_IN AND ABOUT STOCKHOLM._
THE ISLANDS AND FEATURES OF THE CITY—THE WESTMINSTER ABBEY OF
SWEDEN—INTERESTING MUSEUMS—THE LEADING CITY FOR TELEPHONES—SCENES
AT EVENING CONCERTS—THE MULTITUDE OF EXCURSIONS—DOWN THE BALTIC TO
VAXHOLM—ROYAL CASTLES ON THE LAKE—THE UNIVERSITY TOWN OF UPSALA.
The Grand Hotel is, next to the Royal Palace, the most imposing
building in Stockholm. It is situated on a broad quay, near the
National Museum, opposite the Palace, overlooking the bridge over the
junction of Lake Mälar with the bay of the Baltic, and is near the
concert gardens, public parks, and the centre of the city’s activity.
Though its appointments are quite palatial, its charges are moderate, a
comfortable room costing, with attendance, but eighty cents a day, and
one is free to take his meals wherever he chooses.
No city of its size contains so many fine restaurants as Stockholm,
and one quickly falls into the custom of the natives of dining at
restaurants, in parks and concert gardens, among trees and flowers in
the open air, with the accompaniment of good orchestral music. The
food is well cooked and inexpensive, and one can live well at a daily
expense of less than two dollars for room and meals.
Stockholm, a city of 175,000 inhabitants, is more interesting from its
situation than from any striking beauty of its streets and buildings.
It is built upon nine islands and the mainland, at the point where Lake
Mälar flows into the Baltic Bay, nearly forty miles from the Baltic
proper. One of the larger islands contains the immense Royal Palace,
a prominent feature in every view of the city, and constitutes with
two adjoining islands the headquarters of trade and shipping. This
is the oldest part of the town and is called “the city,” it having
been the nucleus of the city in its early history, and it was many
years before its limits were extended beyond these three islands. The
mainland to the south rises abruptly from the water in lofty cliffs;
long flights of steps and zigzag streets lead to the top, and an
elevator takes passengers up for five öre (a cent and a third), while
the charge descending is three öre (four-fifths of a cent), to catch
the people who are more liable to walk down. This part of the city is
only interesting from its extended views. From the Mosebacke on the
summit, one of the finest restaurants in the vicinity, is spread out a
delightful view of the city on its islands, of the shipping and traffic
on the Baltic Bay and Lake Mälar, and the islands and wooded mainland
in the distance.
One of the smaller islands is chiefly occupied by naval and military
establishments, and connected with it by a bridge is the Castle island,
with barracks and a small fortress. On the mainland to the north is the
substantial and well-built modern quarter, with wide streets containing
the chief shops, hotels, parks, and museums.
The Riddarholms church in “the city” is the Westminster Abbey of
Sweden, as for centuries it has been the burial-place of kings and the
most celebrated men of the land. The walls of the nave are hung with
battle flags and the armorial bearings of the knights of the Seraphim
Order, the highest in Sweden; at the sides are burial chapels, in the
aisles are burial vaults and monuments, and you walk over a pavement
of tombstones. On the right of the high altar is the chapel, where, in
a green marble sarcophagus, repose the remains of Gustavus Adolphus,
the most famous of all the Swedish kings, who ranks as one of the
ablest military commanders of his age, who by his brilliant victories
and career raised Sweden to the proudest position she has ever occupied
in history. Between the windows of this chapel are Austrian, Russian,
and other battle flags,—trophies of his victories. Adjoining is the
Bernadotte chapel, containing in a porphyry sarcophagus the remains of
Charles XIV. John, the founder of the present ruling dynasty. During
the reign of the childless and unpopular Charles XIII., the dominant
party in Sweden, with the idea of conciliating Napoleon, elected
Bernadotte, one of his generals, as crown prince. By his steady support
of the allies against Napoleon, he obtained at the congress of Vienna
possession of Norway, when that country separated from Denmark. In 1818
he succeeded to the throne, and though at first the nation entertained
very little regard for their alien sovereign, yet he and his successors
have so advanced the material prosperity of the united kingdoms of
Sweden and Norway, and have so identified themselves with the interests
and national peculiarities of their subjects, that they have won their
affection and loyalty.
