Just imagine, a ship breaks down and sinks on its maiden voyage. 333 years later, will you be able to find all the parts from the sea, rebuild the exact one again, and exhibit to the world? Probably not.
But it’s possible, at the Vasa Museum in Stockholm.
The museum exhibits a well preserved 17-century ship that sank in 1628. More than 95% of the ship is original, which means that it’s neither painted nor modified.
↪️ Download your free Vasa Museum guide ↩️
The parts were retrieved from the sea and completely rebuilt part by part. Hence the museum is the most visited in the entire Scandinavia attracting over 1.1 million visitors annually.
The museum has dim lights because oxygen, water, and light destroy the ship.
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Entrance fee and opening times
Swedish Krona (SEK) is the official currency and 1€ ~ 10.2 SEK
Adult: 170 SEK
18 years or under: free of charge
Free admission if you have a Stockholm pass. Have a look at the official website for more details.
Winter (June – August): 8.30 am – 6 pm
Simmer (September – May): 10 am – 5 pm
Vasa history inside the museum
You can see the mindblowing history inside the museum. Walking around the Vasa was surreal. I can’t believe how the researchers managed to preserve such a huge ship that was underwater for centuries.
During the museum visit, my Egyptian friend said, ‘Look at the Swedish people. They saved one ship and made it a world-famous museum. Had we saved enough Mummies, we could have also restored our rich heritage’
Reading the history of events is like walking through time. Below are the highlights.
The Vasa sinks
On August 10, 1628, Vasa is on its maiden voyage. After a short trip of 1500 meters, the ship sinks. Around 150 people lose their lives.
Reason: The best explanation is that sudden strong winds caused the Vasa to topple. Water entered the gun portals and eventually leading to complete sinking of the sink.
1961
For 333 years, it was underwater (32 meters deep). Various parts of the ship were buried deep in mud and clay. Different species of Bacteria and fungi attack the wood. The iron bolts and cannonballs rust and start diffusing in the wood.
In 1961, Vasa is now raised from the sea. A whole new biological and chemical processes begin.
1962 – 1979
The researchers spray PEG on Vasa for 17 continuous years. It’s a preservative that replaces water. This method prevents the wood from cracking. Until then no one had ever preserved such a large ship
1979 – 1988
The surface is treated and Vasa dries. The hull (ship’s watertight body) gets a glossy and waxy finish. Meanwhile, about 14,000 parts are recovered, reassembled and remounted back on the ship.
1990
The Vasa museum is born. A dedicated climate system combined with frequent cleaning help to preserve Vasa.
2000
Museum’s climate system is affected by the large tourists on a rainy summer. An increase in humidity accelerates the chemical reaction resulting in Sulphur salt deposits on the ship.
2004
The government installs a better climate control system to preserve Vasa.
2003 – 2006
‘Preserve Vasa’ – an international research project helps to gain more expert opinion on various chemical processes in wood.
2007
A huge lift construction takes place that helps in cleaning and study of all the sculptures.
2008 – 2011
‘A future for Vasa’ – an international project helps in the understanding of marine archaeological woods and conservation effects
Since 2011
The ship’s 3D structure helps to study the wood’s mechanical properties and prevent deformation.
Face to face
When the Vasa sank, people who lost their lives are anonymous to us. More than half of them are revived only as skeletal remains. So it’s impossible to identify the looks.
Depending on the clothes, objects found near them, the branch of scientific disciplines came out with the look.
It was imaginary but fascinating, isn’t it?
Will the Vasa survive for the next 100 years?
Yes, we can preserve the Vasa if the room is dark and cold without oxygen.
But at the moment, all the environmental lights, heat, moisture, and oxygen, the ship would eventually break down one day. All the conservation efforts only delay the breakdown process.
Did you know that even your body heat, your breath, and wet clothes also affect Vasa?
So as of today, no one knows how long can the Vasa survive.
How to reach the Vasa Museum
From the Stockholm central station, its 3km. So you can have a leisure 30 min walk. That’s the ideal way to move around in expensive Stockholm or take a 7 minute in tram #7 (50 SEK for a 75-minute one-way ticket price).
What you can expect?
Vasa museum is a place that you will never be bored of, even for someone who hates museums. While most of the museums in the world concentrate on a number of things like artifacts, history, and culture, Vasa is only about one 17th century ship.
When you visit Stockholm, the Vasa museum should be the first place in your bucket list.
Overall experience: 
out of 5
Time of visit: May 2016
” Yeah, working is great…but have you tried travelling” – Anonymous