I came to the Historiska Museet in Sweden primarily to see the Viking artefacts – the period in question is roughly between 800 and 1050AD.  The stereotypical legends of violent warriors pillaging and raping neighbouring lands to the east and west are very familiar, but relatively few of the people who lived at that time were Vikings.  For most, life revolved around farming communities – north men hunted and traded furs and this provided good opportunities for contact with people in the south.

Small groups did journey abroad to trade and, yes, sometimes to pillage, and they were largely responsible for returning to their communities with new customs, traditions and artefacts – including many things that changed the lives of the people living in these predominantly farming communities.The Historiska Museet aims to educate on the story of the people who lived in Sweden during this period.

Much of the information included in this post, is appropriated or paraphrased from plaques placed beside objects in the museum.

Rune stones were created to stand like advertising pillars in the landscape to commemorate lost loved ones.  This rune stone, called Unna’s Rune Stone was commissioned in memory of Osten, Unna’s son who died in his christening robes.  The work has been made by rune carver Visate, who cut the words and created this stone.  Most of these rune stones have been found from Uppland province.  This one originates in Torsatra. Picture stone with smithing scene from the Saga of Volund.  Gotland, Ardre Chruch, 8th-9th century.Over 1,000 Viking Age silver hoards have been found in Sweden.  One of the largest hoards was from Sigsarve, on Gotland Island and weighs in at six kilos of silver objects.  The hoard may have been intended as some sort of payment in the form of jewellery as silver weight, as items are either whole or hacked to pieces  There were 1,382 coins in the hoard as well – interestingly the majority of them are of Islamic origins.

The following items: brooches, coins, rings, pendants, bracelets, various dress accessories and belt fittings are from the Sigsarve hoard. 10thC to early 11thC, Gotland,Penannular brooches from the Sigsarve hoard. 10thC to early 11thC, Gotland
Viking treasure found on the outskirts of Stockholm, Varby.
Viking era swords:

The Princess from Birka:  Magnificent objects were found in a timber-lined burial chamber in Birka which gives us evidence that women had considerable influence, power and status in Viking Age society.  This image is an illustration of her grave and what she might have looked like.
She wore a key, clearly visible on the outside of her dress showing her control on the estate.  She managed the resources and facilitated the generosity that was important to the family maintaining status and subsequently, control.
She wore exquisitely wrought brooches, in the shape of horses, and an impressive collection of beads made from glass, earthenware, rock crystal and silver.  The brooches themselves were inset with Frankish.  Her image radiates power, wealth and status. Her grave also contained a comb, a knife, a bowl, two whetstones, a case, a glass smoother, a whalebone board, a ring of Thor’s hammer showing her belief system  Blackware jug from Rhine region, originally with foil decoration, from Birka. Inviting guests to lavish feasts was a feature of high society in the Viking era.  Such feasting was an important part of the aristocracy’s lifestyle.   Funnel glasses from the Frankish realm were apt for displaying wealth at such feasts.  Other luxurious and delicate glass artefacts were also found, such as bowls from Persia, and game pieces.

Glass beakers aka funnel beakers, Birka.Glass gaming pieces, Birka.

Necklace, silver and rock crystal, Gotland, Lye.

This petroglyph from the island of Gotland shows several people with drinking horns.  During the Viking Age, alcoholic drinks were brewed – most popular were mead and ale. This stone depects men drinking and below, battling with swords. Picture stone, from Lillbjars, Gotland may have been part of a coffin lid. Vendel Magnate:  From a powerful clan in Uppland, he is dressed in his most luxurious clothes and dress accessories. This baron was buried in his ship, along with his most valuable possessions including an iron cauldron, a meat fork, gaming pieces, an axe, a spear, arrow heads, shield bosses and a seax.  This image shows his grave as it was found.

The extravagant items show the luxurious lifestyle enjoyed by those in his clan and his hall, the weapons highlight his role as a war leader.
Fittings from a Birka pouch.a Collection of tools found in a tool chest – fire, grid and iron tools (plate shears hacksaw, keys and nail irons), Gotland, Mastermyr. Silver brooch with relief ornamentation, Skane, Rinkaby. Decorative bronze chains, Birka c.800AD Women’s decorative dress brooches – approximately 12-15cm in length, bronze.

Bronze hook keys, and chain for a woman’s dress, Gotland, Hemse. Similar women’s dress keys, much larger than expected.  Key in bottom right, approx 10-11cm. Reconstruction of viking men’s clothing.. Reconstruction of women’s clothing… The district of Dalarna and adjacent provinces to the north were centres for the important iron trade, with routes going past lake Siljan.  Many valuable iron objects are evident among grave finds from this region, including Solleron.

