Holidays to Stockholm

24 Feb 2010
A new tourist attraction has opened in Stockholm that is included in your Stockholm Card when you travel with Simply Sweden. Globen (or The Globe) is a giant golf ball like structure that dominates the south Stockholm skyline. Inside is a large arena that plays host to many national events including large exhibitions and major ice hockey games. Globen was completed in 1989 and the Stockholm's latest attraction was completed at the beginning of 2010. Many Swedes and tourists alike have wondered what the view of Stockholm would be like from the top of Globen 130m above the ground. Imagine no more as 2 gondolas travel side by side on 2 rails along the outside. The total journey time is 20mins. Globen is easily accessible by the efficient underground train system, the Tunnelbana. Stockholm is often referred to as the Venice of the North. The centre of Stockholm is located on 14 islands and greater Stockholm consists of a vast archipelago with some 24,000 islands. Needless to say the views are unforgettable.

Book your holiday to Stockholm here

17 Feb 2010
Norwegian airlines have announed 2 new routes between Stockholm Arlanda (Sweden's main international airport) and the UK. London Gatwick will have daily flights (excluding Saturday) commencing at the end of April. Edinburgh will have 3 weekly flights between the Swedish Capital and the Scottish Capital departing on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from May. We believe this opens up Sweden to much more of the UK. Explore Stockholm and Sweden with the help of your Sweden specialists at Simply Sweden!

17 Dec 2009
A beautiful layer of white snow now covers almost the whole of Sweden, stretching from Kalmar in the south, past Stockholm, covering our log cabins in Orsa and Fulufjällsbyn, our winter hotels (Fryksås Hotel) and all the way north to Lapland. Don't delay in booking your last minute winter holiday to Sweden and Lapland. Book now!

14 Dec 2009
Apologies for the lack of recent updates. We have been extremely busy with winter & Lapland bookings for this season and even some summer bookings, especially along the West Coast of Sweden.

Between 8th and 12th of December we have been in Lapland, making sure your holiday in Lapland lives up to and exceeds your expectations. We travelled to Swedish Lapland on the overnight train from Stockholm. A simple, comfortable and environmentally friendly way to cross the Arctic Circle and into Lapland. The train takes approx. 16 hours and is an increasing popular way to travel. We arrived at Kiruna Train Station at 9,45 on the morning of December 9th where our hire car was waiting for us. Our tour of Lapland was intense as we wanted to experience as much as possible to enable us to answer as many of your questions as possible. We started at one of Lapland's leading hotels, Hotel Arctic Eden, located in Kiruna Centre in a renovated old school, designed with a heavy Sami influence. The rooms here are spacious and there is a new indoor swimming pool & sauna in the relaxation area. Inga, Erik and Paul will make you feel extremely welcome. The Thai restaurant next door is a great place to eat lunch! Here is a full list of winter activities available at Hotel Arctic Eden.

That afternoon we wrapped up warm and took to the snowmobiles, travelling across frozen lakes and rivers, through ancient forests and gasped in amazement at the awesome scenery surrounding the Torne River Valley. We visited many of the wilderness log cabins you will stay in on your overnight husky and snowmobile tours. The husky holidays are very much back to basics, offering a wilderness experience in natural surroundings. The husky's themselves offer a hands on tour where you drive your own team of 3 or 4 huskies. You may prefer to travel 2 per sled and take it turns to drive! The wilderness log cabin used primarily for the overnight husky tours is basic yet comfortable. There is no running water or electricity and water is sourced from the nearby lake. The cabin is heated by a log burning stove and there is a wood fired sauna to relax in prior to or after supper. If you are looking for a genuine wilderness holiday then the overnight husky excursion is for you!

