Written by Alan Douglas| Motoring Journalist and Broadcaster
Guest contributor for IL
To the Swedish capital Stockholm for another car launch, but this one was a bit different, because I didn’t do any driving.
Along with several hundred other motoring journalists, I was invited by the Czech car company Skoda, to get a preview of their latest compact Sports Utility Vehicle, the Karoq.
But it was a look-and-touch preview only – very much just a taster of what the car has to offer as it won’t be in UK showrooms until early in 2018 and I won’t get the chance to try it on the road for many months yet.
It’s a clever strategy by Skoda – building up expectation and anticipation well in advance of the car actually going on sale – and one that has already paid dividends for the Karoq’s bigger brother, the Kodiaq which has only recently gone on sale….although I got my first preview of it more than nine months ago.
I liked the look of the Karoq and I’m sure it will be just as successful for Skoda who have performed an amazing transformation in recent years since they became part of the giant Volkswagen Group in 2000.
So while I didn’t get the chance to do any driving, the event gave me the chance to experience some of the delights of Stockholm. I admit I was a bit concerned when I heard the name of the hotel Skoda had provided for our accommodation. The Hobo Hotel may be slap bang in the centre of the city in Brunkebergstorg but according to the dictionary the word means “homeless, vagabond or impoverished” which didn’t sound too promising.
I shouldn’t have worried. It’s been open only for a few months and was very comfortable, if more than a little quirky. The Hobo Hotel has quite a rustic feel with lots of wood and timber and describes itself as a boutique hotel with more than 200 rooms which it turns out were created by a German design firm.
They’re all comfortable but what many people would consider to be a touch basic. My room had a TV but no phone – it’s replaced by a chat function that allows you to stream content from your mobile or PC, to the TV. There was also no minibar and no kettle but it did have a plastic water pistol – already filled with water – in the bathroom. I wasn’t sure whether it was there for fun or for some quaint
Swedish washing procedure and I was more than a little confused by the pegboard on the wall with some bizarre items for me to use during my stay or buy from reception. They included a partially dismantled pocket calculator, what looked like a hand-drawn city guide and bizarrely, a dog-eared copy of a childrens’ comic.
I discovered that there are some tiny rooms called Sleepers and they have no windows for which you’ll be charged £170. At least mine, with a rate of £187, had a window although the view of the rear of a partially-built office block wasn’t the most inspiring.
What Hobo did have was fabulous food with a delicious lunch including steak tartare with rocket and parmesan or local herring with new potatoes, butter and sour cream.
Breakfast was a bit of a pick n’ mix initiative-test with fruit, pastries and coffee which you had to find in the bar but some of my adventurous fellow guests opted for the cooked option which included very well done, heavily smoked bacon and poached eggs with rather raw white and ice-cold, but cooked, yolk.
This part of central Stockholm is buzzing with restaurants, bars and clubs so there’s no lack of choice but prices are steep. A small glass of organic craft beer from a local micro-brewery cost the equivalent of £10.
The Skoda event was in Artipelag, a stunning cultural and arts centre on Varmdo in the Stockholm archipelago. The name is a combination of Art, Activities, and Archipelago and is renowned for its exhibitions and events as well as its restaurants which use a wide range of local ingredients.
You can get there from Stockholm city centre in only 25 minutes by bus but we enjoyed the 90 minute boat trip out of the central harbour area. It’s a must for the best views of the city and surroundings. You can take a hop-on hop-off boat, go on a trip under the bridges or a tour of the canals, or just hire a rowing boat or canoe and go at your own pace.
Or you can do what we did and head out into the Archipelago for spectacular views of the 30,000 islands where many Stockholmers have summer houses.
Pleasure boats were doing brisk business and several massive cruise ships were berthed as their passengers headed into the city.
Some glorious – and presumably hugely expensive – villas towered above us on the clifftops, many with tiers of steep steps leading down to the water’s edge and the waiting berthed yachts and cruisers.
Artipelag itself lived up to its name as a dream landscape. We were only 12 miles east of Stockholm but the air was fresh and clean, the water was sparkling, the rocks and cliffs were rugged and the beaches looked supreme.
We were too busy concentrating on the new car, but if we’d had the time we could have strolled freely along a network of nature trails in the 54 acres of grounds, equal to 36 football fields.
Experience Stockholm
Back in the city, there’s a wealth of attractions as well as the obligatory shopping expeditions and sampling the street coffee culture. The Swedish have a word for it – Fika which literally translates as having coffee, cake and a catch up with friends. The fresh – cold even – climate makes the hot chocolate in Sundbergs Konditori a must-have and if the weather’s sunny, Cafe String is perfect for sitting outside especially on October 4th which is National Cinnamon Bun day.
For a flavour of the city’s history, you must visit the Vasa Museum, which is named after a massive warship which sank on her maiden voyage in 1628 in the middle of Stockholm just a few hundred yards from where she was built. The ship was salvaged in 1961 and has been magnificently restored.
Gamla Stan is the Old Town where Stockholm began life in the 13th century. It’s on the tiny island of Stadsholmen with medieval squares and narrow cobbled streets.
With more than 600 rooms, the Royal Palace is the official residence of the King of Sweden, although he doesn’t actually live there. It’s open every day and if you’re lucky you’ll see the changing of the guard for a colourful display of pomp and ceremony.
If you’re feeling energetic, you can try climbing to the top of the 106 metre tall tower of the City Hall for a panoramic view of Stockholm. It’s one of the most recognisable landmarks in the city.
The world’s first outdoor museum is set in a large park with over 150 buildings – the oldest of which dates back to the 14th century – at Skansen. Actors dressed in historical costumes show you around the farm settlements and the town quarter with its glassworks, pottery and shoe-maker’s house.
Or more up to date, you can experience what it would feel like to be the fifth member of Swedish band, Abba. There’s lots of ABBA memorabilia and you can sing along with holograms of the group and see what you look like in digital versions of their costumes, from precarious platform shoes to spangly jumpsuits.
It’s all great fun – just like Stockholm itself.
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