Sunset at Stockholm, Sweden by Olof Senestam

Djurgarden Island

Considered as the top attraction center, the Djurgarden Island is smack in the middle of Stockholm and well appreciated for its events, parks, greenery and many sights and sounds. This island alone handles 10 million visitors every year. A popular 2 hour walking tour takes tourists on a myriad of interesting features of the island.

Grona Lund

Probably a top pick for the entire family, the Grona Lund is an amusement park in Stockholm that is always an excellent spot for tourists. The Tivoli in this amusement park offers a Viking Ship ride the Scandinavian way.

Stockholm Nightlife

Compared to the nightlife of any major metropolitan city in Europe the one in Sweden and in particular Stockholm stands on top. Plenty of bars, discos and all night café offer a lot of drinking and partying for party lovers.

Vasa Museum

A 17^th century Swedish vessel, Vasa was christened and sent on its maiden voyage never to return again. This warship was salvaged after its discovery some time back with its remains brought back intact to the Vasa Museum. Today, this is the only museum exhibiting an intact war ship of the 17^th century. Chosen as one of the 7 Swedish wonders, the museum provides a glimpse into the six different levels of the ship.

Change of guards in the Royal Castle, Stockholm, Sweden by Clemens v. Vogelsang

Guard Changing Of Stockholm

One of the free excitements to witness in Stockholm is the Change of Royal Guards. A 40 minute long event shows over 30,000 guards changing in front of the King’s Royal residence.

Artwork Shopping

Considered as the shopping capital in the North of Europe, Stockholm provides many streets lined with designer shops and bargain points. IKEA, a major Swedish furniture brand is just one of the few shops set up in the city. You can find anything and everything related to Swedish design and styling in its streets from famous and not so famous artists, craftsmen and designers.

Kungstradgarden Ice Skating

For those who visit Stockholm in winter, the Kungstradgarden is a must-visit site. This park offers free ice skating in a city that adores this sport. A major reason why travel guidebooks and websites advise visiting Sweden in winter is because of the many winter activities you can engage in.

The ABBA Museum

This museum is the only ABBA museum in the world and it will receive well over half a million visitors each year. The museum provides a 4000 sq. meter tour of interesting items belonging to ABBA and displayed on three different levels. Stated to open real soon, keep your calendar empty to take this never seen before spectacle in full glory.

Guided Tours of the City

The best way to take in all the splendors spread across 14 islands is to go on a guided tour of the Swedish capital. There are plenty of guides and tour companies around to choose from but it is best to book in advance.

Autor Bio: This article was produced by Catalita G. (the girl standing behind the travel blog Channel Voyager).  On that blog you can read more information about trips and learn how to book a hotel in Stockholm (it is interesting to know that the term in Swedish is boka hotell Stockholm).

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10. Apocalypse (Drayton Manor)

Drop towers are a standard feature of most modern theme parks, carrying riders up high up into the sky before sending them free-falling back down to the ground below. Drayton Manor’s Apocalypse, though, is no generic amusement park ride. Instead, this 5-sided monster offers three district types of experience, with riders able to choose between being seated, standing on a floor or standing with no floor at all. If the 177-feet drop doesn’t put you off, then this will be enough to draw you back for a repeat ride or two.

9. Oblivion (Alton Towers)

Oblivion, the world’s first vertical drop roller coaster, opened to huge fanfare in 1998. It remains one of the best rides at the UK’s most popular theme park, carrying guests to the top its signature, 180-feet-tall drop. There, they are held for a few agonising seconds, before plunging into a darkened pit below. The ride is occasionally criticised for being over too quickly, but few guests will be disappointed after experiencing such a stunning set-piece.

8. The Ultimate (Lightwater Valley)

Opened back in 1991 at a cost of £5.2 million, The Ultimate is still the headline ride at Yorkshire’s Lightwater Valley. At the time, it broke the record for being the world’s long roller coaster, at some 7,442-feet-long. While it has since lost this record to Japan’s Steel Dragon 2000, it remains the longest if measured by duration (an amazing 7 minutes 34 seconds). There are plenty of thrills along the way, with the ride hitting a top speed of 51 miles per hour.

7. Bubbleworks (Chessington World of Adventures)

Located near London, Chessington World of Adventures is home to some of the UK’s most inventive and bizarre theme park rides. Bubbleworks is a great example, with guests boarding circular rafts to take an indoor tour of a “bubble factory”. After viewing the “Bubbleworkers” hard at work, they enter a dazzling final scene in which an array of fountains leap over the boats.