We stayed at the Wilderness Camp (also home to the Wilderness Suites) used mainly for the overnight snowmobile holidays. Supper was served around an open fire in a traditional sami tent as we sat on insulating reindeer skins. You won't be surprised to hear that reindeer meat was on the menu! We stayed in the Wilderness Suites, private rooms with private sauna and shower. Sit back, relax and enjoy the Lapland scenery sitting on the sofa with crackle and spark of an open fire. We tested the wood fired sauna, with space for 6 people. The sauna looks across the night sky and over the Torne River. If the Northern Lights dance for you could see them whilst sitting in a hot sauna! We also did a very Swedish thing of having a sauna, rolling in the snow and very quickly jumping back in the sauna to warm up. The Swedes describe it as a full body massage - I'm not so sure! This wilderness location means that these wilderness log cabins offer great chances to see the Northern Lights. During our stay the skies were a touch cloudy and unfortunately there were no bright colourful ribbons of light in the night sky for us.

Our guide, Gunnar, met us after a traditional Swedish breakfast of bread, cheese, ham and yoghurt. At this time of year the days are short and the sun skims below the horizon casting a blue light across the morning sky.

We headed to Aurora Retreat Guest House for lunch in the village of Junosuando 90mins from Kiruna. Aurora Retreat is exactly what it say's it is - a retreat tucked away in a quiet corner of Swedish Lapland way off the tourist trail, with great chances of catching the Northern Lights. Mobile phones and laptops are against the ethos of Aurora Retreat! Maya and Mikael have worked hard to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere in what is the old vicarage and bakery in the village of Junosuando. Lunch (a fantastic pumpkin soup with spinach samosas) was served in the dinning room, where you will find a constant supply of tea, coffee and fruit. After lunch we met Stefan, a warm and welcoming native Sami and local reindeer herder. Reindeer herding has been in his family for generations and during the Sami experience you will have a chance to lasso and feed the reindeer. The reindeer are key to the culture and lifestyle of the Sami. Stefan is also likely to be your snowmobile guide during your snowmobile tours and to your guide to the overnight northern lights wilderness log cabin. The Wilderness Log Cabin is cosy and built in a traditional style on the shores of a small lake. A wood fire sauna sits at the edge of the lake just a few meters from main log cabin. With no electricity or running water this really is a fabulous wilderness retreat. With no light pollution there are great chances of seeing evening weak Northern Lights. Your guide will prepare your evening meal before leaving your to appreciate the true size of nature, natures silence and each others company. We also visited the husky kennels from where the husky's excursions depart. The 80 huskies all eager to pull your sled it can get quite loud! Once you step on to the husky sled and head out into the wilderness the huskies turn their attention to pulling and the barking ceases. All you can hear is the gentle crunching of snow under the sled runners as you glide effortlessly through Lapland.

After a comfortable evening relaxing in the lounge in front of the open fire and a good nights rest we headed to Ripan for a very nice lunch, a hotel located in Kiruna, close to the centre, but more importantly on the edge of the snow white wilderness. The rooms are located in individual log cabins and if you are looking for a room with a small hob and microwave make sure we book you into a family cabin. New for 2009/10 is the Jacuzzi and for 2010/11 there are plans for a 'winter park'! This hotel is perfect for those looking for a full range of activities, staying in a hotel, with a log cabin environment.

During our trip of course we visited ICE HOTEL! No holiday to Lapland is complete without a visit to this annual masterpiece in ICE. Wonders will never cease as the magical hotel takes shape on the banks of the Torne River every year. Although delayed slightly by the warm weather in November, ICEHOTEL was once again looking in great shape. We started with a tour of the magnificent ARTsuites. A 'SPOONING' room of ICE and a some 'REST IN THE NEST' were the highlights of the completed ARTsuites. We were able to have a short chat with the artist of the Deluxe Suite who was hoping to complete his incredible work by Monday 14 Dec. All overnight guests receive a guided tour of ICE HOTEL. After a couple of drinks in the new lounge bar we walked across the road to ICEHOTEL restaurant. Wonderful service, attentive waiters and waitresses and mouth watering food, some of which was served on a plate of ICE. We were even lucky enough to have an ICEsculpture, made of ICE and SNICE (Snow and ICE mixed together) grace our table for a short period towards the end of our meal. After ICE HOTEL restaurant we noticed the skies were perfectly clear and keeping our fingers crossed (or holding our thumbs as the Swedish say) we headed for the darkness of the frozen Torne River. Staring at the night sky made us appreciate just how much of the natural environment we miss out on in large towns and cities. The sky was scattered with stars complete invisible from the UK. The Great Bear was as close as I have ever seen it and quite low in the night sky. Orion was perfectly clear towards the South. Shooting stars darted across the blackness at regular intervals and once again the northern lights were not visible. We did find out that they were visible just 2km away. After a comfortable nights sleep in a Nordic Chalet we took our time over a large breakfast buffet before heading to the airport for our SAS flight back to Stockholm.

