GET THE BEST AND CHEAP HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS IN STOCKHOLM

As the capital, Stockholm is the site of the Government and the parliament of Sweden. It is also the residence of the head of state, King Carl XVI Gustaf.

The earliest mention of Stockholm in writing dates from 1252, when it was an important post in the iron trade from the mines in Bergslagen. The first part of the name (stock) means log, while the second (holm) means islet or small island. The full origin of the name is disputed.

The city is said to have been founded by Birger Jarl in order to protect Sweden from invasion from the sea by foreign navies and to stop pillage of the cities such as Sigtuna on Lake Mälaren. The first building at Stockholm was a fortification for the purpose of controlling the traffic between the Baltic Sea and Mälaren. Under the leadership of Magnus Ladulås Stockholm developed into an important trade city in the following decades, advanced through relations with Lübeck of the Hanseatic league. In 1270 Stockholm appears in historical documents as a city and in 1289 it was described as the most populated city in the Swedish region. The first trustworthy estimate of the size of city comes from the middle of the 15th century, giving Stockholm about one thousand households and five to six thousand residents.

The central parts of the city comprise fourteen islands and the banks of the archipelago where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea. They are joined together by 53 bridges. The city centre is virtually situated on the water, in the bay Riddarfjärden.

Apart from being a large city with an active cultural life, Stockholm as a capital also houses many of the national cultural institutions of Sweden, including theatre, opera and museums. There are two UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Stockholm area: the Drottningholm Palace and a large cemetery, Skogskyrkogården, which include some well-known examples of the architecture of Gunnar Asplund. During 1998 Stockholm was designated as the European City of Culture.