Beneath the chapels are the vaults containing the remains of the
members of successive ruling families. There is nothing beautiful nor
impressive about the church; the interior is bare and dingy, every
one walks about wearing his hat, without any outward respect for the
place or its occupants; people rush down the steps leading to the
burial vaults, crowd against each other, peer through the iron bars of
the gates at the coffins in the dusky interior, with the same eager
curiosity as if viewing the victims at a morgue. Religious services are
held here only on the occasion of a royal funeral.
The National Museum is a handsome building in the Renaissance style.
It comprises an historical collection of all kinds of objects, from
prehistoric to the present time; a collection of ancient and modern
sculpture, armor, and weapons; and upon the upper floor a picture
gallery, which is of little importance when compared with the famous
galleries of Europe; the paintings, however, by modern artists, of
Swedish life, scenery, and historical incidents are very interesting,
particularly those by Tidemand. In a room containing a display of the
coronation robes, uniforms, and gala costumes of the Swedish kings and
queens are shown the blood-stained clothes worn by Gustavus Adolphus
during his battles in Prussia, and the sheet in which his body was
wrapped after the battle of Lützen.
In a small square at the side of the Museum is the Bältespännare, an
excellent bronze statue, giving a spirited representation of the old
Scandinavian duel, where the combatants were bound together by a belt
at the waist, and fought with knives until one, or both, were killed.
It is said that the women were wont to carry winding sheets for their
husbands when they attended banquets where quarrels were likely to
occur. On the pedestal are four bas-reliefs showing the origin and
result of the duel—jealousy, drinking, the beginning of the combat, and
the widow’s lament. In the last the widow is represented kneeling in
grief before the tomb of her husband, the dead duellist.
The Northern Museum is interesting from its figures in costumes,
representing peasant groups, brides adorned with heavy gold and silver
crowns and trinkets, and family scenes with reproductions of interiors.
In one large group of Laplanders, where some are seated in sledges
drawn by reindeer, and other figures are gathered about a tent, were
several stuffed dogs, as we thought, lying before the tent. They looked
so natural that we could not refrain from chirping to them, when with a
bound they sprang towards us, much to our dismay, for we expected to
see the whole stuffed collection come to life.
There is a large collection of household articles, costumes, and
ornaments, all interesting, as they illustrate the everyday life of
the people in remote regions, or in past years. Hung against the wall
were curious articles in wood, two feet long and six inches wide, with
a smooth flat surface on the under side; they were elaborately painted
and had handles carved grotesquely, and were used for ironing linen. We
saw chairs made of the trunk of a tree, into the seat of which had been
driven human teeth, in the belief that this would be a preventive of
toothache in the future.
The young women who served as attendants in the Museum were dressed in
the Dalecarlia costume, and we saw many in the same picturesque costume
about the streets of Stockholm. It consists of a high peaked black cap
with red piping along the seams, and a border of white trimming where
it rests upon the head; a bright handkerchief worn over a loose sleeved
white waist; a skirt of dark blue homespun with little bodice trimmed
with red, and a rainbow-striped apron extending in front to the bottom
of the dress, complete the striking costume. The jaunty cap sets off
the rosy cheeks and fresh complexions of the “midnight sunbeams” thus
adorned, while an abundance of silver trinkets, and a small bag swung
over the shoulder by a gayly embroidered strap, render it the prettiest
costume we saw in the North.
In our walks about the city, we constantly saw in the shop
windows—Telephone ten öre; where such a notice is displayed any one
is at liberty to enter and use a telephone at a cost of _two and
three quarters cents_. We were told by a resident connected with the
central office that, in proportion to its inhabitants, Stockholm has
more telephones than any city in the world. We judged there must be a
large number of subscribers, from the vast network of telephone wires
which was the first thing to attract our attention as we approached the
city in coming down Lake Mälar. Stockholm may be slow in obtaining new
inventions, but when they come they are generally adopted.
The city has a good horse-car system, with large open cars the same as
ours; one can make the complete circuit of the city at the cost of ten
öre (two and three quarters cents). The conductor collected the fares
in a closed box, much like a child’s bank, and if one did not happen to
have the right change, he was given a sealed package of small money to
enable him to make his contribution.
