Vasa Museum | No Stopovers

(I know I’m blogging about Sweden, but the Spanish title sounds good, admit it)

The Vasa Museum was definitely one of my favorite parts of Stockholm. I could use the usual words – amazing, awesome, a-mah-zing (any Happy Endings fan, out there?) – but they just wouldn’t be enough. Its history alone is impressive enough. Built as a battleship, it was one of the largest ships with powerful bronze cannons. On August 10, 1628 (we were lucky to visit on its anniversary!) the Vasa set sail for the first time, but because of its top-heaviness, the sails couldn’t handle the wind, and it ultimately sank after only a few minutes of sailing barely 1300 meters. Lying underwater as deep as 32 meters for 333, the Vasa ship was finally lifted in 1961. Excavation, reconstruction, and conservation followed, and up to now, its preservation still is one of the main concerns. The most awe-inspiring fact is that the ship has been restored to 95% of its original state. I mean, look at the result! It’s beyond glorious.