STOCKHOLM- SWEDEN’S CAPITAL CITY

1. Gamla Stan
Gamla Stan, the Old Town, is one of the largest and best preserved medieval
city centers in Europe, and one of the foremost attractions in Stockholm. This is
where Stockholm was founded in 1252. All of Gamla Stan and the adjacent
island of Riddarholmen are like a living pedestrian-friendly museum full of
sights, attractions, restaurants, cafés, bars and places to shop. Gamla Stan is also
popular with aficionados of handicrafts, curios and souvenirs. The narrow
winding cobblestone streets, with their buildings in so many different shades of
gold, give Gamla Stan its unique character.
There are several beautiful churches and museums in Gamla Stan, including
Sweden’s national cathedral Stockholm Cathedral and the Nobel Museum. The
largest of the attractions in the district is the Royal Palace, one of the largest
palaces in the world with over 600 rooms. In addition to the reception rooms,
there are several interesting museums in the Palace, including the Royal Amory,
with royal costumes and armor. Don't miss the parade of soldiers and the daily
changing of the guard. 

2. City Hall
The Stockholm City Hall is one of Sweden’s most famous buildings, and one of
the capital's most visited tourist attractions. It is famous for its grand ceremonial
halls and unique pieces of art and is the venue of the Nobel Prize banquet held
on 10th of December each year. It also houses offices for 200 people including
the Municipal Council.  A total of eight million red bricks is required to
construct this national romantic building, designed by the architect Ragnar
Östberg.
Today, the town hall is one of Stockholm's most iconic buildings with its over
100 meters high tower and perfect location right by the water. It is from the City
Hall that the capital is controlled ans around 200 politicians and officials have
the building as their workplace every day. The City Hall does not only
accommodate offices and workplaces, but also grand ballrooms and meeting
rooms. To enjoy the complete stunning views of Stockholm you need to climb a
winding staircase and go all the way to the top.

3.The Vasa Museum

The Vasa is the only preserved seventeenth-century ship in the world, and a
unique art treasure. More than 95 percent of the ship is original, and it is
decorated with hundreds of carved sculptures.  Today the Vasa Museum is the
most visited museum in Scandinavia, with over one million visitors a year.
There are ten different exhibitions around the ship to tell about life on board the
ship. The film about the Vasa is shown in 13 different languages. In addition
there is a well-stocked shop and a pleasant restaurant. Tours of the museum take
place every day.

4.Stockholm Royal Palace (Kungliga Slottet)

Stockholm Royal Palace - known also as the Stockholms slott or Kungliga
slottet - is the official center for the Swedish monarchy. It should be noted that
this palace is different than the private residence of the royal family,
Drottinghom Palace. It is adjacent to the Riksdag, the Swedish Parliament and
the Renaissance-style building in Renaissance was designed by Nicodemus
Tessin the Younger. The stunning palace has hundreds of rooms decorated in
Baroque and Roccoco style.
On the first floor are former royal apartments, on the second floor the state
apartments and guest rooms. In the south wing are the chapel and the Hall of the
Estates. The offices of the current King, Carl XVI Gustaf and the other
members of the Royal Family as well as the offices of the Royal Court of
Sweden are also located in the palace. the library contain the royal book
collection with 1,00,000 books. In summer months, you listen to a military band
and see horse parade.

5.Drottningholm Palace
Drottningholm Palace is Sweden's best preserved royal palace constructed in
the seventeenth century, the permanent residence of the royal family. The
palace features magnificent salons from the seventeenth, eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries, a beautiful park, a unique palace theatre and a Chinese
Pavilion. Drottningholms Slottsteater (the Drottningholm Palace Theatre) is the
best preserved eighteenth-century theatre in Europe, and the only one in the
world that still uses the original stage machinery on a regular basis. The
Slottsteater has guided tours and performances during the summer. The rooms
in the southern part of the palace are reserved for members of the royal family.
In 1991 Drottningholm was the first Swedish attraction put on UNESCO’s list
of World Heritage Sites.