Iron sword from a man’s grave (possibly an iron trader), Dalarna, Solleron.
Many children’s items were found at Birka, including jewellery which resembles smaller replica’s of adult jewellery items, and bells of all sizes seem to have been quite common.   were able to possess important social positions by virtue of their parentage and as such were often buried in well-equipped graves to demonstrate their status.

Child’s brooches and beads, smaller, simpler and less extravagant than a woman’s accessories, but still used to denote rank and importance.
Children’s bell – approximately 2.5 – 3.0cm in diameter.  Many other examples roughly 2cm in size. The Ruler of Oland:  A burial grave of regal splendour was found in Kopingsvik on the Island of Oland.  She was buried with a staff made of iron and bronze, indicating her religious position as an Old Norse female cult leader, called a Volur, meaning ‘staff carrier’. She would have been the leader of a very wealthy clan on Oland, perhaps the most powerful on the island.

She was buried inside a ship with several animals having been sacrificed in her burial ceremony.  The fact that a man was burned at the same time as the woman indicates a human sacrifice.  Bear claws indicate that the deceased was wrapped in a bearskin.

Brooches and beads of the Ruler of Oland.
Reconstruced ‘throne’ of the Ruler of Oland. In eastern Scandinavia, the spread of Christianity varied from district to district.  This display is of finds from the Garda cemetery on Gotland Island.  Christian graves did not generally reveal as many artefacts as a pagan Viking grave.Displaced items: This crozier was found on Helgo Island – it is from Ireland and contains a Buddha figurine from India.  Additionally, in the same Viking long hall on Helgo Island, a ladle from the Eastern Mediterranean was found as well… Archeologist have determined that the Buddha is 6thC Indian in origin, coiled in the top of a crozier that was made in Ireland c800AD.  It may be related to the Coptic Christian Church and the objects may have arrived on Helgo Island as exclusive aristocratic gifts or pillaged goods.
Mediterranean ladle found in a Viking long hall site on Helgo Island. Baptismal font from Norum, Bohuslan province.  The image etched on the font depicts Gunnar in the snake pit – a scene from the famed Volsunga Saga; demonstrating that the early Christian church blended heathen myths with Christian precepts.  The rune text reads “Sven made me”

Blasted into the bedrock beneath the central courtyard is a 700 m² concrete vault known as the Gold Room, where an enormous number of gold and silver objects are on display. They have so many gold and silver objects that many displays are just piles of the stuff all jumbled together.  The Gold Room It was built in 1994 and when you walk in, it has a mystical almost cultish appearance, thanks in part to a to the dark red display cases, the large limestone pillars holding up the ceiling, heavy timber doors, wrought ironwork.  and representation of Mimir’s Well in the centre of a circular exhibition room. 

The room contains about 3000 objects made from a total of 52 kg gold and more than 200 kg of silver.  It was only with the heightened security the vault provided, that most of the gold objects could be on display for the general public.  Sweden has one of Europe’s richest collections of antique gold and silver.  Under a law passed in the 17th century, any unclaimed finds more than 100 years old and made of gold, silver, or copper alloy must be purchased by the state.  As a result, a large number of gold and silver artifacts and hoards have been preserved in tact.

Brooch from a na’s grave, Uppland (Brondkyrko), Haga, c.1100-900BC Gold bow, Blekinge, Nattraby/Skrea. 1100-900 BC. Gold bracteate with Aesir saga motif (Tyr and the Fenriswolf), Trollhattan, 400-500AD. Valkyrie pendant,Oland,Koping, 800-1050AD. Silver crucifix, Uppland, Adelso, Birka, c.800-1050. Thor’s hammer, gilded pendant, Odeshog, c.800-1050AD Arm ring made of gold from Skane, Glostorp, Kaglinge, c.400AD Twisted gold bracelet, Sodermanland, Vanso c.800-1050AD Relief buckles made of gilded silver from Oland, c.400-550AD
Equal-armed relief buckles made of gilded silver, Narke, Svennevad, Gilberga, c.400-550AD Relief buckle and buttons made of gilded bronze with garnet inlay, from Vastmanland, Tortuna, Nicktuna, c.400-550ADIron and bronze helmet, Uppland, Vendel, c.550-800AD
Gold bracelets with terminal animal heads.  Oland, As, c.400AD. Finely decorated gold charm beads, Vastergotland, Dalstorp, c.400AD. Gold collar, Vasergotland, Mone. 5th century. Godl ring with carneol seting, Old Uppsala, Fullero, c400AD. Finely decorated gold charm beads, Vastergotland, Dalstorp, c.400AD. Gold rings worn and used as currency, Gotland. c.8thC Sword with silver, copper and brass inlay, Gotland, Halla, c.800-1050AD Included as the most matching/symmetrical set of Viking beads I have ever seen… this pleases me and makes me think that somewhere, at some time in history, was a woman whose obsessive personality traits/tendencies were similar to my own.  😉 

