Sjöhistoriska Museet

Sjöhistoriska Museet review

Hundreds of model ships are displayed within the long, curved National Maritime Museum, designed in 1936 by Ragnar Östberg, the architect behind Stockholm's famous Stadshuset. It's an extensive and thorough survey - as it should be, considering Sweden's long and dramatic maritime history. Two floors of minutely detailed models are grouped in permanent exhibitions on merchant shipping, battleships and ocean liners. Ship figureheads depicting monsters and bare-breasted women decorate the museum walls, and the upper floor displays two ships' cabins from the 1870s and 1970s. But unless you're a nautical or miniatures enthusiast, the temporary exhibitions are probably the main reason for coming. In the basement, the children's room Saltkråkan offers ships and a lighthouse to play in and, aside from a short summer break, a kids' workshop is open on Saturdays and Sundays (noon-4pm).