PUSHKIN, St. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

Pushkin is a municipal town in Pushkinsky district of the Federal city of St.
Petersburg. Pushkin is also known as twin sisters. Pushkin is twinned with the

following sister cities:

Athens, Greece
Aalborg, Denmark
Alexander Palace:
Favourite Residency of last Russian emperor Nicholas II.
Today it’s going under renovation as a Museum, Housing relics of the Former
Imperial dynasty

Amber room:
Amber room or Yantarnaya Komnata is world famous chamber decorated in
amber panel backed by Gold leaf and mirror.
It was originally constructed in the 18th century in Prussia, the amber room
disappeared during the WWII and was recreated in 2003. It is said that before
the World War II amber room was Eighth wonders of the world.
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MOSCOW, RUSSIA

Kremlin:

Is the fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, overlooking the Moskva River
to the south, Saint Basil’s Cathedral and Red Square to the east, and the
Alexander Garden to the west. It is the best known of the Kremlins (Russian
citadels) and includes five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin
Wall with Kremlin towers. Also within this complex is the Grand Kremlin
Palace. The complex serves as the official residence of the President of the
Russian Federation.

The name “Kremlin” means “fortress inside a city”, and is often also used
metonymically to refer to the government of the Russian Federation in a similar
sense to how “ White House” is used to refer to the Executive Office of the
President of the United States. It had previously been used to refer to the
government of the Soviet Union (1922-1991) and its highest members (such as
general secretaries, premiers, presidents, ministers, and commissars).

Cathedral of Christ The Saviour: Constructed and completed in 26th may,

1883, reconstructed in 19th Aug’, 2000

Russian Orthodox cathedral in Moscow, Russia, on the northern bank of the

Moskva River, a few blocks southwest of the Kremlin. With an overall height
of 103 meters, it is the tallest Orthodox Christian church in the world.
 The current church is the second to stand on this site. The original church, built
during the 19th century, took more than 40 years to build. It was destroyed in
1931 on the order of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. The demolition was supposed
to make way for a colossal Palace of the Soviets  to house the country's
legislature, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Construction started in 1937 but
was halted in 1941 when Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union during World
War II. Its steel frame was disassembled the following year, and the Palace was
never built. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the current church
was rebuilt on the site during 1995–2000.

The original church was the scene of the 1882 world premiere of the 1812
Overture composed by Tchaikovsky, which became internationally famous.

White House:

The House of the government of the Russian federation, also known as

the Russian White House, is a government building in Moscow. The building
serves as the primary office of the government of Russia and is the official
workplace of the Russian prime minister

Sparraw Hills:

Formerly known as Lenin Hills between 1935 and 1999, is a hill on the right
bank of the Moskva River and one of the highest points in Moscow, reaching a
height of 220 m (720 ft), or 60–70 m (200–230 ft) above the river level.
The observation platform, which gives a good panoramic view of the city, is on
a steep bank 85 m (279 ft) above the river, or 200 m (660 ft) above sea level.
The Luzhniki Stadium (formerly the Lenin Stadium), where the opening and
closing ceremonies for the 1980 Summer Olympics  took place, is right below,
across the Moskva River Next to it is the Novodevichy convent, with its
Naryshkin Baroque towers.
Not far from the observation platform is the Luzhniki Metro Bridge. The two-
level Metro-Bridge traverses the river to link Komsomolsky Prospekt with
Vernadsky Prospekt. It serves two urban transport systems: motor vehicles and
the Moscow Metro subway. The glass-walled subway station Vorobyovy Gory
is at the lower level of the bridge.
The main landmarks of the hills are the Moscow State University (at one time
the tallest building in Europe) and the Trinity Church.

Metro Tour:
It is not tour, it is a journey which has been converted into a type of tour. The
major part and the attraction in this tour is metro stations. The beautiful metro
station attracts people the most. It feels like you are roaming in some royal
palace by train. The station consist of paintings of different kings, wall painting
of different kings who were ruled Russia maybe. It has beautiful windows, huge
pillars and Chandelier.

