Stockholm, the ‘Northern Switzerland’

[Anna Everson]

The town is placed on Stockholm archipelago, and it seems to be founded in 1252 by Birger Jarl for protecting Sweden for invasion of enemy’s vessels and stop looting the towns around Mälaren Lake. Stockholm is located on the S-E coast, centered by 14 islands, by Mälaren Lake and Stockholm archipelago. That’s way the city is also known as a ‘Switzerland of the North’, because over 60% of its surface is covered with canals, parks and green spaces! 

Stockholm means ‘stock’ -’log’ or ‘fortification’ (conform to an old German word) and ‘holm’- that could refers to ‘isle’ the Isle of Helgeandholmen located in downtown Stockholm. 
The old town, that has extended into an whole settlement, was built on the island of Helgeandholmen somewhere in the middle of XIII century. The town developed rapidly business relationships with several major cities of the time due to its buy an essay online cheap strategic position. It enjoyed even a board of 24 members, many of them were elected because them germany origin. As a lot of medieval towns, neither Stockholm wasn’t protected against wars, massacres, fires or epidemic proportions. Because of the economic and industrial growth in the late XIX century, many historic buildings were demolished and replaced with ‘modern’ arhitecture of that time, finally the image of Stockholm having suffered once again. Meanwhile even the origins of the people began to diversify, becoming a cosmopolitan city. 

Therefore it becomes very difficult for a first-time tourist to find a local cuisine in the heart of Stockholm, because of asian, italian or any other, rarely Swedish. But maybe that’s the clue of the Stockholm of our days!