Need a reason to cruise to or from Stockholm? I’ll give you ten good reasons.

1. Stockholm is immensely beautiful. The city is built on 14 islands that appear to be floating on water.
2. If 14 islands should prove to be insufficient, not to worry: At Stockholm’s doorstep are 30,000 islands in the archipelago.
3. Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s Old Town, is one of the world’s best preserved Medieval cities. Enjoy strolling the Old Town’s narrow alleys and cobble-stone streets, taking time to stop in cozy cafes, shops and world-class restaurants.
4. Stockholm is a walkable and bikeable city. The Swedish capital is compact and easy to get around. You can see and do a lot in a short amount of time. Be sure to take time to bicycle through the former royal deer park known as Djurgarden. Some of the scenes in Djurgarden fool you into thinking you’re in the Swedish countryside.
5. You can fika in Stockholm. Fika is where catching up with friends meets with coffee and cakes. But Fika is about much more than caffeine and carbohydrates. It’s a Swedish social institution, where friends sit down and chat about life and current events over snacks like kanelbulle, the Swedish version of a cinnamon bun, and a cappuccino. You will want to fika in one of Stockholm’s many cozy cafes.
6. Stockholm has dropped from 23rd most expensive city to live in to 31st. By comparison, Copenhagen ranks 7th, Oslo, sixth. Stockholm offers the best value among the Scandinavian capitals.
7. Stockholm is a city of culture. It has the world’s highest concentration of museums and an abundance of attractions, sites and galleries. There’s something for everyone: for families, for singles, young and old, gay or straight.
8. With one third of its land area covered in parks, and one third in water, Stockholm is a green city. Stockholm is Europe’s first Green Capital.
9. Getting to Stockholm from destinations worldwide is easy thanks to numerous flights daily from all over the world, including some low-cost carriers. Getting around once in Stockholm is easy and efficient.
10. Stockholm is the capital of Scandinavia. The city is a Nordic hub in business and in culture. Today, instead of Stockholmers going abroad for a fix of glamor and sophistication, visitors are coming to Stockholm for a taste of the international high life. Why not join them before or after your next cruise to or from the Swedish capital?

Copenhagen’s beloved Little Mermaid, known from the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, will leave the city in 2010. She will travel around the world to be part of World Expo in Shanghai from April to November 2010. The Little Mermaid has never left her spot at Langelinie Pier, where cruise ships dock, since the statue was erected in 1913. While in Shanghai, her place in Copenhagen will be temporarily taken by a sculpture created by a Chinese artist.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a visitor to Stockholm who would tell you that it is an inexpensive destination to visit, but savvy travelers will tell you that the Swedish capital provides relatively good value.Stockholm is no more expensive than, say, New York or Los Angeles, but with high taxation some goods do come at a premium. Tourists, however, are exempt from so-called “value added taxes” on many goods, and obtaining a refund on taxes paid is easy and efficient. Simply look for shops that offer “tax free” shopping.

You’ll find many quality products in Stockholm, including the world-renowned Swedish crystal at Nordiska Kristall, Wasa Kristall or Orrefors retailers. All have shops in the Old Town.

You’ll also find one-of-a-kind design in furniture, fabrics and other household goods at Svenskt Tenn, on Strandvagen. Look for leading brands such as FACE for cosmetics, and for fashion, scout out Filippa K and Marco Polo.

You can even get a free tour of the city – well, sort of. You can see Stockholm on the free IKEA bus that takes you to the world’s largest IKEA, south of Stockholm.

When it comes to dining, you can count on fresh food, whether you’re up for traditional or trendy cuisine. Stockholm boasts some of Europe’s most innovative restaurants. And remember, tipping is neither required nor expected.

If you’re overnighting in Stockholm, you’ll appreciate that your hotel typically includes a sumptuous breakfast buffet, so factor the savings of a quality breakfast into the cost of overnight lodging in Stockholm.

For lunch, you can get an inexpensive meal with a view at Gondolen, high above Slussen. There are many other options for dining on a budget.

So, no, Stockholm isn’t cheap, but remember that there?s truth in the old saying, “You get what you pay for.”

What’s big and green and occupies one third of Stockholm’s total land area? Parks.

Stockholm is an exceptionally green city, and the best place to experience that green is in the former royal deer park known as Djurgarden.

Only a few minutes by ferry from Stockholm’s bustling city center, Djurgarden is a “must experience” destination for any visitor to Stockholm.

Of course, people flock here to see the park’s popular museums and attractions, but the real reason for coming to Djurgarden is to commune with nature.

You can do just that at the zoo in Skansen, where Nordic animals roam against a not-so-distant city landscape. Or you can spend a day walking along – or running along – the park’s many paths.

The best way to see Djurgarden is on bike. You can rent one in the park and ride the easy-to-pedal roads. You’ll soon forget that you are in the heart of a large and cosmopolitan city. In fact, some of the scenes in Djurgarden fool you into thinking that you’re out in the Swedish countryside.

If you’d rather watch the passing scenery from the perspective of the water, you can take a canal tour or canoe under your own power.

When you’ve thoroughly exerted – but not exhausted – yourself, you’ll find no shortage of places to picnic – or to be a child again, doing cartwheels.

You certainly won’t feel the crush of humanity in this beautiful park with its many intimate hideaways. Pitch a blanket under the apple trees at Rosdendals Tradgard, then pick up a bite to eat while browsing the nearby greenhouses and the gorgeous flowers.

Stockholm is, in fact, a kaleidoscope of colors. It’s white and purple and yellow and blue, but above all, Stockholm is green.

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On a Baltic cruise this year? If you’re lucky, your ship stops in the Ã…land Islands in the port of Mariehamn. In this video we talk with Annica Jansson, managing director of the Ã…land Tourism Board, about her favorite way to experience the Ã…land Islands.

Formats available: Quicktime (.mov), Flash Video (.flv)