photo

In the 1950's Swedish archaeologists re-discovered the ship in its watery grave and the country began a massive effort to raise and conserve it.  They towed the nearly-intact hull to a specially built facility, and over the next several decades scientists studied it while painstakingly putting it all back together as it would have been on the day it sank.  It is unique in the world -- a time capsule of 17th century life in the Swedish navy.

Carvings on the ship's stern

The Vasa museum is over on the island of Djurgården, which used to be the Swedish king's game park.

Park entrance gate

Now it's the place where Swedes go on the weekends to enjoy the green spaces and summer sunshine.

The island has museums, amusement parks, walking paths, cafes, and flower gardens.

We spent several hours exploring the park and then stopped at a waterside cafe for pizza and beers.  A great start to our stay here in Stockholm!