While I was perusing in Barnes & Noble last summer, I came across a book titled 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler’s Life List. I flipped through the volume, specifically looking for places in Sweden, which I knew would be my new home. Along with an Ice Hotel in northern Sweden, the book advocated visiting the Vasa Ship Museum in Stockholm. The other day, I marked one of the 1,000 places to see off of my list. And trust me, the Vasa Ship deserves its place on that list.

Being the landlubber that I am, I found the museum as a whole to be very informative about ship making and life at sea. Moreover, the museum was packed with tidbits about life in Sweden in the 17th century. Walking through the exhibits and being reminded of how hard life was for people back then, my gratefulness of being born in the 20th century was renewed. Being a European sailor or soldier at the time of the Vasa pretty much guaranteed one a shortened life… not that it was that much better (or longer) for those who dwelt on land. The thought of it all sends shivers down my spine. Ugh… Okay, moving on…

The ship itself is amazing. Vasa was commissioned by the Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus to fight in the war against Poland. It was designed to be the largest and most impressive ship in the Royal Navy. Painted carvings and statues of roaring lions, Roman emperors, forest savages, and heavenly cherubs cover the exterior. The images boasted of the military might of Sweden and her King. Vasa was designed to have two gun decks that housed a total of 64 guns. Crew and soldiers were to be relegated to sleeping on the upper deck underneath the stars, as space below deck was used for weaponry, ammunition, and supplies. Unfortunately, the ship was unbalanced by design and wasn’t heavy enough to sit properly in the water. The result: the ship sank on her maiden voyage on August 10, 1628 in less than one nautical mile. It was rediscovered in the late 1950s and raised from the depths soon after.

Unfortunately, my photos from the museum leave a lot to be desired. Instead, please enjoy this short YouTube video that somebody else made of the ship.

And if you’re interested in seeing for yourself the great wonder that is this 17th century wooden ship (one of the only ones remaining in the world), you had better hurry. The ship is deteriorating, despite the best efforts of its caretakers. But let me assure you, the trip to Stockholm to visit Vasamuseet is well worth the effort!

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