6. Lost River Ride (Flamingo Land)

Flamingo Land doubles as both a major theme park and a world-class zoo, and the Lost River Ride combines both elements into one large-scale attraction. The first half of the ride is a leisurely boat cruise past a range of majestic animal species, including rhinos, giraffes hippos and lions. Things then get a little more thrilling, and a lot wetter, with riders plummeting down a 60-feet drop into a splash zone below. Unmissable.

5. Stealth (Thorpe Park)

Thorpe Park’s Stealth certainly doesn’t feature the longest ride experience on offer at any of the UK’s theme parks, with coaster’s run-time coming in at just under 30 seconds (10 of which are spent cruising back into the station at low speed). Still, what it lacks in duration, it makes up in sheer spectacle, with riders being launched from 0 to 80 miles per hour in just 1.8 seconds. They then climb to the top of a 205-feet-tall tower, before racing down at a near-vertical angle towards the ground below.

4. Tomb Blaster (Chessington World of Adventures)

Chessington World of Adventures features a number of themed lands designed to take “adventurers” on a tour of exotic areas of the world. The Forbidden Kingdom area recreates Ancient Egypt, and is dominated by the popular Tomb Blaster ride. This takes guests on a tour of a tomb, where they must use laser guns to fend off hordes of the undead. It’s a fiercely addictive attraction, with guests always returning for “one more turn” to try and beat their top score.

3. The Swarm (Thorpe Park)

The first “wing rider” coaster in the UK opened at Thorpe Park in March 2012, and places guests at the centre of an alien invasion of London. The coaster’s trains represent the aliens, with riders being carried on “wings” on either side. This enables some impressive “near-miss” elements, including close encounters with the wreckage of a crashed plane, a burnt-out fire engine and a partially submerged helicopter.

2. The Big One (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)

Dominating the skyline on Blackpool’s seafront is The Big One, the UK’s tallest roller coaster. It is the headline attraction of the historic Blackpool Pleasure Beach, which still attracts more guests than any other amusement park in the country. Riders get an incredible view of the seaside resort from the top of the 213-feet-tall lift hill, but there’s little time to absorb it before racing around the coaster’s circuit at speeds of up to 74 miles per hour.

1. Nemesis (Alton Towers)

Alton Towers established itself as the UK’s leading theme park in 1994, when it opened Europe’s first inverted roller coaster, Nemesis. While the park has since installed a range of other major coasters, none can quite rival the original for sheer thrills. The ride is housed in a trench in order to overcome severe height restrictions placed on the park by local authorities, and this ensures that the scenery races past riders’ feet at close quarters. Other rides have tried and failed to top the Nemesis experience, and it remains one of the best roller coasters in the world.

Photo credits

All images © Natalie Sim.

Nick Sim writes runs one of the web’s largest resources dedicated to theme parks all over the globe. Thinking of trying out Nemesis for yourself? Don’t miss the site’s up-to-date listings of all the latest Alton Towers vouchers.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by daniel.herding

Maritime theme park
The first exhibition called Maritime theme park is located in buildings of the former fish market. This exhibition is interactive and can be divided into several parts: Bruges and the sea, military-Zeebrugge harbor, fishermen earlier and now, the International port Zeebrugge or Pirate Paradise. Here you can take a closer look at the Zeebrugge port – its history and present, or at a hard life of fishermen and through the film into the depths of the sea.

Lightship West-Hinder II
The second exposure of Seafront Zeebrugge is Lightship West-Hinder II. It is the ship, which until recently served as navigation and was moored at a position at sea to mark the coast near the town of Nieuwpoort. You can walk through it, touch and learn more about the role of beacon ships.

The Russian submarine Foxtrot
The third exhibition is The Russian submarine Foxtrot. Submarines of this type were used until 1994. During your visit you will learn, how is the life in such submarine when it is filled up with 75 crew members.

Seafront Zeebrugge theme park is open every day from 10am to 6pm and in July and August to 7pm. Keep in mind that the tour of all three parts of the Seafront Zeebrugge takes about two hours. You can buy tickets up to one hour before closing time. Children up to one meter in height, accompanied by parents, have free entry. Children to 12 years pay €8.50, and adults €10.50. Special rates apply for the groups and Seafront Zeebrugge offers many other additional programs for schools and companies. The nearest tram stop is Zeebrugge Kerk. Parking is free right at Seafront Zeebrugge.

For further information, visit the official site of Seafront Zeebrugge.

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Aquapark Sopot has 25 meters long and 12.5 meters wide swimming pool. There is also a leisure pool with a water geyser in the middle of it, massage sofas, an artificial river and a cave with a waterfall. For the youngest children there is prepared a mini pool with a depth of 30-60 cm. You can enjoy a lot of fun in the form of water cannons, slides and animals. The water temperature reaches pleasant 31-34 °C.

