- Address: Galärvarvsvägen 14, 115 21 Stockholm, Sweden
- Phone: +46 8 519 548 00
- Website: vasamuseet.se
- Foundation date: June 15, 1990
The Vasa Museum (Vaza) in Stockholm is not only a tourist attraction of Sweden , but also a monument dedicated to the failed flagship of the Swedish fleet, Vasa's ship. This ship is unique in its kind for several reasons. Firstly, it is the only shipbuilding model of the 17th century that survived completely. Yes, and the ships that sailed the sea less than two kilometers, and then drowned, not too much. Why did it sink? Read on, and find out!
First and last swimming
Initially, the Swedish ship Vasa, depicted in the photo below, was conceived as the flagship of the Swedish fleet, so it had to be heavy and well armed. The construction of this giant took place under the personal supervision of Gustav II Adolf, King of Sweden. In 1628, on the orders of the King, Vasa's ship was towed to Stockholm. From here with considerable efforts he was sent to his first voyage, but a strong wind led to the fact that he sank near the island of Bekholmen.
During the investigation of the causes of the disaster it was found that he drowned solely because of the monarch's ambitions. After all, every component of the construction, every step and step of the king claimed personally. Workers even during construction saw shortcomings in the construction and secretly increased the width of the sea vessel by 2.5 m, but this did not save Vasya from predictable death. Its center of gravity was much higher than it should be, so the ship drowned so quickly.
Features of the Vasa Museum
The Museum of Sweden , dedicated to the Vasa ship, is unique in its kind not only in Sweden, but in the whole world. After more than 300 years of unsuccessful attempts, Vasa's ship was finally raised from the sea. In 1961, he was taken to the island of Djurgården, and around the ship began the construction of a historical museum. It is here, in Stockholm, and to this day is the Vasa museum.
His premises were specially built in such a way that the ship could be viewed from either side and height. The masts of the ship pass through the roof of the hangar and rise above it. It must be said that the spectacle will be very pleasant to the boys, dreaming of maritime deeds, and to adult men. Where else would you see such a curiosity - a real battle ship that was built three centuries ago!
What is interesting about the museum?
And indeed, the museum-ship Vasa in Stockholm is considered a very interesting place. It is difficult to imagine, but the sea spared the ship, returning it in a virtually pristine state. All carved figures, statues and even small elements survived, you can immediately see even a few surviving skeletons of the crew members. Considerable interest is also exhibited parachute guns. They did not seem to lie for several centuries on the seabed.
Even in the museum you can learn about all attempts to raise this ship from the bottom, get acquainted with the history of development of diving equipment. For the fun of visitors a slot machine is displayed, which makes it possible to feel like the captain of this mountain-flagship. Who knows, maybe you will manage to bring this "trough" to its destination - the naval base of Elvsnaben?
The cost of visiting the Vasa museum in Stockholm is only 90 kroons (about 4.5 cu), but it is better to plan a hike here as soon as possible, because there are always huge queues that reach 200-300 people.
Operating mode
Access for visitors is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00, except for Wednesday: on this day the museum is open until 20:00. Resting in the Swedish capital in the summer, you can get to the museum from 08:30 until 18:30. Even if you come to Stockholm for shopping , be sure to visit this museum, dedicated to the exorbitant human ambitions. We assure you, you will not be disappointed!
The Vasa Ship Museum in Stockholm - how to get there?
This museum is located in Stockholm at Galärvarvsvägen, 14. From the central station to the museum you will walk for 30 minutes. You can use public transport : tram number 7 from Hamngatan, bus number 69 from the station or 67 from Karlaplan. From the Old Town to the Vasa Museum there is a water tram. Before visiting it is better to find out in advance whether the exposition is closed for restoration (it is held several times a year).