The Swedish capital is handsome from any angle, but since boat trips tend to make everything more fun, it’s especially beautiful seen from the water – and all the more so, if you find yourself on an authentic steamship!
If the word ‘steamship’ alone brings out the inner sailor in you, you’ll love Blidösundsbolaget, Stockholm’s boating company of choice. To celebrate all things nautical in Sweden, we meet their Sales & Marketing Manager Annika Torstenson, who talks about taking to the water and teases a special event for LGBT+ travellers coming this July…
Exploring Stockholm from the water is perhaps the best way to see the city. How many ships are there in your fleet, and what kinds are they?
We have 18 vessels in our fleet today. Most of them are dedicated to traffic procured by the city of Stockholm for commuting passengers in the inner and outer archipelago. Three of our boats are more than 50 years old and they’re used for rentals and special cruises.
Our most popular cruise is the music cruise on board our 100-year-old steamboat S/S Blidsösund. We will introduce 18 additional ships this year, with lunch and dinner cruises on the two traditional, beautiful vessels Storskär and Norrskär. These will become available in October and we’re very excited!
You get to see a lot of the capital’s sights when cruising around on a boat. What places do your guests get most excited about?
The islands in the archipelago, for sure. The calm, the natural beauty. Our guests love the light – Sweden’s late sunsets in the summer make for beautiful evenings.
Tell us about your music cruises in the evenings. We imagine they’re quite the event, with live music…
Many tourists, as well as a great deal of locals, enjoy our music cruises in the evening sun on-board the steamboat S/S Blidösund. Think live music, great Swedish food, cruising the sea, looking out at the archipelago… The music cruises run until the end of October and we offer a selection of menus and packages. It’s a great way to make new friends!
Are there ways to enjoy a romantic evening with Blidösundsbolaget, too?
I strongly recommend the Engineer’s Saloon for a double date aboard the S/S Blidösund. What’s more romantic than dining in the chambre separée of an original steamship? It’s a lovely, intimate setting that comes with a set menu.
A little birdie has told us about a Queer Salsa tour you’ll run during Pride and we’re dying to hear more about it!
Oh, it’s going to be amazing! We depart from Gamla Stan on Tuesday, July 30, 7 pm and you really shouldn’t miss out: a three-hour queer salsa-dancing extravaganza aboard our gorgeous Riddarholmen vessel – and it’s a one-off event!
That sounds amazing. When and where will we be able to buy tickets?
Tickets go on sale June 28 and they’ll be available on our website or you can call us on +46 8243090. For those who are keen, there’s more info on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Finally, Blidösundsbolaget also offers several great day trips around Stockholm’s archipelago. What’s your personal favourite destination and why?
We have a great cruise program. I absolutely love our tour to Norröra, far out in the archipelago. Norröra is the home of Astrid Lindgren’s wonderful stories about Saltkråkan. The tour is only available from June 30 to August 18. It makes for a great summer day…
I also really like our new lunch product, a delightful quay lunch aboard our beautiful Riddarholmen. She is moored by the quay below the castle in Gamla Stan, offering fabulous views. Open during the week throughout July – come say hi!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Musikbaten.Blidosund
Instagram: @blidosundsbolaget