Vasa Museum, Stockholm

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Impressive is the word to describe the Vasa warship. Impressive in size, in the almost perfect state of conservation, and in how was it possible to make the building mistakes that led to its tragedy just moments after beginning its first journey.

In all cases, we can see why this is one of the most visited places in Sweden. The amazing 17 th century warship, recovered from below the sea some 300 years after it sunk, is really impressive in its dimension.

Besides the warship, naturally the main attraction, the rest of the museum is also worth a visit, since we get to know more about life aboard a 17 th century war ship, about ship building and life in general during that time.

The whole space is very well presented, with different levels, and a impressive use of modern technologies.

Definitely a must see!

On August 10, 1628 Vasa set sail on her maiden voyage and sank in Stockholm harbour.
The wreck was salvaged in 1961 after 333 years under the sea. The reconstructed vessel, 95% original, is splendidly adorned with hundreds of carved sculptures.

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The Vasa museum is not your average museum, and it is definitely well worth a visit while you are in Stockholm. In the mid 17th century, a grand warship was ordered to be built by King Gustavus Adolphus. It is a huge ship, 230ft long and 170ft tall. Unfortunately, it was not built properly and sunk very shortly after departure on it’s maiden voyage on August 10, 1628. She wasn’t seen again until she was relocated by an amateur archeologist named Anders Franzen, who knew of the wreck and decided to try to find it on his own. The Vasa was finally raised from the bottom of the sea in 1959 almost entirely in one piece. The Vasa is now housed in the Vasa Museum in full glory. It is an overwhelming sight to see, walking through the doors and having a massive, original 17th century warship right in front of your eyes! There are plaques surrounding the ship on several floors as well as some artifacts from the ship. The most chilling part are the real skeletons of the unfortunate souls who did not survive, as well as their stories. There is also a theatre which plays informative videos in different languages throughout the day. Check the schedule for your language. The museum is very popular, so don’t be surprised if you have to wait in line for 5-10 minutes. We arrived just before lunch time right when the tour buses dropped everyone off, but the line moved fairly quickly. Plan to spend at least an hour in the museum.

Café and giftshop.

Hours:
June 1 to August 31:
8.30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

September 1 to May 31:
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m
December 31 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Admission:
Adults 95 SEK
Students 50 SEK
Children 0-18 FREE

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This was quite possibly the most fascinating site I visited while staying in Stockholm. I was hoping that my excitement going into this museum wouldn't be shattered with disappointment, and it wasn't. The tour guides were very informative, and had some interesting facts. To see something from the seventeenth century so well preserved was a delight. Standing underneath it on the bottom floor, was the coolest thing, in my opinion. If you visit Stockholm, your trip is not complete unless you see the Vasa ship!

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When the warship Vasa sank on august 1628, on its first sail, it was a big dissaster. Who could have thought that this disaster turned out to be one of the finest maritime museums in the world.
Focal point of the exhibition in the old restored warship. Around this ship you'll find many smaller axhibitions about topics connested to the ship: The live in Stockholm in 1600, Shipyards of Stockholm, Naval wars, living on board, the salvage and restauration, and many more ...

The vasa museum is built due to the discovery for the 17th century VASA ship. (1628)
On 10 August 1628, the vasa set sail on the first trip and sank in stockholm harbour. Surprisingly, the ship was discovered in 1961. After years of restoration, the Vasa museum finally open to the public. The ship itself is huge and is the center pieces of the museum.

If you are into history and want to see how the old Viking ships look like, then this musem is a must. I was amazed at how well the whole ship was perserved. You can also see some part is being rebuilt but most of the original timber was intact. Although you won't be able to go in the ship, the musuem did a great job of replicating many of the items on different display area in the museum.

I thought it was really cool, but the girls I was with hated it (we were all college-age). The entire Vasa boat is still in tact and you can actually walk around in it, which is really cool.

The lighting in the museum is very dark, and I wonder if that made a negative difference for the girls I was with. They really just wanted to get outta there and move on to the next spot in town.

The price of entry may have been a little high...then again, I was a college student...so most things were expensive to me!

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I first saw the Vasa ship through the Travel Channel as I was watching Samantha Brown. I was intrigued with the story and so I booked a flight to Sweden (I am so easy to persuade...hehehe). But I was not disappointed since the ship is truly huge and spectacular. It was a bit dark in the museum and was difficult to take good pictures, but you can really feel the massiveness of the structure.

It is a 17th century warship that went on its maiden voyage in 1628, but sank 20 minutes into the ceremony after the wind messed up the sails! It stayed at bottom of the harbor for 333 years, rediscovered in 1956 and raised up in 1961.

I tried to imagine how grand it looked at the time - 95% of the original wood still remain. There's about 500 carved wooden statues and restorers tried to estimate the original color.

At the upper floor, there is a circular wooden platform (those seen at the top of the sails), and if you go on it --- YOU WILL FEEL DIZZY! I just can't imagine how the sailors could tolerate being at such a small platform at such a scary height over the ocean. Must have been tough to earn a living then! I was born to be on land (definitely). So, try going on that circular wooden platform and see what I mean...

Jun-Aug daily 1000-1700
Sept-May M-F 1000-1600, Wed until 2000, Sat-Sun 1000-1700

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Ahh, the Vasa... The pride of the Swedish navy, with a story that is strangely similar to that of the Titanic. Built in the 1620s, this ship was designed to be bigger and better than all other warships in the world - and yet she sank on her maiden voyage after having sailed only a few hundred metres out of the harbour. Though many lives were lost in this tragic event, the ship itself was beautifully preserved (the waters of the Baltic sea are apparantly very good at preserving wooden ships for hundreds of years). And so, in 1961, a team of Swedish archeologists and salvage experts successfully raised tha VASA from her watery, Baltic grave. Subsequently, the Vasa embarked upon a new career, this time as a work of art inside her own museum - the VASAMUSEET. The Vasa is arguably the world's finest and best preserved example of 17th century warship design and it is well worth a visit.

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Let's put it simple, the Vasa museum is a must-see in Stockholm!

The restored ship is a wonder by itself, the history of the times it was built (ca. 1600-1630) is displayed in a very interesting manner that makes one understand. Along with the story of how the ship was rescued, it will make you spend at least 2-3 hours in this museum.