Gold ornaments, Gotland, Labro, c.1000-1500AD

PRE-HISTORY SECTION
MEDIEVAL COLLECTION:

Footed chalice, c.1400-1500AD.
Impossible to photograph delicate filigree chain… Prayer book for Malin Sture, a young woman of a noble family in Sodermanland, Horningsholm, c.1599.Jewelled pendant owned by Queen Maria Eleanora (1599-1655).
Everyday objects from the medieval town strata in Uppsala and Strngnas – a child’s shoe, a casing mould and a book cover 1100-1500AD. Silver gilt goblet for King Karl Knutsson Bonde, Vastmanland, Angso Castle, 1468-1470. Reconstruction of Qeuun Marget’s gown – the original woven of cloth of gold, belongs to Uppsala Cathedral Museum, c15th century. St Briget –  details of the altarpiece, depicting different ages of Briget. Ostergotland, Appuna Church, 1450-1475. Broadleaf-wood drinking horn.  Uppland c.1300-1400AD. Oak reliquary, overdrawn with gilded copper, Vastergotland, Eriksberg Church, c.1175AD

Weirdo re-enactor types take over the central courtyard for the summer season, showing people smithing, weaving, cooking, archery and other elements of the Viking lifestyle.
I tried to record* as much as I could of the information attached to the various artefacts – it became increasingly difficult to do so in the pre-history section, as fewer of the plaques were in English.  I have included many of these images anyway, as they show a progressional development from the pre-historical era 0-400AD to the later 800-1000AD era.  As per usual, I could have used more time…

*apologies for any inaccuracies – I’m on a train trying to compile all this!

I had a few hours this morning before I was going to be needed at the conference, so I took the subway to Stadsholmen in Gamla stan to see a few museums.  I know!  How unusual for me!  First I went to the Nobel Museum, which is dedicated to sharing information on winners of the Nobel Prize.  It showcases Novel laureates from 1901 to the present day and focuses on the life founder, Alfred Nobel (1833-1896).  It is an extremely cramped little museum, and apparently, they are hoping to move it to a larger facility sometime in the future which would be good.

This was the Stock Exchange Building, before becoming the Nobel Museum.  Around the corner is the Royal Palace – Kungliga Slottet. While the Swedish royal family actually reside now at the Drottningholm Palace, all the offices of the Royal Court of Sweden are located here, and all royal duties performed by King Carl XVI and Queen Silvia as heads of state are performed here.

The main entrance hall. Audience chamber.

The Kungliga Slottet has been on this same site since the mid 13thC when the original Tre Kronor Castle was built, which was destroyed by a fire in 1697.  The current palace was designed by a fantastically named, Nicodemus Tessin the Younger and built on the same site with construction starting in 1700.  They had to stop construction apparently due to the expensive Great Northern War (Yes, you read that right, there was a Great Northern War between a Russian lead coalition and the Kingdom of Sweden!), and it was restarted again in 1727.  The palace was finished in 1754 and much of the Rococo interiors were done by Carl Harleman, many of which are still as they were – there has been very little done to the Palace other than modernizing or redecorating to the tastes of subsequent royalty.

I can never get over the sheer over the top decorative features on every surface in palaces and important civic buildings from the Rococo and Baroque periods – every little nook and cranny is heavily decorated with cherubs and curlicues, the time and skill it must have taken to create these spectacles of lavish wealth and status is phenomenal… the overall visual effect is somewhat overwhelming.

The Apartments of the Orders of Chivalry Random bit of wall panelling… Probably affectionately refered to as the Blue Room, the Red Room and the Green Room, the Apartments of the Orders of Chivalry are decked out with displays of regalia – uniforms and fealty chains (dating from the 18th-20thC). The detail is just astonishing! Below is a display of every award bestowed on one Prince Bertil of Sweden, Duke of Halland and son of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and his first wife, Princess Margaret of Connaught (18 February 1912 to 5 January 1997).  I guess that was the thing – bestow all the awards and favours on your family.  I was unable to get a photo of the gold work on this vestment – it was seriously impressive though. More crazy detail 20′ in the air.  So much gilt! Below: Fealty Chain of the Order of the Annunciation – c.1518.