Aquapark Sopot offers also an outdoor pool for seasonal recreational use, with a maximum depth of 130 cm. It is coloured and adapted for interactive games. For lovers of adrenaline and excitement there are 2 water slides, one with a length of 110 meters with many curves and a second, very fast, with a length of 70 meters. If you have never swim in the natural mountain streams you should try Wild River which is flowing at about 600 liters per second.

Aquapark offers also whirlpools with bubble massage with a water temperature of 34 °C. It is great for complete relaxation and cleaning the body. You can find here bars, steam, dry and Finnish saunas, a bowling hall, cosmetics and massage.

Aquapark Sopot is open daily from Monday to Sunday from 8.00 to 22.00 hours.

Admission to the complex Aquapark Sopot ranges from 20 zł /1 hour or 50 zł /whole day, children under 3 are admitted free. You can use a family and a student discount or discount for people with disabilities and visitors over 65 years.

For further details visit official website of Aquapark Sopot.

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It offers a large number of water slides, sea waves and other attractions. Among the most adrenaline attractions are the Kamikaze slide, slide Twin Peaks, where you also fly and the Water Jump, which is very steep slide. But the biggest adrenaline attraction is the slide Stukas. It is designed really just for brave ones. From the high tower you are falling down on the slide which is almost perpendicular to the ground.

In the Aqua Paradise Canevaworld you can find also enough green space, in some parts are also loungers with parasols. Of course there are several pools, including a wave pool, children’s playground, bars and restaurants. There is the large parking space for “unlimited” number of cars so you don’t have to be worry when you are coming by car.

Admission to Aqua Paradise Canevaworld is €24 per day for adults and €19 for children but there are lots of discounts, e.g. for Annual Pass. Aquapark is open from May to September. Opening hours are changing, it is appropriate to look at the official site of the park.

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You cannot miss Europa-Park as the Silver Star – the tallest steel roller coaster in Europe is visible from far away. Do not be fooled, nor discourage from the inclusion of the amusement parks. What you’ll see and experience here at the 85 hectares, you certainly not enjoy anywhere else. Fantasy worlds are waiting for you to be discovered!

You can try the rapid ride through the Greek antiquity on the water roller coaster Poseidon, or shocking Silver Star with a top speed of around 130 km/h, or an expedition into the world of dinosaurs.

Europa-Park provides hundreds of attractions and a great show not only for the kids but also for the adults. You can get into the train that take you from one fairy tale to another fairy tale and passes through the town of Rust.

Europa-Park is one big city, composed of twelve districts, which follow and bring atmosphere of the selected European countries. The main gate to welcome you to Germany, and take you to a panoramic train. France invites you to an ultra-fast single-track Silver Star, where you usually waste an hour in the queue. Swiss will sit you on the bobsleigh track. Norwegians throw you into the rubber rafts in the vortex of a wild river bed. Russians offer traditional tunes and fables with scenes of pagodas, and you can also visit the space station MIR, where the centrifugal force tries the resistance of the space candidates. Dutch people will sit you into porcelain tea cups and spin in a wild circular motion.

You can feel free to let your children explore the world of dinosaurs, play on the pirate ships, seek the treasure or watch knights jousting while you enjoy the charms of European countries. You will distinguish them easily from each other according to the typical architecture and culture, but also by shops, restaurants, delicacies and visage of staff in different parts of the park. You can walk through Spain in the beat of the flamenco, try paella and then go e.g. to Italy. In Café Benedeta you can taste a cup of coffee, while enjoying magic of Venice Carnival. In Holland you can buy great chocolate to your children. The ladies probably get lost in France during a visit boutiques and fashion shops. You can then meet in a bar Marianne and take a glass of real champagne.

However you can pass Europa-Park in one day, we recommend you to take 2 days for it. During the day you can watch the exciting contest of gladiators, dancing on ice, visit London’s Globe Theatre, or a medieval jousting tournament, but the park is alive at night as well!

In the program you can choose from a Spanish fiesta “Viva la Vida”, the German knight’s banquet, an evening with a French cook in the bar La Cigale, or sitting at La Scala and listening to Caruso and his friends…

In Europa-Park you can enjoy a memorable gourmet dinner with cultural program, simply select a country to which you desire! Stylish performances do not end the show in the evening, it continues even in local hotels that are full of inspiring experiences and dreams. For example, you can stay overnight in the Colosseo, Santa Isabel, El Andaluz, or in an Indian village.

Europa-Park is open 09.04.2011 – 06.11.2011 from 9 am to 6 pm (extended opening hours during peak season). 2 day ticket for adults costs €67, for children (4-11 years) costs €59,50. For children under 4 there is free entry.