It seemed strange indeed to start after nine o’clock to walk out of
the city to a high hill, to view the sunset. The sunset coloring is
gorgeous, lingering for a long time, and succeeded by a twilight
so bright, that at eleven o’clock one can read the finest print.
This long twilight is the most enjoyable part of the whole day, and
every one is out of doors. The people gather in the King’s Garden, a
beautiful public resort adorned with statues of kings, fountains, and
bright parterres of flowers; or in the Berzelii Park with its pleasant
promenades. Adjacent to both are cafés and concert gardens, bright with
lights more for decoration than for use, where bands or orchestras
in brightly lighted music pavilions, furnish popular music for the
entertainment of the merry throng seated at small round tables under
the trees, sipping black coffee, eating ices, and drinking toddy, or
the famous Swedish punch made of arrack, wine, and sugar. The stronger
liquors seem to be more in vogue than beer, though the latter is good,
but stronger and not so pleasant to the taste as German beer.
Within the restaurants, or upon the wide verandas, are gathered family
groups and lively supper parties; all are laughing and talking, the
busy waiters in dress suits are taking and delivering orders and
pocketing fees, and the whole scene is one of great animation.
The Strömparterre is a popular evening resort on an island just below
the palace, connected by the Norrbro bridge with the fine quays on
each side. It is where the waters of Lake Mälar mingle with those of
the Baltic Bay, and is the great centre of the city’s activity, and
the principal starting point for the little steamers running in all
directions.
Every evening on the brightly illuminated island there is a band
concert. Whoever takes a seat at one of the tables before the band
stand is expected to order something, but to the crowd of people who
sit on the settees at the sides, who stand, or promenade outside the
tables, the music is furnished “without money and without price.” All
over Stockholm, on little islands, and at the Mosebacke on the heights,
are evening concerts which are thronged until midnight, and the glare
of lights, and the sound of music is wafted over the quiet waters.
The Swedes make the most of every pleasant hour of their short summer;
when they slept we never knew, for even at midnight, as we went to our
hotel, the streets were filled with people, and many were still sitting
beneath the trees in the gardens; perhaps they hibernate during the
long winter, and sleep enough for the whole year.
The Djurgard (deer park) is a delightful public park, occupying an
island two miles long and about a mile wide situated a short distance
down the Baltic Bay, and is reached by horse-cars and several lines
of small steamers. It contains many restaurants and cafés, where
concerts are given both day and evening, the finest of them all being
the Hasselbacken, a favorite resort for dinner parties; there are also
numerous summer theatres and places of popular amusement, among them a
Tivoli, which is a very inferior copy of its model at Copenhagen.
The park has mostly been left in its natural state; drives and walks
extend through its stretches of grassy lawn and natural forest,
furnishing views, through occasional openings, of the rocky islands and
shipping in the Baltic. A royal villa called Rosendal is situated on
the northern side of the park, and upon a hill has been built a tower
called the Belvedere, from which there is a view of Stockholm and its
surroundings. Many private villas have been built on the island, and
at one end near the water is an asylum for the deaf, dumb, and blind;
yet a few paces away the rocky ledges and leafy solitudes give the
impression that one is a long distance from civilization.
As in Stockholm water is so plentiful and bridges comparatively few,
there is an abundance of little steam launches taking passengers for
a few öre across the water, or up and down the bay from one island to
another. The multitude of these little boats, the steamers running to
places on the lake and up the fjords of the bay, together with the
large sea-going steamers going out upon the Baltic and to foreign
lands, present a scene of ever-changing variety and animation.
The delightful excursions one can make by steamer are the chief charm
of Stockholm. They seem innumerable, and I think if one passed the
entire summer there he could take a new excursion every day. The long
lines of steamers drawn up to the quays, and the lists of places to
which they run, were perfectly bewildering; our limited stay permitted
us to visit only the most attractive points.
Sight-seeing at Stockholm furnished a restful variety. The mornings
were devoted to the museums and sights of the city, the afternoons to
steamer excursions up the lake or down the bay, returning for dinner
to one of the garden restaurants, and the evenings were passed at the
open-air concerts.
The trip by steamer to Vaxholm occupies an hour and a half; we pass
down the Baltic Bay, full of small islands, at many of which, and at
points on the mainland, the steamer touches to leave passengers, bound
for their country seats scattered along the beautiful wooded shores.
