Black shingled roofs flanking elaborate dome tops and ornate columns, the Nordic Museum’s exterior appearance can be rightfully considered reason enough to make the trip down to the small island it’s perched on. Exuding an aura of scholarly excellence and the impression of a school of wizardry by the riverbank, the Nordic Museum rightfully holds the most extensive collection of objects marking Sweden’s cultural milestones.

Split into two wings covering 11 permanent exhibits, visitors can take their time to walk through each and every gallery with items selected and preserved with care for the unique color they add to the vibrant tapestry of Swedish history. When one refers to Swedish furniture, we are wont to think of the compact and creative solutions by the internationally recognized household label IKEA but the furniture and interior design gallery at the museum takes this a step further. You’ll get the chance to explore the origins and influences of some of IKEAs designs from as early as the mid 17th Century such as Axel Oxenstierna’s Statesmen chair. Folk art immortalized in ink, knitted wool, delicate thread, carved in wood or hammered into steel takes center stage with an entire exhibit dedicated to chronicling the work of the rural folk.

Fast forward a few centuries and the camera came around, breaking new grounds in the Swedish expression of art. With 6 million individual shots, the photo gallery of the Museum is one of the most extensive throughout Europe. And don’t forget to learn of the only indigenous people of Sweden with a look into their unique customs and way of life seen nowhere else on earth. The modern sentiments of the Swedish people all began somewhere and it is within the Nordic Museum that one can unravel these beginnings.