Skeppsholmen

Automatic translation

Nestled between Gamla Stan and Djurgården, Skeppsholmen ("the islet of ships") is a small island connected to Ostermalm by the famous "crowned" bridge, the Skepssholmsbron. From this island, another bridge leads to the tiny islet of Kastellholmen dominated by Kastellet castle , recognizable by its round and red tower. Its strategic position on the Baltic Sea at the entrance to the city of Stockholm made it a prime location for the construction of ships and the establishment of military buildings. Nowadays, the island is full of museums (the Moderna Museet, the Östasiatiska Museet), its shores are home to remarkable boats and offer magnificent, unobstructed views of Djurgården, Södermalm and Gamla Stan.

 

The island has always been away from the city: in Örnehufvud's time, the island was a royal pleasure garden and therefore was not suitable for conversion; later, when it became a shipyard and a naval base, the island remained inaccessible to citizens. Buildings related to shipbuilding are dispersed according to the trades and the topography of the place. The Admiralty buildings occupy the center of the island. Information panels (in English) are displayed all around the island to tell the story of these preserved old military buildings.

 

 

Access to Skeppsholmen is either by bridge or by boat from Gamla Stan or Djurgarden pier. The island is easily discovered on foot or by bicycle, and allows, along the Brobänken quay, to immerse yourself in the maritime atmosphere of Stockholm while admiring superb sailboats, fishing boats or warships, some of which are today. hui inhabited by individuals. On the quay, panels retrace the history of each of them! The historic marina docks give Skeppsholmen an authentic and charming feel. A peaceful island where it is good to stroll to contemplate sublime landscapes and exceptional panoramas in the heart of the Swedish capital.

 

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What to see on Skeppsholmen Island?

Moderna Museet - Museum of Modern Art

If London has its Tate Modern, New York its MoMA, Stockholm proudly presents its Moderna Museet! One of a kind, this unmissable museum in Stockholm is a world reference in the field of art, one of the main museums of modern and contemporary art in Europe! Designed by Rafael Moneo, the building covers 5000m2 of galleries devoted to artistic creation from 1900 to the present day. The museum includes majestic works by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Ljubov Popova, Salvador Dalí, Meret Oppenheim, Robert Rauschenberg, Donald Judd and Irving Penn, as well as works by working contemporary artists. Accessible to all and interactive, the collection includes paintings, sculptures, installations, films, videos, drawings and prints by Swedish and international artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as photographs from the 1840s to our days.

Outside the museum, enjoy the (free) outdoor sculpture collection at Moderna Museet. Over a dozen sculptures are scattered around Skeppsholmen, most of them near the museum itself. You can get a free map and guide inside the museum.

Besides its museum part, the Moderna Museet also includes a shop and a restaurant overlooking the charming shores of the island. The ideal place to eat, have a drink and enjoy a nice view of Djurgarden!

 

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Östasiatiska Muséet, the museum of East Asian antiquities

A true encounter with Asia awaits you at the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, the first museum of Asian art in Northern Europe. You will discover China, India, Southeast Asia, Japan and Korea. Stroll on the floor dedicated to China to retrace 6000 years of history, from pre-China to imperial China to China of the Middle Kingdom. Also discover the many facets of Japan by attending shows, religious performances and tea ceremonies.

ArkDes, Swedish Center for Architecture and Design

Notice to architecture lovers! ArkDes is the Swedish national center for architecture and design. The museum opened in the 1950s with the aim of creating an archive of photographs to present contemporary architecture to the public. In the 1970s it became the National Museum of Architecture, and in 2009 its mission expanded to include other areas of design. Today the collections bring together the most important works of Swedish architecture and design of the twentieth century, including the work of some of the country's most famous architects, examples of local engineering and design from the golden age of Swedish modernism.

Skeppsholmen Church

Inaugurated by King Charles XIV John on July 24, 1842 and still officially bearing his name, the Skeppsholmenkyrka Church designed by architect Fredrik Blom is located at the highest point of the island. It replaces a wooden church, burnt in 1822, and asserts itself as an octagonal and symmetrical neoclassical temple inspired by the Pantheon in Rome with a large dome that covers the entire interior. The austere plaster exterior is sparsely decorated, except for barely protruding pilasters and large Palladian windows. Religious services are no longer held in the church as the space is now used for jazz, pop, soul and folk concerts and many other cultural events.

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The Östra Brobänken docks (east of the island, facing Djurgarden)

Strolling along the quays on foot is undoubtedly the best way to succumb to the charm of the atypical decor of Skeppsholmen. The spectacle of traditional boats moored along the banks gives the place a bewitching maritime atmosphere.