The Royal Apartments and Guest Apartments: The King’s Official Bedchamber – his actual bed chamber is behind doors somewhere, much smaller and more intimate and therefore more easily heated.  The bedchambers became somewhat less formal audience chambers. Ceiling detail: Musian’s loft in a salon.
Familiy portrait gallery. Guest apartment:

Main central Courtyard: Forward circular courtyard: Roya Chapel:

After touring the Royal Apartments, I went to the Schatzkammaran – the Royal Treasury – that is housed underneath the Royal Palace.  Here, the regalia belonging to the Royal house of Sweden is kept in a museum on public display. None of the crowns or coronets have been worn by Swedish royalty since the early 1900s, but they are still used for display purposes at weddings, christenings and funerals.  Unfortunately, they do not allow photos in the Treasury… so I have unashamedly stolen some from Wikipedia to show the sorts of things we were able to view:

Crown of Eric XIV, c.1561Crown of Queen Christina of Sweden. c.1620. Coronet and septre of the Queen Consort. c.1751. Coronet of the Heir Apparent.  c.1772

View from the Palace back towards the city.
As I was leaving a parade was coming by – there is a cultural festival on in Stockholm this week, so the inner city is full of pavilions with international food, and stages for music performances. Then I had to come back to the hotel to do some work before heading out this evening to the formal reception at the Stockholm City Hall as part of the conference schedule.

TO BE CONTINUED…

So this evening the conference took us to a formal reception at Stockholm’s City Hall which is where the Municipal Council for Stockholm lives. It is located on the eastern end of Kungsholmen Island and contains the council chambers, conference rooms, reception centres and just happens to be the venue for the Nobel Prize banquets. The building looks a lot older than it is – it was built only in the early 1900s, but very much looks part of the architectural heritage of Stockholm. The formal entrance foyer is covered in large tapestries. The Blue Room where we had our reception.  They had laid on the most lavish meal with lots of salmon, pickled herrings, potato au gratin, cauliflower terrine, beets, cheeses, breads and the ubiquitous Swedish meatballs (Which we have been served every morning since we got here!  Who knew meatballs were a breakfast food?!) Ceiling detail. View out the windows of the reception room – across to Riddarholmen and Södermalm. Right off the Blue Room lies the Golden Hall (Gyllene Salen), which is very aptly named for the beautiful golden decorative mosaics that line the entire walls of the expansive halls.  There are over 18 million mosaic tiles in this room that have been used to create scenes from Swedish history. The mosaics were commissioned from a German firm called Puhl & Wagner and it took over nine years for the commision to be completed (1883-1941).  I was blown away by the sheer beauty of the room and took so many photographs of the mosaic scenes.

The room is used after the Nobel Prize ceremonies for a ballroom, and it is not often that people can come here without being on an offical tour of the building… I was thrilled to be able to take so many pictures, and contemplate the grandeur of this place in a relatively small group.  Seeing a masterpiece of decorative arts like this is always impressive – the workmanship, the creativity and the time, the sheer time that goes into making something like this is incredible. Direclty outside the Golden Salon is a central covered courtyard that then leads around to the Stockholm Council Chambers.It is an interesting contrast to move form a space covered literally in gilt tiles to a courtyard space that is rough hewn red brick.
The Council chambers are apparently all decorated in red – as this is the ‘beating heart’ of the city of Stockholm.  The designer who created this space was particularly taken with the idea of the President of the Council being under a traditional audience/throne-like valance, but the politicians at the turn of the century with no enamoured with the idea of the President sitting ‘in state’ and looking like Royalty, so they argued with the designer to remove the regal looking valanced canopy.  The designer responded creatively saying that the canopy assisted with the acoustics of the room, and that it would help the President be heard.  The politicians at the time, knowing nothing of acoustics, seemed to have shrugged and and acquiesed… though it has since been tested by experts who have confirmed what we would already know – that the canopy does not have offer any benefit to the acoustics at all.  Well played. The ceiling is painted to look like the sky so the words of the elected representatives can ‘float upwards and out into the city of Stockholm’… lovely imagery, but today the cameras in the corner that live stream proceedings to the web are probably more effective than the ceiling. What a beautiful venue.  We had a lovely evening socialising with the people we have been working with this week, and after this head back to our hotel, the Hotel Birger Jarl to have a few drinks.  Lots of discussion on buses and trains and taxis ensued before being able to take off my shoes (my poor little feet!) and get some sleep.