St. Basil’s Cathedral:

It is also known as the cathedral of intercession of the virgin by mount. The

church is in red square was built in 1551-61. It symbolize the kingdom of God.
The walls are decorated with precious stone. It is actually 9 churches connected
to each other with galleries and passways. Each era left its traces on the
cathedral’s architecture. The belfry that is the Bell is still operational and it has
preserved the sound of 16th century. In 1923 it was converted into museum, in
1929 they made it the branch of state historical museum, but in early 1990 they
again start using it for religious purposes. And now it is a UNESCO Heritage
site.
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St. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

St. Petersburg is a Russian port city on the Baltic Sea. It was the imperial capital
of 2 countries having been founded in 1703 by peter the great, subject of the
city iconic “bronze Horseman” statue. It Remains Russian cultural centre. With
venues such as the mariinsky theatre hosting opera and ballet and the state
Russian museum showcasing Russian art, from orthodox icon paintings to
Kandinsky work.

Neva River:

Neva River is only 46 miles long and flows from Lake Ladoga to the Gulf of
Finland, in the eastern part of Baltic Sea. Before joining the Baltic Sea, the neva
river splits into several branches forming a delta, where downtown St.
Petersburg is located. On average the river is 1300- 2000 feet wide, but near the
peter and Paul fortress and the hermitage it exceeds 2600 feet. The river is
covered with ice between mid-December and early april and during this period
ships are unable to navigate the river but whatever the season the neva river is a
wonderful accompaniment to the architectural splendor of the winter palace.
The admiralty, the peter and Paul fortress, the summer garden and the major
landmarks that stands on its bank.

Alexander Column:

The Alexander Column also known as Alexandrian Column is the focal point

of Palace Square in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The monument was raised after
the Russian victory in the war with Napoleon’s France. The column is named
for Emperor Alexander I of Russia who reigned from 1801–25.

The Alexander Column was designed by the French-born architect Auguste de

Montferrand, built between 1830 and 1834 with Swiss-born architect Antonio
Adamini, and unveiled on 30 August 1834 (St. Alexander of Constantinople's
Day). The monument is claimed to be the tallest of its kind in the world at
47.5 m (155 ft 8 in) tall and is topped with a statue of an angel holding a cross,
as a triumphal column it may be the highest but the Monument to the Great Fire
of London is a freestanding column 62 m high. As a monolith that has been
quarried, moved and erected it is the heaviest recorded. The statue of the angel
was designed by the Russian sculptor Boris Orlovsky. The face of the angel
bears great similarity to the face of Emperor Alexander.

Issac’s Cathedral – largest dome in the world (80 mtrs). A thin layer of gold on
the top of the dome.

Church of Our Saviour on Spilled Blood – Place where Peter : The Great was
assassinated. Has more historical value than religious.

Hermitage Museum – Used to be the Palace for the Kings, later converted into
museum. A part of it still belongs to the Royal Family.

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COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

Christiania: Christiania, the famous freetown of Copenhagen, is without a

doubt one of Denmark’s most popular tourist attractions. Today many of
the original settlers still live in the collectively controlled village, and the area
has a clear 70s feel to it.
Around 1,000 people live in Christiania and every year more than 500,000
people come to visit.
A lot of the people living in Christiania built their homes themselves giving the
area an extremely interesting architectural feel. And you will find a variety of
eco-restaurants, workshops, galleries and music venues offering all sorts of
cultural experiences.

Tivoli gardens: Tivoli Gardens amusement park in Copenhagen is a must

for all visitors to the city, young and old. Tivoli is located just a few minutes
walk from City Hall, and with the Copenhagen Central Station as its
nearest neighbour it is very easy to get to.
Tivoli Gardens was founded in 1843 and has become a national treasure and an
international attraction. Fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen visited many
times, as did Walt Disney and many other celebrities, who all fell in love with
the gardens.

