Very cool spot to spend a bit of time while in Stockholm. Several floors dedicated to various news…read moreand books. There are locals studying so need to be mindful of that.

I was hoping to get a fabulous panorama of the massive rotunda at the center o Stockholm's main…read morebranch of the library but the view was disturbed by a large installation of scaffolding for renovation. Serious bummer. The rotunda is a 36 degree multi-level tower of books. It is completely open to the public at all levels including the lowest with study carrels and reading desks up to the top where the books are accessible without the help of a librarian. There are some 2 million books available here. The library is an example of Nordic Classicism, aka Swedish Grace, pioneered by Swedish architect Gunnar Asplund in the 1920s. And of course, access is free. It's a public library! [Review 18725 overall - 59 in Sweden - 2248 of 2022.]

I'm still not sure how to describe this place except to state that it's something of a hybrid…read morebetween an arts center and a shopping mall. At the same time, it really gives you a concentrated flavor of the Swedish modern design style most of us know only through trips to Ikea. It stands in a central area of Stockholm south of Sergels torg where the big, elliptical plaza sits with the geometric, black-and-white triangle design, a most arresting sight seen from the building's windows (photo: http://bit.ly/2aFTOud). If neither big Viking ships nor an ABBA tribute is your cup of tea, then I'd say this is a good place to chill during the day. A good portion of the center is devoted to performance venues like the Stockholm City Theatre, the Hörsalen lecture hall or the more club-like Kilen where young stand-up comedians perform. On the fourth floor is a children's library called Rum för Barn, where kids can hang and read books or listen to storytellers on kid-friendly couches. There's also a comic book library called Serieteket. Jamie W. and I strolled through the Design Museum which showed unique artifacts that gave way to bigger design trends (photo: http://bit.ly/2aWbJ0f). We were also particularly fascinated by an area devoted strictly to serious chess players (photo: http://bit.ly/2b24T9T). Definitely worth a stop.

Great food, medium sized entres. I chose the steak and the salmon for my partner. Both were well…read morecooked and delicious. Drinks were good as well.