Red Boat Mälaren - Reviews - Sweden

The Red Boat Mälaren is a hostel made up of two boats in the middle of Stockholm at Riddarfjärden, where Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea meet. The older boat was built in 1914 for Ångfartygs AB Sätra at a shipyard in Sjötorp. Under the name of Sätra she carried lumber across Mälaren in the 1920´s, before being put to use as a Göta Canal steamer. In 1950 Bergendahl & Höckert bought her to house construction workers in Stockholm, until she was due to be scrapped in the 60s. A German boat enthuasist saved her, patched her up and turned her into the hostel under the new name Mälaren.

Staying in the boats puts you right in the centre of the city, close to Gamla Stan and Södermalm, art galleries, museums and bars. They have dorms and single/double rooms, shared toilets, internet access, but no cooking facilities. She is a little more rustic than most hostels, but more than makes up for it with her character.