The conference has started, and I was only required for the key note addresses this morning, so I had the rest of the day to explore… and what a gorgeous day it was, Stockholm!  Seriously impressed at the lovely cool sunny weather, so much so, I decided to walk to the Djurgården this morning instead of taking the train or a bus to see a bit of the town on the way.  The Djurgården area is the location of many of Stockholm’s museums, including a ‘bucket list’ item for me – the famous Vasa Museum.   The stroll along the city’s waterfront was really beautiful and the architecture here is amazing.

The Vasa Museet!  I stopped in because I simply couldn’t help myself, but I am not going to write about it yet – as part of our conference, we are having a private after-hours tour of the Vasa with the Director of the museum, followed by a formal conference dinner, which is also being held here on Wednesday night.  As such, I am likely to gain more information that I will want to include – so I’m going to put it all in a later post.Here is a sneak preview couple of photos though – it is just as impressive as I had imagined, and such an amazing facility to display the warship in.  Much, much more to follow in a couple of days. After this, I decided to visit the Nordiska Museet.  The Nordic Museum is a Swedish cultural history museum, located at Lejonslätten in the Djurgården. They say, if you want to understand the Swedes and Sweden, you must visit here. The museum attempts to preserve the daily lives and work of Sweden from the 16thC to today.  Apparently, it is Sweden’s largest cultural history museum with a collection of over 1.5 million items – needless to say, I did not see them all. And to be completely honest I pretty much skimmed past most things that were post-1600 (as you do when you are predominantly interested in medieval history).The museum is in a gorgeous building (c1889-1907) founded by Artur Hazelius, who also founded the Skansen Open-Air Museum, which I went to later.The main hall is spectacular – at the moment there is an exhibition on in here, representing the Aurora Borealis… images, a collection, and a weird darkened room that you can go into, let your eyes adjust, then a visual representation of the northern lights appears overhead.  It was interesting, but they have not depicted the phenomenon as vibrant, animated or as bright as it is in real life. Gustav III carved in oak and made enormous. There was a historical costume exhibition section, but everything was post-17thC, so I kinda hopped and skipped through that with a few stops to enjoy the fabrics. Then there is an extensive jewellery collection – but again, all items were 17th-18thC, so I didn’t record any particular detail of them, just enjoyed the pretties and took a few photos of the more stunning piece. Bit obscure – but these are 18thC brooches. And then a toy and dollhouses exhibit… which was pretty cool.  I have seen large royal doll houses in the UK, and in Austria.  I’ve never really understood the fascination with them.  I was always more of a train sets and footballs kinda kid. And then I got to the tableware…  All photos included here are pre 17thC.  Serving dishes, drinking horns, ewers, knives, spoons and all good things.  I have a bit more information on some of the items came from – but they are all made in Sweden and all date from the 1500s. Owen, if you are reading this – this travel KFS set should be on your ‘to-do’ list… it’s c.1560 and has a carved wooden case to store them in. Carving set c.1589 I also saw some photographic exhibitions, a series of dioramas depicting Nordic traditions (covering everything from weddings to Christmases to funerals), an exhibition on Swedish furniture and lighting design and the ever present museum gift shop.  I have discovered that I’m not that fond of modern Swedish design… well, actually that is not entirely true.  I have never been a fan of Ikea design either – and the museum worthy designer objects exhibition seemed to be the precursor to a modern Ikea catalogue. So I should not have been surprised to find it a little lacking in the lustre department for me.  It’s just not my cup of tea.

After checking out the Nordiska Museet, I thought I would try and ferret out some earlier period artefacts.  Much earlier.  Nearby was the VikingAliv museum where you can ‘Discover the Age of the Vikings’ according to the blurb on the Stockholm Pass.  With ‘exhibits from the Swedish History Museum’, it sounded a little more up my alley.  Oh, I was so wrong!  This place was 1) expensive to get into but thankfully I got a discount with the Stockholm Pass, 2) set up for people who know absolutely nothing about iron age history and have to be spoon fed, and 3) finished with an alarming Disneyesque ‘ride’ through models and vignettes depicting a character named Ragnifrid sending her husband, Harald, on a two year journey to find barrels of silver – complete with fake lightning, a too loud and over enthusiastic commentary track, dodgy visual effects and a jerky carriage/train thing taking you through rooms in the dark.  It was Madame Tussauds all over again!
A partial life size replica of a viking longboat. Below, a model of a viking long house… A recreated viking meal: Boiled pork with thyme and lovage, black pudding with pieces of pork and apple, honey-glazed ham, freshly baked crispbread with butter. Smoked cheese with cummin, goat’s milk feta, bowls of nuts and apples on a skewer, and mead.

