The Scandic Victoria Tower Hotel is designed by the architect Gert Wingårdh, 117 meter (384 ft) and did cost SEK 600 million (around USD 90 million) to be built. The hotel building is totally covered in glass – I just love this unusual patterned architecture!

My photo above doesn’t quite do it justice. I don’t exactly love it less when also discovering that the inside interior is decorated with design furniture from Vitra, Montana and Flos…

If you happens to be nearby: take the elevator up to the skybar at 34th floor and sit down and sip on a glass of Champagne with a view over Stockholms Silicon Valley.

This is the tallest hotel building in Scandinavia, but the tallest building in Sweden is actually Turning Torso in Malmö which I also adore and wrote about earlier.

©Lifecruiser Love Victoria Tower
 

Photo By: khowaga

Malaga

Climb aboard the Refre railway to experience the laid-back atmosphere of this coastal Spanish town while enjoying beautiful scenery along the way. The journey takes two and a half hours and winds through the some spectacular landscapes. Once in Malaga, you can tour historic sites like the Alcazaba, a Moorish castle built in the 11th century, or learn more about Picasso by touring his birthplace at the Picasso Museum.

Photo By: Tab59

Sitges

Catch some rays on the beaches of Sitges, refered to as the Saint-Tropez of Spain, on a three hour ride aboard the FGC (Generalitat de Catalunya) railways. This artsy town has year-round attractions but really gets hopping during Carnival that begins on Fat Tuesday or the Sitges Film Festival in the summer. Known for its tolerant attitude, it is a popular destination for gay and lesbian travelers and has an abundance of fine dining establishments.

Cordoba

Depart from the Madrid Atocha station on Rail Europe for a one hour and 44 minute ride to this charming sun-drenched area that was one of the largest cities of the ancient world. Explore Old Town where you can still see the Roman walls standing and visit the Fernandina churches like Santa Marina which houses work by local artist Antonio del Castillo y Saavedra.

Photo By: Cruccone

Figueres

Travel through the Catalan countryside from Madrid to the birthplace of Salvador Dali aboard the sleek double-deck French TGV high-speed trail that passes through Madrid. Relax in their state-of-the-art cars that whisk you to sites like the Dali Theatre and Museum where you’ll find the largest collection of his work in the world.

Paris

Be in Paris in just two hours aboard the daily high-speed TGV Eurostar that whisks you to the City of Lights in record time. If you’d like an overnight adventure, the Elipsos train hotel departs Barcelona each evening for a 12 -hour trip with a la carte dinners and 4-bed sleeper cars. Embark refreshed and spend the day exploring the Louvre and dining on Paris delicacies before taking the high-speed train back to Madrid.

Photo By:  ComunicaTI

Zaragosa

In just an hour and a half, the high-speed AVE can deliver you to Zaragosa (also known as Saragossa) so you can spend the day exploring this charming city. Try out the tapas bars or their famous regional dish, Bacalao al Ajoarriero (cod-fish with garlic and eggs) in between visits to the romantic castles and monasteries scattered throughout this picturesque city.

You’ll find the rail services also offer package deals that include hotel accommodations, public transportation or rental car deals, dining coupons and comprehensive passes to museums and attractions.

Lifecruiser Love Spain Train Travel
 

The building has been nominated to Stockholm Building 2010 for it’s design by the Swedish architect Per Johanson, who played with pastel-colored balcony windows glass as a contrast to the white side of the house which continues over the roof and is supposed to make the house look like it’s upside down U-shaped – at least on a a distance.

What’s so special (read scary!) with this house is the balcony rail of glass from floor to ceiling that hangs like a loose plate outside the balcony itself. I’m afraid of heights myself, so my first thought was how I would dare to go to the front of the balcony rail without getting the feeling of falling down…

When traveling by the subway train passing by the house, you get many reflexes in the colored glass on the house. The more practical side of me thought: how difficult to clean the windows, so much glass everywhere – and how to clean the outside?

I suppose they hire professional windows cleaners to get the job done and not hanging out from there themselves. Phew!

This whole area at Brommaplan is now in the plans of renewing with 600 new apartments as well as 14000 kvm shopping/service areas and it was not a day too early if I should be honest! It’s a bit worn down and not effective used today.

Stockholm is growing and developing – all places need to catch the modern time we are in even though we also need to keep the wonderful old architecture Stockholm has too.

©Lifecruiser Love Stockholm
 

The Turning Torso is, with it’s 190 meters (623 feet) and 54 stories, the tallest building in Sweden when created, but also one of the most spectacular with it’s crazy 90 degrees twisting of the 9 cubes in the tower from top to bottom and irregular pentagonal shaped floors rotating around the vertical core.

A true artwork in structural expressionism by Santiago Calatrava (follow the link to read more about this fantastic engineers work!) from 2005, inspired by his own sculpture called the Turning Torso which the Swedish contractor saw and asked him to copy his design as a building.