Yet again another memorable journey to Lapland. We took a deeper and more intense look at the hotels and activities you will enjoy on your holiday and have come away with a much wider knowledge of the surroundings, intricate details and personalities of the people who who take great care of you. If you have already booked your holiday to Lapland we wish you a great holiday and if you have not yet booked your holiday to Lapland and ICEHOTEL - what are you waiting for?

21 Oct 2009
As Winter draws closer and snow begins to fall over Northern Sweden, temperatures are already below zero and preparations are being made for ICE HOTEL 2010, Simply Sweden continues to lead the way as one of Swedish Laplands travel experts. We have recently added an overnight snowmobile tour in the shadow of Sweden's tallest mountain, Kebnekaise. Standing at over 2100m above sea level, Kebnekaise is deep in Swedish Lapland close to the Norwegian border. The transfer from your hotel in Kiruna, or ICEHOTEL, is a little longer (1hr30) than usual, but we think the extra effort is worth it. Not only does this overnight snowmobile tour offer superb mountain views, there is also the chance of catching the Northern Lights dance across the night sky and shed some magical colours on the snow covered mountain sides. Find out more about this new overnight snowmobile tour here.

During the winter months, when Sweden is famous for being cold & dark, there is this immense warm and light feeling. Candles welcome you into cosy cafes and festive shops, Christmas lights decorate houses, shops, city centre squares and tall Christmas trees. Indulge yourself in the Swedish Christmas spirit. Restaurants serve a traditional Julbord (Christmas table) with a range of cold meats, fish and cheese. Cafes serve warming hot chocolates with traditional Christmas Pepparkakor biscuits.

Shopping highlights include the combined cosmopolitan region of Malmö and Copenhagen, Liseberg Christmas market and the large shopping centres in Gothenburg, department stores, Skansen Christmas Market and Gamla Stan Christmas market are just some of the attractions in Stockholm.

Upon arrival at Kiruna Airport your husky guide will introduce you to your eager team of huskies who will provide your transport to ICEHOTEL. Sit back and relax as you cuddle up on the husky sled. Enjoy the pristine white wilderness as you glide effortlessly across the River Torne, through the forests of Lapland and onto ICE HOTEL. There really is no better way to arrive. At ICEHOTEL you will stay in an ARTsuite; stunning rooms of ICE elaborately decorated with amazing works of art and enjoy a 7 course evening meal served on plates of ICE.

During the afternoon you will depart on your overnight snowmobile excursion. You can choose to share a snowmobile or drive your own. You will need to be in possession of a driving licence. You will be guided through the wilderness across fields of snow and over frozen lakes. When you reach your log cabin you will have the opportunity to have a sauna, your guide will prepare your evening meal and then leave you to enjoy your night alone. Appreciate the silence, the vast expanse of nature and if you look to the skies the mesmerising northern lights may provide you with a romantic display of beautiful colours. Your guide will return the following morning to guide you back to ICE HOTEL!

During your honeymoon you will tick all the Lapland boxes! Huskies, cultural experiences, snowmobiles, northern lights, ICE HOTEL and traditional wilderness log cabins. This really is a complete holiday! Speak to one of specialist advisors on 0845 8900 300 as we tailor make all our holidays.

5 June 2009
Sweden National Day will be celebrated across Sweden on Saturday 6 June 2009, with the focal point being the capital city, Stockholm. 6 June has only been a bank holiday in Sweden since 2005. As Sweden has not participated in any of the major wars they have been quite guarded about celebrating a national day. Proud of being Swedish and proud of Sweden, Sweden National Day has existed since 1983 and 6 June marks the day when in 1809 when a new constitution was adopted.

