Day 1 in Vaxholm
Vaxholm is a cultural and idyllic small town and is called "the capital of the archipelago". It used to be strategically important for defending Stockholm from foreign power as early as the mid-15th century. There are a lot of military remnants in Vaxholm such as the fortress.
The main occupation for the inhabitants of Vaxholm at the end of the
19th century was fishing and the town was famous for its fresh herring. The development of steam sloops and smaller steamboats in the second part of this century made it possible for wealthy summer guest to build lovely wood houses in different colours and with glass verandas.
Today, Vaxholm has over 6.000 inhabitants – no one works within fishery and the Vaxholm Coastal Artillery Regiment was disbanded in 2000 because of the disarmament policies by this time. Most inhabitants commute to Stockholm for work, have hybrid work or work for the municipality.
As a tourist, schedule time for a walk in Vaxholm around its charming houses, small shops, and the “Battery Park”. During spring to early autumn, do visit the “Hembygdsgården” (Homestead Farm) for lunch or a “Swedish Fika”. All year round, you can have a traditional Swedish herring-dish at the Vaxholm Hotel – or in December the traditional "Christmas-table".
On the corner of Waxholm Hotel at summertime, you’ll find “Glass på Hörnet” (Ice-cream on the Corner) which offers delicious homemade gelato in many different flavours. Next to this shop, you can buy fresh or smoked fish at the “Melanders Fisk” to bring to the Metz Cottage. It's opened Fridays and Saturdays all year round and daily around June–August.
Even when you come off-season, you'll always have memorable things to do in Vaxholm.
The Waxholm Hotel
When you enter Vaxholm from the sea side, the view is dominated by the beautiful Waxholm Hotel and the Vaxholm's Citadel. The hotel was built in 1903. The Swedish architect Erik Lallerstedt (1864–1955) used the Art Nouveau style. There has been an inn business on the site, called Hotel Corner, since the late 1700s.
The hotel has two restaurants: Matsalen (the Dining Room) and Kabyssen (the Galley). It’s lovely to have a lunch at the Matsalen and soak up the fantastic view over the harbour. If you want to have a window table, reserve it in advance on the hotel's website. The lively Kabyssen is opened during the high season. It has a nice harbour feeling. Usually you can’t reserve a table.
If you want to to enjoy the evening sun – and have a car – do go to Rindö and have dinner or a drink at “Syrran och jag” (the Sister and I).
“Hembygdsgården”
In Vaxholm's perhaps most beautiful place, on its own headland in the town's older quarter in Norrhamnen (North harbour), lies Hembygdsgården. It has two parts: the café and a museum.
The café is open during weekends in May and daily from beginning of June to mid-September. You can enjoy a cold beer, wine, or a glass of champagne to your tasty lunch. Most of all, the famous cake buffet is served with cinnamon buns, cakes, and pastries of all kinds. You have a front-row seat right by the sea and can enjoy the archipelago life and the lovely atmosphere.
The museum shows how a fishing family lived in the latter part of the 1800s.
The Battery Park
The Battery Park is well hidden behind the old quarter's beautiful wooden houses on “Kronudden” (the Crown headland). The hills hide the remains of an old cannon battery, important for the defence of Stockholm until mid-1900s.
When the Russians ravaged the Swedish coast in 1719, there were 20 cannons of varying calibre. Throughout the 1800s, the battery was maintained, and the cannons were replaced several times. The battery was removed from the war organisation in 1903, but the cannons remained in place until 1915 when they were decommissioned. From here, the battery had a full view of the northern inlet, the "Vaxholms Kastell" (The Vaxholm's Citadel), and the north harbour.
Here you can sit on one a bench and enjoy the view, or why not set the table for a picnic on one of the park's grassy areas. Right next to the park is a small bathing area, opposite the Hembygdsgården.