Featured in Discovery channel’s TV program, Extreme Engineering – always so incredible fascinating – where they did show how a floor of this twisted tower was constructed. It’s also built with sustainability and an environmentally friendly way of life in mind and the building is supplied only with locally produced and renewable energy.

Santiago Calatrava (from Valencia in Spain) is considered to be one of the worlds elite designers who has won gold medal’s. A truly gifted structural engineer with an unusually artistic approach in his creations! I’m totally blown-away by several of his other architectural wonders too.

He also contributed (but did not won) in the architectural competition for the Swedish Öresund Bridge in the nearby area, which we had to pass over to get from Sweden to Denmark on our next leg of Lifecruiser Europe trip…

©Lifecruiser Love Unusual Architecture
 

When traveling, we often enjoy all the different architecture we get to see and this is an excellent example of a new thinking within apartment block planning, opening up for more creative surroundings for peoples living areas.

I’m all for it! Let new ideas grow and be implemented!

©Lifecruiser Love Beach Hammocks
 

Though they are most charming there and not everywhere else. We love to see different styles everywhere. That is after all what makes traveling so interesting and educating.

©Lifecruiser Love Traditional French
 

Today when you’re reading this, we’re leaving our summer island, going home to be at home only for one day and then our long roadtrip to Europe starts!!!

©Lifecruiser Love Travel Photography
 

In the mirror in the background you can see a typical Gotlandic white house with the special Gotlandic blue color at the window and door frames including red roses. I just love it!

©Lifecruiser Love Travel Photographing
 

With the changeability of British weather, one of the best ways to enjoy our occasional fleeting moments of heat and sunshine is to take a last-minute trip to one of this nation’s beautiful cities. On a Saturday morning, if the birds are chirping and the sky is blue, why not take a chance and book a weekend away?

Here are my 3 favourite summer city breaks in the UK:

Brighton
This quaint yet vibrant city really has it all. Stroll down the magical city streets amid the hustle and bustle of seasoned shoppers enjoying the unequalled variety of boutiques and stores, before settling down in one of the many oddball coffee houses. The city offers an impressive array of museums, galleries and theatres as well as one of the country’s most abundant nightlife and music scenes.

Nestled in between the lulling blue waters of the English Channel and the rolling green hills of the South Downs, Brighton is in the perfect position for summer exploration. Try kite flying on the breezy, Sussex hills or take a walk along the wide promenade, ice cream in hand as excitable roller bladers whizz past yelling.

Brighton seaside is packed to the hilt with accommodation, as well as plenty of ambient cafes and bars; it has to be my favourite place in the country for weekend hotel breaks.

The beautiful seafront architecture, highlighted in the summer sun, will send a shiver down your spine, and along with the salty sea breeze, will guarantee your stay in Brighton to be a summer break to remember.

Bath
For something a little different, why not visit one of England’s most ancient and iconic cities? Amble down the same cobbled streets as the Romans did two thousand years before you. The striking, colourful architecture, constructed almost solely from beautiful Bath Stone, oozes antiquity and atmosphere.

Taking a relaxing dip in the Roman baths is essential when visiting the city to which they gave their name. The steamy waters come straight from the nearby natural hot springs, bubbling and brewing at an impressive 117 degrees F.

There is plenty more in the way of history here. The beautiful city was inscribed as a World heritage Site in 1987 and has many other sights and stories to offer. The striking Abbey was first founded in the 7th Century, and has undergone much renewal and refurbishment over the following centuries, retaining a little of every epoch it has endured. Pulteney Bridge has been designated a Grade I site of historical importance and is one of the very few bridges in the world lined with interesting and traditional boutiques, cafes and stalls. Bath really is a city like no other!

Edinburgh
The capital of our northern neighbour is surely one of the world’s prettiest cities. As an ancient centre for trade and commerce, the archaic settlement is steeped in history and stories. Taking a stroll through the enchanting streets and back alleys while viewing the magnificent architecture is simply breath taking, the view from the top of Calton Hill on the East side of the city at sunset is a truly unforgettable experience.

In terms of things to do, Scotland’s capital will have you spoilt for choice. There is a wide spectrum of shops and stores with enough variation in style and price tag to suit everyone.

The National Museum of Scotland has been recently refurbished and now holds a remarkable collection of exhibits, spanning millions of years and representing a diverse collection of cultures and continents from whale skeletons to Egyptian coffins, from medieval jewellery to a Concorde.

During the summer, the world-famous Edinburgh festival takes place showcasing all sorts of up-and-coming talent in all areas of the performing arts. Laughing at the hilarious routines of an international comedy troupe while in the shadow of the impressive Edinburgh Castle is an amazing feeling – life doesn’t get much better!

So this summer, instead of going abroad, stay in Britain and take advantage of the wealth of culture and fun that this historic country has to offer. A trip to any one of these great locations promises to be a memorable experience, but why not try and visit all three for a truly spectacular summer!

Lifecruiser Love UK Destinations
 

Around Visby there are a lot of cobblestone streets and shopping streets, it’s very popular among all tourists as well as the people living here, though they avoid the most tourist times.

©Lifecruiser Love Visby Old Town