{"id":16989,"date":"2017-10-11T21:48:37","date_gmt":"2017-10-11T21:48:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/?p=16989"},"modified":"2017-10-12T13:25:05","modified_gmt":"2017-10-12T13:25:05","slug":"a-morning-with-pippi-longstocking-junibacken-stockholm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/a-morning-with-pippi-longstocking-junibacken-stockholm\/","title":{"rendered":"A Morning with Pippi Longstocking – Junibacken Stockholm"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"junibacken<\/a><\/p>\n

In the heart of the Djurg\u00e5rden, surrounded by many other famous Stockholm attractions<\/a>, you will find one that will be especially popular with the smaller members of your family – and actually, we grown ups really loved it too!…<\/p>\n

It’s hard to describe Junibacken<\/a>.\u00a0 It calls itself a children’s cultural centre, but it’s also an imagination playground, a\u00a0 museum, and it has the largest children’s book shop in Sweden.\u00a0 It also puts on over 1600 theatre productions a year, and all with books at the heart of every single thing…<\/p>\n

It opened in 1996, and Astrid Lindgren (perhaps Sweden’s most famous children’s author) herself was heavily involved in its creation.\u00a0 When she was approached to work on the idea by Stefan Gotestam who dreamt the whole place up, she was determined it wouldn’t become a museum just about her work, but a place to celebrate many children’s authors, and countless popular stories that many of us grew up with.\u00a0 Ultimately it was to become somewhere to encourage a love of reading, and<\/strong> a love of books…I think they have succeeded with exactly both of those things.\u00a0 \u00a0Everyone in our party was inspired to spend some time in the bookshop after our visit.\u00a0 \u00a0No doubt helped by the fact that it’s one of the most beautiful children’s book shops I have ever been in, and as well as books in almost every language, there are plenty of gifts and decorations to be hankered after too.<\/p>\n

\"bookshop<\/a><\/p>\n

I grew up with Astrid Lindgren books.\u00a0 Pippi Longstocking and her horse and monkey (I was so jealous!) were some of the stories my sisters and I enjoyed as young children, along with Karlsson on the Roof (the story of an imaginary friend (or is he?) who can fly and lives in a little room in the roof of his owner’s house!\u00a0 We will ignore the fact that he appears to be a middle aged man, something that didn’t even occur to me until we visited Junibacken!), and my absolute favourite Astrid Lindgren books of all time – The Tomten, and The Tomten and the Fox (for those of you looking for Christmas gifts for younger children, those last two books are a must on any bookshelf.\u00a0 You can thank me later!).<\/p>\n

\"junibacken<\/a>
even the door to the loo looks great!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Our bookshelf also contained a lot of Alfie Atkins books (or Alfons Aberg as he is better known in Sweden!), along with Mrs Pepperpot and and a few Ulf Stark books as well, so I was really happy to be reacquainted with a few old friends, and introduce my children to some I had forgotten about as well… If you are reading this thinking, “well I won’t bother with that place then, I haven’t ever heard of any of that lot” – I can guarantee there will be somebody or something inside this museum that you do recognise.\u00a0 Plus even if you don’t, you will come away with some new favourites anyway…<\/p>\n

We visited Junibacken<\/a> first thing one bright and sunny morning.\u00a0 We had a lot to pack in that day, but Pippi’s House was definitely our first and main priority, and we made it just as the doors were opening…<\/p>\n

First things first – there are no pushchairs allowed inside, but there’s plenty of dedicated “parking” directly outside, and as this is Sweden so everything’s perfectly safe too.\u00a0 \u00a0 Don’t miss the opportunity for a new style family portrait here while you are at it (see first picture!)!!…<\/p>\n

\"Junibacken<\/a><\/p>\n

As soon as you’ve paid for your tickets (under two’s are free – children aged between 5-15 are 139 SEK each, and adults are 159 SEK each.\u00a0 It’s also a museum included in the Stockholm Pass!), the choice is yours as to what you begin with.<\/p>\n