The whole family are on the wharf awaiting the steamer’s arrival;
paterfamilias is kissed and embraced, the olive branches seize upon his
baskets and bundles, and as we steam away the little groups disappear
down shady walks, or gather on the wide piazzas of their summer homes.
Vaxholm is a small island of rock, a favorite resort of the residents
of Stockholm for sea-bathing, who have built here small wooden houses
in which they pass the summer. A fortress covers the greater part of an
island near by, which commands the only practical approach to Stockholm
for large sea-going vessels. In a field beyond the houses of Vaxholm
several companies of soldiers were being drilled; from a platform
crowning the summit of a rocky ledge we overlooked their movements,
and enjoyed the view of the Baltic, thickly strewed with islands and
detached masses and ledges of rock emerging from the dark waters.
The royal castle of Ulriksdal is reached by steamer, after a journey
of constantly increasing beauty of scenery as we ascend the fjord,
with its fertile and wooded shores; the fjord becomes very narrow as we
approach the castle, situated on the water’s edge, embowered in trees,
with a pleasing prospect of blue waters framed in by green hills. We
walked through a fine avenue of noble trees called the Ulriksdal Allée,
extending for a mile to a lake, which unfolded lovely views as we
crossed by steamer to Haga, and took the horse-cars back to Stockholm.
Another enjoyable excursion is by steamer among the islands of Lake
Mälar to the palace of Drottningholm, built upon a large island, where
the royal family generally reside from August until October. The
palace contains an imposing double staircase, and handsomely furnished
apartments commanding views of the gardens and lake. One hall contains
portraits of Oscar I. and his reigning contemporaries, among them a
very flattering one of Queen Victoria. Near the palace is a theatre,
and a Chinese pagoda containing a collection of Chinese curiosities.
The gardens are laid out in the old French style, and are adorned with
statues, fountains, and parterres of flowers, while the park, with its
fine old trees and greensward, abounds in pleasant walks and drives.
Gripsholm, farther up the lake, is a mediæval castle with picturesque
towers and battlements rising from the water, amid dark green trees.
Many historical souvenirs cluster around this old castle, which are
mostly connected with the sons of Gustavus Vasa. It has been fitted up
as a museum, and contains a very extensive collection of portraits of
royal and historical personages, and many interesting pieces of ancient
furniture, tapestry, and plate.
Forty miles by railway, north of Stockholm, is Upsala, the famous
university town of Sweden, the historical and intellectual centre of
the kingdom, and the stronghold of ancient paganism. On the brow of a
hill, approached by a fine granite terrace and wide flights of steps,
is the handsome modern University building of brick, with granite
trimmings. The foundation of the University dates from 1477; it has
been richly endowed by successive kings, and numbers about fifteen
hundred students, who are distinguished about the quiet streets by
their small white caps.
Opposite the University is the ancient Gothic cathedral, whose chief
object of interest is the tomb of Gustavus Vasa, who lies buried
between his first two wives, while number three is interred in a
different part of the chapel; the sides of the burial chapel are
frescoed with scenes from his life.
The sleepy little town was rather disappointing: its streets are paved
with small cobble stones, there are a few promenades, small parks, and
concert gardens, with here and there a large building connected with
the University, containing a library or a laboratory. On a barren hill
is the large and ugly castle built by Gustavus Vasa, commanding an
extended view of the surrounding country, in which Gamla Upsala (Old
Upsala), three miles away, is visible.
At Old Upsala are the three Kungshögar (king’s heights), mounds over
fifty feet high, said to mark the graves of Odin, Thor, and Freya, the
three great gods of Scandinavian mythology. Two of these mounds have
been opened and a few bones and an urn found.
Another mound is called the Tingshög (assize-hill), from which the
ancient kings used to harangue their subjects.
The splendid temple adorned with gold, within which sat the statues of
Odin, Thor, and Freya, and the sacred grove adjoining, have disappeared
leaving no vestige behind; but a quaint little stone church is said
to mark the site of this most sacred shrine of Scandinavian worship,
around which clustered the principal traditions of Northern mythology.
RAILWAY JOURNEY TO
THRONDHJEM.