My hometown - Vaxholm

When you work for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and travel around the world and live in different places, it is especially important to have one certain place to return to regularly. For my family that place, since more than 30 years, is a small town north of Stockholm called Vaxholm. It consists – like Sweden itself – to a great extent of islands, and has always been closely related to the sea defence of Stockholm. The first castle was built already in the 16th century by Gustav Vasa, as a stronghold mainly against the Danish. Nowadays Vaxholm is both a suburb to the capital and a summer resort for its inhabitants. Already 100 years ago, when steamboats came into service, a lot of summerhouses were built. Today one can choose to commute to work either by bus or regular ferries – or one can forget about work and just focus on the relaxation.

It is easy and convenient to get to Vaxholm, either by frequent buses or frequent ferries from the centre of Stockholm. Most impressive is probably “Vaxholms Kastell”, the old fortress built in the 19th century, after Sweden had lost Finland and the Åland Islands, and Stockholm needed a greater defence. The “Kastell” looks impressive, but its military value was limited. Luckily it never had to be tested in real combat.

If you do not want to visit the fortress museum you can go for a walk in a picturesque environment, which is a mix of old fishermen’s houses and hundred-year-old summerhouses with large terraces and gingerbread house style. There are many restaurants and especially lots of leisure yachts to spot. These must, just like military ships, pass Vaxholm on their way between the Baltic Sea and Stockholm. There are possibilities to rent a boat or just go fishing. At this time of the year the fishing is excellent – there is lots of herring, pike and salmon.

There is no special Vaxholm souvenir, but you can find many interesting boutiques and craft shops catering for tourists.

Before, above all, Vaxholm was the hub for sea traffic in and out of Stockholm. There were many taverns for those who came rowing or sailing with their goods to be sold in the capital. Often they ate and slept in Vaxholm. Even today Vaxholm is, actually, the most important hub of the large boat traffic in the northern archipelago of Stockholm. A day trip on one of the many regular boats should be an attraction for Russian tourists, who might not so easily explore this unique environment.

Welcome!

Tomas Bertelman
Ambassador of Sweden in the Russian Federation