Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, lies on the country’s east coast on the estuary where Lake Malaren joins the Baltic Sea. As a result, it has become The Baltic’s largest port, with a population of 1.65 million.  Most importantly, It has become a gorgeous city of lush parks and majestic buildings. It occupies 14 islands which are connected by over 50 bridges. Therefore,  Stockholm is often called “the Venice of the North” or “Beauty on Water”. Stockholm is the seat of Sweden’s constitutional Monarch and its parliamentary Government. On top of that, it is also  the home of the Philharmonic Orchestra, Ballet, the Royal Swedish Opera and the Royal Theatre where such legends as Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman and Ingmar Bergman were discovered.

The Gamla Stan is the oldest part of Stockholm and a popular tourist attraction. You can see narrow cobblestone streets with beautiful buildings dating from the 14th through to the 19th century. Nowadays the streets have become house boutiques, restaurants, cafes and clubs. Sweden is well-known as an innovative pioneer in social policy and some of its most significant programs include: the old age pension, public housing and assistance for higher education. These comprehensive government programs have helped Sweden achieve a very high standard of living. On December 10th of each year, The Nobel Prize Banquet takes place in Stockholm City Hall.

Stockholm’s harbor opens into an archipelago of 24,000 islands and islets. A popular area for holidays with some 50,000 summer homes and chalets. People generally reach these houses and cottages boats. There are around 250,000 private boats in the City and its suburbs. It is through this expanse of natural beauty, created in the last Ice Age, that cruise ships enter and exit on their visit to Stockholm. This journey usually takes more or less 3 hours and gifts a visually magnificent scenery.

There is evidence of Stone Age to Ice Age settlements along the shores of Lake Malaren, Sweden’s largest inland body of water. It is known that Vikings were in this area over 1,000 years ago.  However, the first mention of Stockholm was in 1252 when Birger Jarl granted the City a Charter, founding it as a Fort for protection against pirate raids from the sea. By the 14th century, Stockholm was a town of merchants and craftsmen, and Sweden was under the rule of Queen Margarete of Denmark.

In 1430 the Swedes rebelled against Danish Dominance. In 1435 they assembled the first Swedish Parliament. The next year the Council of Sweden granted privileges to the citizens of Stockholm. In 1523 Gustav Vas, the George Washington of Sweden, freed his country from the tyranny of Christian II of Denmark, and Stockholm became the capital of Sweden. During the Thirty Years War (1618 – 1648) Sweden became a major power with possessions all around the Baltic. The capital city grew as trade flourished. From the 17th century to the early 18th century, fire and plague ravaged the area. In the 19th century, at the conclusion of the Napoleonic wars, Sweden lost Finland to Russia. However, It could take Norway away from the Danes.