| The Venice of the North: grand architecture built on islands, cleaved by canals, joined by bridges. Stockholm's gay scene is spread throughout the city like splattered pearls, but especially in Södermalm & Gamla Stan districts. And Swedish men are a glory to behold: initially reserved, yet animals in bed, reports OutUK's Adrian Gillan. |
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TO SEE & DOJust east of centre the Modern Art Museum on Skeppsholmen brims with everything from Picasso to present day arty pants. Over the water from the Warhols, Vasamuseet at Galärvarvsvägen 14 features a perfectly-preserved, 400-year old warship which sadly sank in Stockholm harbour on its maiden voyage, along with many crew. Magnificent and ghostly, it exceeds expectations! The Nobel Museum on Börshuset in Stortorget opened in 2001 to celebrate a centenary of Nobel Prizes and is full of constantly-changing, inspirational exhibits.Near the main railway station, Absolut Icebar in the Nordic Sea Hotel at Vasaplan 4 is the world's first permanent bar to be constructed entirely out of ice: including the glasses. Spend around ten pounds (includes a drink) to spend around twenty minutes wrapped in a thermal silver poncho downing vodka as surely Thor intended - at minus 5 deg C. See Stockholm and its myriad surrounding islands from the water on an Archipelago boat tour - regular departures from Stromkajen, outside the Grand Hotel. TO STAYSuper trouper! Check out chic modern Rival Hotel, part of a café-eatery-cinema complex co-owned by Benny from ABBA!
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One of the city's finest and most historic lodgings, Berns Hotel on Nåckströmsgatan has cutting-edge
rooms, complemented by the intimate old drawing room where great playwright Strindberg oft relaxed;
and the dramatic, gold-gilt theatrical breakfast-salon-cum-ballroom-cum-club-venue where the
likes of Dietrich and Chevalier have hitherto entertained. Throws regular, spectacular gay club nights!
Or, just south of centre,
Clarion Hotel on Ringvägen is vast swish, modern and gay-wooing.
TO EAT & DRINKRoxy is a stylish gay-owned bar-restaurant just south of centre overlooking a pleasant grassy square - friendly service and mod Med nosh to drool for. Strandbryggan is a delightful, intimate floating restaurant, just east of centre attracting some of Stockholm's most gorgeous boys. Alternatively, down some fish aboard M/S Gerda - a gay-managed landing craft that once saw some serious action on the bloody Normandy beaches on D-Day!Chokladkoppen is a packed Old Town hang-out, famous for homemade sweets and cakes, plus eponymous white hot chocolate that'll make your willy wonka. A beautiful space with vast gilt mirrors, high ceilings, tiled floors and sweeping velvet drapes, Torget, in the Old Town, is right by the water - perfect for romance or cocktails before hitting a gay club. TO DANCEOne of Europe's most unique gay nightlife events: the three-level Sunday tea party on the moored old steamship Patricia (actually built in Middlesbrough). The crowd is young and up-for-it. And there's no better place to snog than on the upper deck, as watery ripples reflect twinkling Stockholm lights. Occasional "foam parties" all add to the swell: where semi-naked men writhe hard against each other, up to their necks in bubbles!An Old Town eatery turns into the sprawling-yet-intimate Bohemian club Connection every Friday and Saturday, for the relatively young; lots of R&B on the small dance floor, and more ethnically mixed than elsewhere. And nearby Lino is a male-dominated, mixed-age club, just west of the Old Town. One space with fairly so-so dance; the other crammed with local Swedish "Schlager" Euro-pop trash: take a breather outside on the terrace. | ||