Some actual artefacts – obviously these are the items on loan from the Swedish History Museum. There were only about 30 items in total, so I dare say I had better add the actual museum to my list.  Key, iron bronze and copper, bolt key & Key iron, Functional claw key.
Solberga Koping Parish, Oland.
Counters and dice, antler and bone.
Harads-Kumla, Harad Parish, Sodermanland Spindle whorl, burnt clay, Solberga, Koping Parish, Oland
Beads, glass and faience with thin threads of red and blue glass around the middle, Harads-Kumla, Harad Parish, Sodermanland

And then there was the unexpected ‘ride’ thing… all I can say is, “Oh, dear.” Thunderbolts and lightning, very very frightening.

Which prompted me to post this to my friends on Facebook. I know it looks ironic, but at the time, it really really wasn’t.  Nevermind, I have a few more days to find the ‘real history’!  😉 

From here, I decided to stop by the Spirits Museum – another place included on the Stockholm Pass that I just happened to be walking past after the VikingsAliv thing.  The Stockholm Pass gives you entry to some 60 major attractions in Stockholm, and can offer a significant discount if you plan on going a little nuts on the town’s multitude of museums – which I was absolutely planning to do.

The Spirits Museum houses a collection of original Absolut art works – much of which has been featured in the various advertising campaigns over the years, as well as a history of distilling in Sweden, and a tasting of various Swedish spirits – of which Absolut vodka is one of the most successful and most famous.

Andy Warhol – Absolute Art Collection, acrylic on canvas Hiroshi Yamada – “Absolute Yamada”, Oil on wood
Gregory Warmack – Mr Imagination, sculpture with bottlecaps and tinfoil. Absolut Bailey – Xenobia Bailey, mixed media hand crochetd, poly yarn and plastic beads.Rostislav Lebedev – Absolut Lebedev, Acrylic on paper. Alexander Kosolapov – Absolut Kosolapov, acrylic on canvas. Irina Nakhova – Absolut Nakhova, arcrylic on canvas.

After a tasty beverage or two, I figured I had better keep moving and went to the nearby Skansen Museum, which was the world’s first open-air museum created in 1891.  Here you can stroll through an enormous complex covering five centuries of Swedish history.  It has a real sense of the past around you in the historical buildings, people in period garb and many living history exhibits.
There are over 150 buildings from all over Sweden that have been dismantled and reassembled in the area.  There is also a Zoo containing bears, wolves, and lynx and a kid’s petting zoo as well.  The most interesting area (to me) was the town quarter which has a bakery, a furniture workshop, a pottery workshop, a glass blowing facility, pubs and restaurants and many other places of general industry. The bakers selling delicious period buns – vanilla bun also tasted strangely of cardamom.  Interesting but it worked.
Glass blowing working and moulds for glasswork.All of which is on sale of course, though I am unsure how ‘period’ little pink elephants are…

Gubbyhllan was original a summer residence log house built in 1816.  It was formerly in Hasselbacken just outside of Skansen, but was relocated to the museum in 1963.  It is currently being used as a beautiful little cafe.

Sideshow alley and fun fair. Skansen towerSome traditional grass and thatched roofed farming cottages.
This is the Seglora church from the Seglora Parish and built in 1730 official church, opened in 1730. The church is still an active ecumenical church with regular worship services and it is one of Sweden’s most popular wedding churches apparently.  Not hard to see why, it is very picturesque. Ekshäradsgården is a farmhouse dating from the 1820s, which was in Norra Skoga, Ekshärads, and was moved to Skansen 1952-1953, An Allotment House – tiny house with large self-sustaining kitchen gardens.  There are rows of them in the village.

The Iron Traders house is located in the town quarter district and is a shop dating form the 1880s.  It was moved an opened in 2006.

After visiting the Skansen museum it was off to brave the public transport to get to the centre of town and meet Mr K after his workshop.  Stockholm is very beautiful and I am looking foward to exploring a little more tomorrow morning before heading to a work function at City Hall in the afternoon.