Local towns and villages celebrate national day with a festivities in main squares and parade streets. The main celebrations take place in Stockholm at the worlds first open air museum, Skansen, where the king and queen lead the festivities. The distinctive blue and yellow flag will fly high on flag poles across Sweden, locals will dress up in traditional costumes and Sweden will play Denmark in a Scandinavian World Cup Qualifying football match at the national football stadium in Stockholm. Kungsträdgården, in the centre of Stockholm will be a hive of activity with music, entertainment and an excellent food festival

23 March 2009
Summer is nearly here! The Djurgården tram in Stockholm has started to run with more services than in previous years. Described as a 'museum on wheels' these historic trams run approx. every 12 mins from Norrmalmstorg in Stockholm City Centre, along the harbour front, to the island of Djurgården, home to the Vasa Museum, Skasan and many other attractions. The island of Djurgården is the traditional hunting ground for the Swedish Royal Family, and is renowned for it's large open green spaces and many tourist attractions.

You can travel on the Djurgården tram for free with your Stockholm Card. The tram is in operation every day from 1 June 2009 to 30 August 2009. Outside these dates the tram runs on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays, but is not operational after 20 December 2009. The Djurgården tram, along with other organisations such as the Lennakatten museum railway, referred to in our entry on 23 February 2009, are run and maintained by volunteers. If it was not for their hard work and dedication such successful and entertaining projects would not exist.

16 March 2009
Stockholm features on BBC World TV transmissions over the weekend of 14-15 March 2009. Three of Stockholm's well known locals take you on a personal tour of Stockholm's less well known tourist attractions. Take a look at some of the programme 'The Real ...' here. Our favourite location on the programme was visited by Daniel Wahlgren (Papa Dee). He visited Boule & Bersa on the island of Södermalm (Southern part of Stockholm city centre, close to the Columbus Hotel), which is open from 1 May 2009 from 3pm daily.

Book your holiday to Stockholm here.

10 March 2009
The British & Swedish press report that a male chimpanzee at a zoo north of Stockholm and Uppsala planned several stone throwing attacks on visitors, as he displayed his dominance to visitors. The first collection of hidden stones were found in 1997. Since this time the stones have been regularly removed to protect the public, but this behaviour has become a major research program for scientists. The zoo is called Furuvik and is under 2hrs from Stockholm or approx 1hr15 from Uppsala and just 10km from Gävle. It is easy to travel to Furuvik by public transport as the zoo has its own train station. Furuvik is located on the coast and offers a great day out when staying in Stockholm, Uppsala or a log cabin nearby. Some of the 60 species include native reindeer and more exotic kangaroos, snakes, orangutans, chimpanzees, lemur and much more. There is a 'touch & feel' area where young children can stroke and mingle with native sheep & goats. You will also find a small amusement park and adventure pool, along with stunning coastline to keep you busy for the whole day. Furuvik is open daily between 30th May & 16th August.

You can visit Furuvik from Stockholm or a nearby log cabin during your holiday in Sweden.

23 February 2009
Only 1 hour north of Stockholm, and just outside Sweden's fourth largest city (Uppsala) lies the nature & recreational area of Fjällnora, managed and maintained by Uppsala Kommun (Council). This is the perfect location for all ages to enjoy a traditional Swedish atmosphere by a lake. In the winter the lake is frozen and is currently several centimetres thick. You would struggle to break through the ice with an axe! The ice is so thick that a tractor has ploughed several ice skating tracks into the ice, up to 12km long. You will also find approx. 6km of prepared cross country skiing tracks through the forest. Don't have your own ice skates or cross country skis? Don't worry, these are available to rent from the lakeside cafe, or you can simply enjoy the nature on several marked walking tracks. During the winter you can reach Fjällnora by bus (809 from Uppsala centre) and it is approx. 2km walk from the nearest bus stop (Fjällnora Vägskäl). You will also find several lakeside camp fire locations. The perfect opportunity to eat hot dogs by an open fire in the snow covered forest, next to a beautiful frozen lake. Fire wood is provided and you will need to bring the rest - sausages, bread, ketchup, matches and paper to start the fire!