Do you have trouble getting your kids into a museum? Do they feel bored quickly and switch off? Then I can only advise you to take them to Stockholm to the Vasa Museum. There will be no boredom. This museum was built around the shipwreck of the Vasa – a proud ship of the navy, built in 1628, which sank only a few kilometers from the shipyard. What had happened? Da ship, as magnificent and powerful as it looks – was just way too heavy along with all the soldiers and cannons on board. It sank like a stone to the bottom, dramatically taking many people with it into its watery grave.
It was not until 333 years after this shipwreck that the wreck of the Vasa was recovered. It was well preserved despite the long time in salt water and was restored as well as preserved for posterity. It is very imposing and impressive to look at. Such craftsmanship, such construction with wood in those days, all the pomp and ornate decorations on the side of the ship. The pictures alone are impressive – but the feeling of personally standing next to this imposing wooden wreck is hard to describe. Our children felt the same way.
After so much touch of history, we went straight on to the wreck museum. Yes, we were a little morbid today and also visited this museum, which houses the unfortunate fates of many people and sunken ships. The exhibited findings are interesting. In addition to eating and drinking vessels, there are other everyday objects that tell us a lot about the past time and the life and work of the people who sank with this ship in the floods. Numerous exhibits and explanatory panels give a good insight and overview of shipping and sunken ships of the past about 7000 years. Exciting that man can already look back on such a long tradition in shipping, isn’t it?
After so much seafaring history, we then delved even further into history – the heart beat faster not only for the children when we entered the Viking world and looked at how they lived and housed many, many, many years ago. Anyway, we all had a lot of fun there and will never forget this day.
Tomorrow we’ll move on to a completely different world – more like mythology – and we sincerely hope that we’ll get to see one of the many trolls that are said to dwell in the Swedish forests.