more stockholm highlights

So we are back for a the third time.  During my 48 hours and I manage to take nearly 700 shots, but I just put my camera against everything. In my last post about my visit I gave you a little tour in Gamla Stan, the Old town. (the most beautiful tourist trap & one trip every month challenge – febuary; stockholm highlights) 

This post will be about Hötorget (Heymarket Square) always a highlight, every time I visit. Hötorget – behind the Concert Hall. The farmers market for anything except fresh meat and fish – which now being sold in Högtorgshallen, the indoor market at the square.

The identification Hötorget is known since the 1640s..
It has for many years been an open-air market place, in 1914 was banned for health reasons all the farmers’ markets at Hötorgett with fresh, raw meat of cattle, sheep, pigs or horses.
Later the same year, it also became prohibited in the square selling fresh and flayed wildly plucked poultry, salted or smoked fish, cooked seafood, butter, cheese, bread, and corn flour and cooked food.
Today the vegetables and flowers stands are the main attraction, an explosion in colors and freshness.

Weeks  coming up to Easter Hötorget is like a massive firework with all the read made “påskris” in the most intense colors. “Påskris” is branches of birch decorated with colored feathers. Has become a bit of tourist attraction to see all the “Påskris” at Hötorget. Those two photos isn’t mine – borrowed from panoramic.com & wikimedia.org – thank you so much!

“Påskris” was solely used for decoration are in Stockholm and parts of eastern Svealand occurred since the late 1800s. Today we use all over the country – so long as I can remember.

Hötorgshallen, the indoor makert hall – there you can find everything and you find small restaurants and cafes for your , snacks lunch or early dinner – every little restaurant has what they sell in the shop, fresh fish and seafood, pasta, game … meat, sandwiches and you also find a small store of the goverment’s own liqure store, Systembolaget. The only place store where you can buy alcohol in Sweden, but they are everywhere. In Högtorgshallen meets flavors from all the world.

The first Hötorgshallen was built in the 1880s. Construction work lasted from 1880 to 1884. The old hall was demolished in 1953 and the new built. In 1958 was the exciting new hall ready for inauguration of King Gustaf VI Adolf and lots of visitors came.
Since then Hötorgshallen undergone several renewals. Hötorg has also been extended with SF’s Film city Sergel.

Now to something completely different; Stockholm’s Ice Bar – locate at Nordic Sea Hotel, the world’s first ever Ice Bar – idea came from our famous Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, been open for 8 years now and of course sponsored by Absolut Vodka. The bar provides you with warm clothing. Now there is Ice Bars all over the world.

You can find your Ice Bar in Barcelona, Boston, Monterrey, Mexico City, Montevideo, Panama City, Orlando, Amsterdam, London, Lyon, New York , Paris, Tokyo, Athens, Rhodes, Saint Tropez, Seoul, Hong Kong, Mumbai, London, Sharm El Sheikh, Saint-Petersburg, New Delhi, Vancouver, Koh Samui,  Thailand, Copenhagen, Surfers Paradise, Budapest, Eilat, Dubai and also on one of  Norwegian Cruise Line’s cruiseliners – not all sponsored by Absolut Vodka.

By the way Absolut Vodka is the best Vodka in the world by miles and it has the best and coolest websites of all world famous brands. Even if you don’t drink Vodka – go there just have a look. I have never been to an icebar, but I will go in Las Vegas. It is located in Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, “Minus 5 Ice Lounge”.

“Farmers only worry during the growing season,
but townspeople worry all the time.”
E. W. Howe

My cloud for this post is The New Division’s “Stockholm” – The New Division is 5 guys from LA, an electronic band founded in 2008 – this track will be released in this month.