/countries/show/sweden/1.rss en-us Forget the usual sunny and snowy sights of Stockholm. If you're in the Swedish capital, the smartest thing to check out is the home of the Nobel prizes: the Nobel Museum. Short films, original artifacts and interactive exhibits at the Nobel Museum all offer insight into the greatest minds of the last century. The Nobel Museum also offers a frequent rotation of mini-exhibitions on a particular winner or subject. At the Nobel Museum you can discover the story of Alfred Nobel, a native of Stockholm and the son of a wealthy industrialist, Nobel put his privileged education to good use by inventing dynamite! It was not an easy road to this discovery. Indeed, his brother died in one of their early experiments. A man of varied interests, Nobel was a strong believer in pacifism, and he also wrote poetry and plays. He made a will in 1895 bequeathing much of his fortune to the establishment of trust funds for the famous prizes which began in 1901 and bear his name to this day. Each year, the 10 million kronor (about US$1.2 million) prize is given by a Swedish committee for the best accomplishments in medicine, physics, literature, and chemistry. There is also an economics prize, commonly associated with the others, that was actually devised in 1968 by the Swedish Central Bank in memory of the famous inventor. Bear in mind that the Nobel Peace Prize, in accordance with Nobel's wishes, is actually awarded from Oslo, Norway. No reason was given for the decision, but it is thought Nobel may have intended it as a gesture of cooperation between the two Nordic countries. Another museum called the Nobel Peace Center is located in Oslo. While the Nobel Museum does partake in the delightful Swedish tradition of offering free coffee to patrons, no visit would be complete without lunch or a coffee break in the Kafe Satir. Here you can turn your chair upside down and see which famous mind has graced it (many of the Nobel winners have signed the underside of one of the café pews in recent years). Located in the heart of Stockholm's charming old town or Gamla Stan, the Nobel Museum is also well placed for visitors looking to get a few of the main sights into one short trip. The Royal Palace and the Royal Mint, as well as some of the city's best art, are all located nearby. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:16:13 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/nobel-museum http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/nobel-museum On the shores of the Torne River, in the old village of Jukkasjärvi in Swedish Lapland lies the Ice Hotel, a place that is like a surreal waking dream. Each November the creation of the Ice Hotel begins by taking massive clear cubes of ice from the Torne river. This water is incredibly clean and provides some of the best ice in the world for carving and creating such structures. The glass like structure uses over 30 cubic meters of snow and 5 thousand tonnes of ice. A true frozen wonderland, the Ice Hotel is created each year by a team of international designers, no two rooms the same, changing appearance, structures and layout from year to year. The intricate sculptures and wall carvings that line all the rooms in the Ice Hotel are beyond beautiful, and in this unique medium not often easily enjoyed adds an additional layer of magical ambiance to the hotel. Although a blistering -37°C outside at times, the Ice Hotel interior temperature is between -5°C to -8°C, actually quite comfortable when in your winter overalls, boots and mittens that the hotel provides. While staying here you can also enjoy the ice bar, winter safaris, snow shoeing, dog sledding, snowmobiling and an outdoor theater. Started in 1989 as the original Ice Hotel, today this seasonal destination trend is growing in popularity. Sun, 14 Sep 2008 17:57:29 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/ice-hotel http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/ice-hotel