Vasa Museum
Stockholm, Sweden's Vasa Museum is a marine museum. The museum, located on the island of Djurgrden, has the only almost entirely intact 17th-century ship ever rescued, the 64-gun battleship Vasa, which sunk on her maiden voyage in 1628. The Vasa Museum, which opened in 1990, is the most visited museum in Scandinavia, according to its official website. It is part of the Swedish National Maritime Museums, together with other museums such as the Stockholm Maritime Museum (SNMM).
The main hall houses the ship as well as several displays linked to the ship's archaeological discoveries and early 17th-century Sweden. Vasa now has the bottom sections of all three masts, a new bowsprit, winter rigging, and some missing or seriously damaged elements restored. The new components haven't been cleaned or painted, so they stand out against the original material, which has darkened after three centuries under water.
The new museum is dominated by a huge copper ceiling with stylised masts representing Vasa's true height when fully rigged. Parts of the structure are coated with dark red, blue, tar black, ochre yellow, and dark green painted wooden panels. The inside is similarly embellished, with enormous portions of raw, unpainted concrete, including the whole ceiling, being used. The ship may be seen from six different perspectives inside the museum, from the bottom to the very top of the sterncastle. Throughout the ship, there are several exhibits and replicas depicting the ship's construction, sinking, location, and recovery. There are other displays that provide background information on the ship's construction and the history of Sweden in the 17th century. A cinema theater presents a film in alternating languages on the Vasa's recovery.
The Vasa Museum is a must-see for anybody visiting Stockholm and is regarded as one of Europe's top museums. The Vasa Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum will be closed on December 24th and 25th. If you enjoyed what you read, purchase your Vasa Museum admission ticket right away.
Location: Galärvarvsvägen 14, 115 21 Stockholm, Sweden
Website: https://www.vasamuseet.se/en