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Parc Asterix is based on the stories of Asterix and Obelix – who are famous French comic book heroes (the Gallic warriors). They lived around the year of 50 BC, and fight successfully against Roman legions with the help of a magic potion. Parc Asterix offers more than 30 attractions, especially the large variety of roller coasters and 3 different performances.

Among the favorite characters from comic books and movies you can experience the adventure on a bobsleigh and the turbulent water flow. You will find here also the Dolphinarium, classic Gallic village, and if you will have a good luck, one of the Druid offers you a magic potion.

In the complex there are also sections devoted to ancient Greece, Roman Empire and the Vikings. There is a roller coaster La Trace Du Hourra that transports you to ancient times in a speed of 60 km/h. For those of you who are more adventurous there is a roller coaster Goudurix, where you will be several times upside down. Another interesting fun is a wooden roller coaster Tonnerre de Zeus, which can ride at speeds up to 85 km/h. The track was even named the best wooden roller coaster in Europe.

Parc Asterix is open during the summer season from April to August almost daily from 10:00 to 18:00. You can visit it also throughout the whole year, but at first check the opening calendar at their main website to ensure it is open.

Very close to this park you can enjoy fun also in France’s and Europe’s most visited tourist attraction – Disneyland Paris, which is only approx. 30km far.

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Walibi Belgium was opened on 26th July 1975. It is a medium sized park where all the people from children to older one can find fun. In total there are 50 different attractions. Walibi Belgium is not divided into thematic parts, but into categories according to severity – children, family, for teens and The Big 7 (this is for the bravest ones). There are the roller coasters, free fall, water rides, 4D cinema, and many more. The biggest attraction of the park is the roller coaster “Vampire” and free fall from the 77 meters “Dalton Terror”. The Walibi Belgium has also a plenty of food stalls and souvenir shops. Accommodation right in the park is not possible, but in the vicinity there are lots of accommodation opportunities. There is also the campsite. Otherwise it is a good idea to book tickets over the interent, it will cost you less.

Walibi Belgium is open from late April to early November 10 to 18 hours. Outside the main season is open only on weekends. It should prefer to see the opening hours at the park site. Tickets prices start at 25Eur/person/entrance or you can buy the whole year ticket for 55Eur.

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Santa Claus Village was formed with only few wooden-cottages in 1950. Today it is a complex, which consists of several cafes, shops and refreshment facilities. There is also Santa Claus office, or Santa Claus post office. There is a white line leading throughout the Santa Claus Village that indicates the Arctic Circle. In the local stores you can buy a really interesting souvenirs. They sell the handicrafts Lapps, knitted sweaters, gloves, hats, reindeer meat, a variety of products from Finnish berries and real Finnish knife that will last for a lifetime.

500 000 tourists visit Santa Claus Village each year. You can get there from Rovaniemi by bus #8 known as Santa’s Express. The village is open all the year. Opening hours are often changed, it is appropriate to look at the official village site. There is the popular Santa Park situated just 2 km from Santa Claus Village.

The basic admission is 28Eur in winter and 15Eur in summer.

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The area where the Needles can be found is known as the Jurassic Coast. It is here that the land has been folded as a result of tectonics over the course of millions of years. As a result, the almost vertical strands of rocks can be seen throughout the region. Chalk is one of the more resilient rocks and as a result has continued to stand long after the clays and sandstones have washed away.

The Needles, Isle of Wight, UK by Peter Pearson

It was known that back in the beginning of the eighteenth century, there were four needles in the formation. However, in 1764 a storm ravished the area and knocked over one of the rocks. The name the Needles dates back hundreds of years. Today though, the rocks have lost their needle-like appearance as a result of erosion by the waves.

Another popular attraction in the area is the Needles Lighthouse which was built back in 1859. It has been operational ever since. However, in order to reduce costs and manpower, the lighthouse was automated back in 1994.

There is also an amusement park that can be found on a nearby cliff that over looks the geological land formation. Known as the Needles Pleasure Park, it has grown to become a very popular destination in the area. The park is most well known for the chairlift that takes people to Alum Bay and back.

The headlands that overlook the Needles are home to several gun batteries as well as an experimental testing facility for rockets. While the batteries were in use during the 1950s and 60s, they have long since been decommissioned. The rocket test facility is located mostly underground and was operated by as many as 240 people during the 1960s. Part of the underground facilities have been completely restored and are currently open to the public.

There are a number of old Coastguard cottages that can be found in the area. Now under National Trust, the cottages are available for rental throughout the year. People who wish to have a party in the area, or that would like to visit and stay can rent the Coastguard cottages.

Most of the park and surrounding countryside can be travelled using bicycle or on foot. However, when there is a high wind warning in the area, the site where the batteries are located is closed for safety reasons.

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