Vasa Museum (Vasamuseet)

The mighty Swedish warship, the Vasa, was the most powerful vessel of her day. Commissioned by King Gustavus Adolphus in 1625 as one of a fleet of battleships in the war against Poland, she was constructed by experienced Dutch shipbuilder Henrik Hybertsson who died one year before her completion. The Vasa was capable of holding 445 crew and weighed 1210 tonnes (1191 tons). Tragically, due to problems with her stability, the ship keeled over on her maiden voyage on August 10 1628 and sank killing around 40 of the 150 people on board. It was not until 1961 that the remarkably intact wreckage was salvaged by the Swedish Navy and preserved in a temporary museum until the opening of the Vasa Museum in 1990. Exhibitions, interactive displays and audiovisual presentations tell of the salvage operation, life on board ship and sea battles of the period.
Air: Stockholm Arlanda Airport. Water: Ferry: Services from Slussen (all year) and Nybroplan (summer) to Djurgården Island. Rail: Train: Stockholm Central Station. Road: Bus: Public services. Car: E18 (from Oslo); E20 or E6 (from Gothenburg); E4 (from Malmö).