How to visit the Vasa museum, a 17th century galleon refloated in Stockholm

 

Vasa galleon from the 17th century in the Stockholm museum

Can you imagine seeing a great ship from the 17th century in almost perfect condition?

That is what you will discover when you enter the grounds of the curious and surprising Vasa museum in Stockholm, Sweden.

I can tell you in advance that the  Vasa museum is, without a doubt, an essential visit on your trip to Stockholm.

Where is the Vasa museum

When you arrive on the island of Djurgarden, where the Skansen open-air museum or the Grona Lund amusement park are also located, the exterior physiognomy of the Vasa museum building already tells you that you are going to see something unusual inside.

Indeed, the building was built in its day to shelter the impressive Vasa, a wooden galleon measuring 69 meters from stem to stern that was built in 1628, and at that time it was the largest warship among those that until now then they were built.

But as incredible as it may seem, on August 10, the first day that the Vasa set sail from the port of Stockholm, a strong gust of wind moved it until it sank in the very mouth of the port.

History of the Vasa ship in Stockhol

But how can it be possible that this military Titanic of the time sank like this?

Detail of the great 17th century galleon in the Vasa museum in Stockholm

This was due to the fact that when its construction was well advanced, the then king of Sweden, Gustavus Adolphus II , who was fighting a harsh war with Poland, requested that one more row of cannons be installed on the galleon.

This change in the initial project had as a consequence the modification of the weight levels of what was to be the largest ship in the Swedish Navy.

Although an attempt was made to compensate by loading a ballast of up to 120 tons of stones on the bottom of the ship, it could not withstand the second gust of wind as it left the port, after a first warning that had already caused the ship to become unstable.

When and how was the Vasa raised?

It seems almost unbelievable that 333 years later, in April 1961, the ship could be refloated.

    

This was possible thanks to the fact that its wood had not deteriorated over time due to the low salinity of the Baltic Sea and the almost non-existence of a characteristic mollusk that usually eats it.

This recovery was due to the initiative of  Anders Franzén, a researcher who was enamored with the history of the Vasa, and who spent several summers during the 1950s trying to locate it.

Curiously, the resistance of the Vasa was put in danger after it was refloated, with the danger that the wood would crack.

For this reason, for several years the Vasa has had to be sprayed with special waxes that have allowed its conservation.

What to see in the visit of the Vasa museum

Now you have the opportunity to see the only ship that exists from the 17th century in a museum that was built to measure the ship, and for that purpose.

Detail of the great 17th century galleon in the Vasa museum in Stockholm

I anticipate that you will be surprised by the perfect conservation of the Vasa, with a structure that is 90 percent of the original.

In the Vasa museum, you should start by watching a very interesting documentary that tells you about the history of the ship and that includes images of the laborious process of recovering it.

You will also see on display some of the more than 4,000 objects recovered from the sinking of the Vasa, among which the numerous colored sculptures that were distributed throughout the ship's hull stand out.

Hours visit Vasa museum in Stockholm

The visiting hours of the Vasa museum in Stockholm are, from June to August, every day from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; and from September to May, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Wednesdays, when it closes at 8 p.m.

Model of the great 17th century galleon in the Vasa museum in Stockholm

Vasa museum ticket prices

Ticket prices to visit the Vasa museum are, in general, 170 Swedish crowns (16.50 euros), and free admission for children and young people up to 18 years of age.

The visit to the Vasa museum is included among the 60 visits to museums, monuments, and attractions that the Stockholm Pass tourist card offers you.

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