Part of Tivoli Gardens' secret is that there is something for everyone. The
scenery is beautiful with exotic architecture, historic buildings and lush gardens.
At night, thousands of coloured lights create a fairy tale atmosphere that is
completely unique.

Magical and nostalgic rides

The rides are all designed to match Tivoli's architecture and gardens. Some
rides are wonderfully nostalgic. Others will match the expectations of the
keenest thrill seekers, e.g. the Vertigo which will turn you upside down at 100
km/h and was voted Europe’s Best Ride in 2014.

Tivoli’s oldest and most popular ride, the wooden Roller Coaster from 1914, is
one of only seven roller coasters worldwide which have a brakeman on board
every train.

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ROVANIEMI, LAPLAND, FINLAND

Rovaniemi, located right in the confluence of the rivers Kemijoki and Ounasjoki
at the Arctic Circle.Rovaniemi is the ideal destination whatever your reason for
travelling. The well planned infrastructure, local places of interest and
opportunities for unique experience.
Santa Claus Village:

Rovaniemi is the official town of Santa Claus. Father Christmas has his office at
Santa Claus Village, just 8,6 km from Rovaniemi center. In his office he meets
and greets people from all over the world every single day of the year.
In Santa Claus village you will also have the chance to visit Santa Claus Official
Post Office. From there you will be able to send postcards and Christmas
greetings to your loved ones whatever the time of the year.

Arctic Circle:

Arctic Circle sign in Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland. The Arctic Circle is located
some 8 km north from the Rovaniemi City Center. The famous Santa Claus
Village is crossed by the Arctic Circle line.

Arktikum:
Arktikum is a science center and museum that lets you experience northern
nature, culture, and history up close. EXHIBITIONS-
They exhibit Finnish Lapland, its fascinating nature, and the people and
customs of those living north of the Arctic Circle.

Ranua zoo:

The Ranua Wildlife Park gives you an opportunity to see polar bears along with
50 other Arctic animal species in the midst of Northern woods. Ranua offers
accommodation and a variety of program services for an adventurous holiday in
the heart of true Lappish wilderness.

HELSINKI, FINLAND

Ateneum Art Museum:

The Ateneum is Finland’s best-known art museum and the home of Finnish art.
The images held by the Ateneum are ingrained in the collective memory of the
Finnish people: the beloved works in Ateneum’s collections date from the
period from the 19th century to the modern age. The hugely popular exhibitions
of Finnish and international art open up new perspectives into the past and the
future. The guest stars of the temporary exhibitions have included names such
as Tove Jansson, Carl Larsson, Pablo Picasso and Helene Schjerfbeck.

Helsinki Cathedral:

The Cathedral, by Carl Ludvig Engel, rising on the northern side of the Senate
Square is the stage of national and academic festive services and one of the
most popular tourist sights. The church is part of Helsinki's Empire era centre
and a landmark for those arriving by sea. It has become the symbol of the whole
of Helsinki. Earlier called St. Nicholas Church and Great Cathedral, the current
main church of the Helsinki Diocese was completed in 1852. Sculptures of the
twelve apostles guard the city from the roof of the church. 

Helsinki Zoo:

Helsinki Zoo is home to nearly 200 animal species and almost 1000 plant
species that show the diversity of nature. Helsinki Zoo is one of the few zoos
located on an island. The zoo was established in 1889 which makes it one of the
oldest zoos in the world. Helsinki Zoo also participates in the work to protect
the habitats in the original homes of the various species.

Temppeliaukio Church (Rock Church)

Excavated directly into solid rock, the Temppeliaukio church is situated in the
heart of Helsinki, at the end of Fredrikinkatu. Because of its special
architecture, the church, completed in 1969, is one of the main attractions in
Helsinki. The church hall is covered with a dome, lined with copper and
supported on the rock walls by reinforced concrete beams. The interior walls are
of rugged rock and rubble wall. Before noon, the light spreads from the row of
windows surrounding the roof periphery to the altar wall, where an ice-age
crevice serves as the altarpiece. Due to its excellent acoustics the church is a
popular venue for concerts.
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