Sweden

Visited: April 2006

Duration of visit: 3 days

Capital city: Stockholm

Population: 9.2 million (2006)

• Stockholm – Venice of the North, where islands and peninsulas are connected with numerousness bridges.
• Gamla Stan (Old town) – souvenir shops, narrow streets, bars, restaurants, main public square, combined with small designer shops, Royal Palace and guards in front of the palace.
• Staying with local friends in a residential community in Stockholm. Calm, perfectly functioning, minimalistic style: small cars, garbage recycling, Ikea households and furniture, big windows with a lot of lights indoors.
• Visit to a local supermarket, where new technologies and new products from unknown Scandinavian brands were calling my attention.
• Vasa museum, dedicated to a majestic 64-gun vessel, which sank on its maiden voyage in 1628.
• Skansen open-air museum – the first open-air museum, with over 150 houses from around the country: church, pottery, bakery and many other activities are demonstrated.
• Royal Guards in light blue full-dress uniforms and silver pickelhaube helmets have been protecting the Stockholm Palace and Drottningholm Palace since 1523.

The country of forest, freely roaming moose, famous international music groups, the winner of recycling and home to innovating engineers. The country of lakes and islands, where high quality of life is a standard and one of the so-called happy nation countries, where 10% of population seem to own their own businesses.

I visited only the capital city of Stockholm as a part of Scandinavian capitals trip in 2006. It was in late April, when the temperatures were still rather low, but it was obvious that locals are eager to spend as much time as possible outdoors, in parks, mingling in bars, wrapped in warm blankets.

I was travelling with my girlfriend and stayed in a private apartment with her friends in a residential area in a suburb of Stockholm. I had a chance to observe lifestyle of Swedish people from the first hand. Cozy homes, where light furniture with bright walls and enormous windows create a comfortable and enjoyable environment. Keeping shoes at the entrance and walking around in socks or slippers is a custom that is not unique only in Sweden.

The first thing that I noticed is, that there is no exaggeration with luxury in Swedish lifestyle. Quite the opposite, the lifestyle is practical, minimalistic and typical Scandinavian solutions orientated. People seem to care as little as possible for extravagant, outstanding or opulent goods. Cars are means of transport, clothes are used to cover your body, furniture is light and pragmatic, while residences are down-to-earth. I believe this is the main reason for happiness. Being happy with basic needs instead of chasing luxury and prestige to show off in front of your neighbors or society in general.

There is actually an expression called Lagom lifestyle – in the Swedish language literally means not too much, not too little, just the right amount. It is a philosophy that aims to balance, in every area and juncture of everyday life, focusing on all those moments full of familiarity, warmth, harmony and conviviality.

The concept of Lagom is based on a proud opposition to excess and on a rejection of originality at all costs, balance as a true goal and grasping something positive in every situation. Sustainability and energy saving form another strong pillar, which reflects in finding a way to reuse and give new life to used objects. No wonder, why Sweden is a world champion in recycling, where 99% of waste is transformed, converted into something different and reused.

The well-known Swedish brand Ikea, characterized by simple and clean lines, is probably the best example, how to implement Lagom doctrine in furniture and daily habitat.

Nature is and has always been a very important part of the Swedish lifestyle and culture. From extreme climate with lack of sunlight in the winter time, to pleasant summers with long daylights, can strongly impact on activities. Cycling, walking and any kind of outdoor activities are part of life, independent on climate conditions. Swedish seem to find a perfect balance between work and pleasure despite the 40 hours working week, thanks to family laws.

One of the best-preserved medieval city centers Gamla Stan (Old town) is Stockholm’s original city center – souvenir shops, narrow streets, bars, restaurants, main public square, combined with small designer shops, Royal Palace and guards in front of the palace. The Old Town is from the 13^th century, but it was later extended by German merchants, who built many of the patrician houses up to 17^th century, converting the capital to an important trade center.

The Royal Palace is the official residence of His Majesty, the King of Sweden. The Palace houses over 600 rooms in seven floors with a state apartment and it is the setting for most of the monarchy’s official receptions. My favorite part of the palaces was the ceremony changing of the guards. The ceremony is not the same every day. There can be ceremony with horses, with the military band playing on horses or just the guards walking and accompanied by the band playing while walking around in different formations.

Vasa museum is the most visited museum of the whole Scandinavia, dedicated to a majestic 64-gun vessel, which sank on its maiden voyage in 1628. 400-year-old warship in a near perfect condition, decorated with hundreds of original carved sculptures, is the only star on the exhibition. Vasa ship sank in front of a huge crowd in the Stockholm harbor in 1628 and was lifted to the surface again in 1961. For nearly 50 years the ship had been deliberately restored to a state approaching its original glory. Finally, King Carl XVI Gustaf inaugurated the museum on 15^th June 1990.

Skansen open-air museum is promoted as the first open-air museum, with over 150 houses from around the country: church, pottery, bakery and many other activities are demonstrated by people dressed in traditional clothes from the old times.

One of the most memorable moments of my visit to Stockholm was grocery shopping in a local supermarket. It wasn’t that big, but it was the first time that I got in touch with Scandinavian goods. There were so many different brands and products that I had never seen before. The range of unique sweets and vegetarian products was much more extended than in Central Europe.

Some practical solutions made my shopping extremely enjoyable. From basket on a wheel to self-service for pretty much any products that was weighted and packed on spot. It was not fun to pay the bill though. High taxes, strict labor laws, high living standards and especially high-quality products are the main causes for prohibitive prices. There is no place for cheap, low quality imported goods from Asia.

Three days in Stockholm gave me a basic insight into the life of Swedish people, their habits and the main sights of the capital. A lot of research and discovery is missing in order to get to know this interesting country better.

However, I learned that Sweden is a country, where the quality of life is more important than luxury and competing with neighbors to see who owns a bigger house, more powerful car or luxurious goods.

A pleasant business environment, opportunities for development in the personal field and help of the state enable a calm and nature-oriented way of life, which impressed me. Lagom lifestyle rocks!