27th November 2009
Tourism Day – Bingo Las Vegas Casino will be the tourism day host. Seeing the sights of Stockholm and drinking the delights. The 1963 bus will pick you up at the Berns Hotel at 11.00 and drive you between the stops.
11.00 – 15.00
Pick up at Berns hotel at 11.00
The 1963 bus will pick you up at the Berns Hotel and drive you between the stops
First stop
Vasa museum
In the early 17th century, Sweden was busy building an empire around the Baltic Sea in northern Europe. A strong navy was essential. During the 1620s Sweden was at war with Poland. In 1625 the Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus ordered new warships. Among them the Vasa.
The Vasa was built at the Stockholm shipyard by Henrik Hybertsson -
an experienced Dutch shipbuilder. His experience was much needed
as the Vasa was to be the mightiest warship in the world, armed with
64 guns on two gundecks.
In 1628 the ship was ready. Sunday August 10 was the day of the
Vasa’s maiden voyage. The beaches around Stockholm were filled with
spectators, among them foreign diplomats. The maiden voyage was
to be an act of propaganda for the ambitious Swedish king Gustavus
Adolphus.
The Vasa set sail and fired a salute. But only after a few minutes of
sailing the ship began to heel over. She righted herself slightly – and
heeled over again. Water started to gush in through the open
gunports. And, to everyones horror and disbelief, the glorious and
mighty warship suddenly sank! Of the 150 people on board, 30-50
died in the disaster. When Vasa had been salvaged in 1961,
archaeologists found the remains of 25 skeletons.
After the disaster the captain of the Vasa – Söfring Hansson – was
arrested. The Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus was not in Sweden at
the time. He was waging war in Poland. It took two weeks for him to
learn about what had happened. When he did, he wrote angrily that
the disaster had happened because of ”imprudence and negligence”
and that the guilty parties had to be punished. Söfring Hansson and
many others were called to inquiries at the Royal Castle of Stockholm.
At the inquest people were troubled by the fact that the shipbuilder
Henrik Hybertsson had died the year before the Vasa was completed.
Instead his brother and partner, Arendt de Groot, was held
responsible for the completion of the ship. But in the end no one was
condemned for causing the disaster. The people in charge of the
inquiries concluded that the ship was well built – but badly
proportioned.
Stop 2
Old Town and the King’s castle
There are a lot of unique things to see when visiting the old town in Stockholm. The old town is the original Stockholm. The town was set up during the 1300 century. There are about 3000 people living in the old city today. Most buildings are from the 1700 and 1800 century. The dominant building in the old city is the king’s castle. The old town is the place to be if you want to experience the town’s pulse. The area has Stockholm’s biggest ranges of restaurants, tourist shops, studios and museums. There are many wonderful paths to walk in the old town. We will walk through the main street and pass 
the King’s castle. Of course we will make a stop for some well known Swedish beer along the way.
Welcome to explore the old city of Stockholm.
Stop 3
ABSOLUT ICEBAR
ABSOLUT ICEBAR offers an experience unlike any other.
Chilled to a constant -5°C/ 23°F, it evokes all your senses.
Leading international artists and designers are invited, twice a year, to create experimental interiors and sculptures thereby recreating the entire setting.
The creative art work in every ABSOLUT ICEBAR is built by nothing but crystal clear ice from Torne River in northern Sweden.
Everything in the bars is built by pure ice – from the walls, the stools to the artwork. Even the ‘glasses’ in which the vodka drinks are served are made of ice, indeed “in the rocks”. The ice from Torne River, which is known for its unique purity, is harvested at the ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi in March every year.
The first ever ABSOLUT ICEBAR opened at ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden in 1994. Since then the ABSOLUT ICEBAR family has grown and it can now be found in Stockholm, London, in addition to Jukkasjärvi.
Since the start more than a million people have visited ABSOLUT ICEBAR.
Your 40 minute visit includes warm clothing, gloves, an ice-cool feeling of exhilaration and an Absolut Vodka cocktail of your choice from our drinks menu, served in an ice glass.
http://www.nordicseahotel.se/en/The-hotel/Photo-gallery/
After the stop at the Ice Hotel – the Bus hits back to Berns