\"junibacken<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Junibacken<\/a>
Inside Karlsson’s House<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We started in the room to the far left of the reception, where we explored Karlsson’s House, got up close and personal to the big bad wolf, had a good few goes on the giant monkey slide, and (with his older siblings having earned their sausage cooking badges at Berlin’s Currywurst Museum<\/a>!) had a go at dishing up Swedish korv (sausages) as well…<\/p>\n

\"big<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"junibacken<\/a>
pickles and mustard?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Afterwards it was time to board The Story Train which reminded me so much of our favourite Hans Christian Andersen Ride (Den flyvende Kuffert) in Copenhagen’s Tivoli<\/a> (I must have been on that so many times over the years and not just because it was warm and dry in there when the weather was shocking.\u00a0 I did have to pretend to cry each time we went past the Little Match Girl though, or I was mean apparently!).\u00a0 \u00a0As the journey begins, you listen to stories as you are taken up and above scenes familiar and not so, and whisked through the world of books and their characters.\u00a0 If you quickly switch to the Swedish narration during your journey, you will hear the voice of Astrid herself…\u00a0 Junibacken’s CEO takes a ride on the story train every day, and I have to say I would do the same – it’s truly lovely!\u00a0 \u00a0You need to show your entry receipt for this ride, and as far as I know, you can only take the train once during a visit.<\/p>\n

\"junibacken<\/a><\/p>\n

Next up was the relatively new exhibit based around Barbro Lindgren’s works. Here you can become Ben the Wild Baby and explore his world, hang from the pictures in the “dolls house”, explore a space ship in mid flight space or imagine yourself deep in the heart of a whale’s belly.\u00a0 If that’s all a bit too much, you could just sit and relax and read many of Barbro’s wonderful books here instead…\u00a0 That’s exactly what I did as everyone else played happily around me anyway, completely immersed in an imaginary world…<\/p>\n

\"junibacken<\/a>
Just hanging around<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"junibacken\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"junibacken<\/a>
Inside the whale…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Junibacken<\/a>
Daring to go boldly?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On next to Ville Villekula – a life size version of Pippi Longstocking’s House, complete with her horse outside (he never did appear to have a name did he?), and what appeared to be a giant bowl full of spongy brick cereal – although I don’t remember that in the books.\u00a0 The toddler would probably still be sitting there playing with it now if he could, and I would still be happily looking at the view out of the window…<\/p>\n

\"Pippi's<\/a>
If you look closely, you will spot three of my boys in this picture. It’s like Where’s Wally or something! :D<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Pippi's<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Pippi's<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Pippi's<\/a><\/p>\n

\"View<\/a><\/p>\n

This room is also where the theatre\u00a0 by the way, but my lot wouldn’t have been interested in sitting still to watch anything when there was Pippi’s house to explore.\u00a0 \u00a0 I half thought that the 12 year old might be too grown up for this museum, but it completely captured her imagination too, and the only time she ever moaned (wailed actually) was when she fell backwards off Pippi’s life sized horse (incident not captured!).\u00a0 Don’t ask…\u00a0 \u00a0The ten year old was totally enraptured by the whole thing, particularly the Barbro Lindgren room, plus the prospect of meatballs for lunch definitely helped too…<\/p>\n

\"Pippi's<\/a><\/p>\n

The restaurant here is as good a place as any to try them, and these, along with great pancakes and plenty of other childhood favourites are all all made with local organic ingredients.\u00a0 The coffee’s pretty good too, and it’s all in a really lovely setting.<\/p>\n

\"restaurant<\/a><\/p>\n

The only place we didn’t explore this visit (we ran out of time sadly) was the little garden out the back, but it’s always good to save something for next time don’t you think?<\/p>\n

Junibacken is open every day between 10 and 5 (open slightly longer in the summer months.\u00a0 Closed at Christmas and certain bank holiday weekends – check the website before you visit.<\/p>\n

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