One of the highlights in wintery Stockholm is the Skansen Christmas market. Earlier this year we purchased a family card for entrance to Skansen for a whole year. Until now we have only used it once and that was to enjoy seeing all the Nordic animals for a day. It is now the time of Christmas markets and the one at Skansen is one of the more famous ones in Stockholm. So this Saturday we went to Skansen to see it.
The Skansen Christmas Market
Skansen is the world’s oldest open-air museum. It is a lovely place throughout the year, but there is something very special about it during the weekends leading up to Christmas. The first Skansen Christmas market was organized over 100 years ago, in 1903. Even today the market square is filled with bonfires, Christmas carols, and food and drink. The different stalls sell everything from sausages and cheese to sweets, and handicrafts and gifts, We visited on a really grey day. It didn’t matter much though, the atmosphere was really Christmasy. We walked around, checked out the stalls, and grabbed some tunnbröd for lunch. That is a Swedish version of flatbread.
There were groups of people singing and performing. We saw Santa Claus, and people were dancing around the Christmas tree. Little A slept through most of the party.
There are some other events and activities going on as well. The old houses and farmsteads are decorated and they invite you to a traditional Swedish Christmas. Visitors get the chance to learn about Christmas in Sweden from many different points of view, There are also craft shows and live music, Apparently, people can make their own decorations in the Christmas workshop.
We really enjoyed the atmosphere at the Skansen Christmas market. There were a lot of children, and I think they had a lot of fun – both watching the animals and participating in different Christmas events. Little A was a little too small, but a couple of years from now we’ll probably enjoy it a lot.
Do you want to know more?
The Skansen Christmas market is open on the weekends – on Christmas Eve it’s free of charge. The houses and farmsteads are open all week. Skansen is even open on New Year’s Eve. There the new year is welcomed with an astounding view over Stockholm and all the fireworks.
