Visit the palace that is Sweden’s first internationally recognised World Heritage Site. Enter the grand reception halls of Drottningholm Palace and stroll through the beautifully designed formal French garden and romantic English garden. The palace was built by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder in the 1600s and became the royal family residence in 1981.
You can actually step inside the impressive palace to investigate rooms of furniture and art from 17th- through to 19th-century times. The Chinese Salon was decorated by King Gustav III in the chinoiserie fashion popular in the 1700s. Hedvig Eleonora commissioned a bedroom fit for a queen, which was her role in the 1600s.
Amid lime trees at the front of the palace, look for the formal baroque garden. Here you’ll find Adriaen de Vries’ Hercules Fountain, created about 1600. Although De Vries was Dutch, Sweden’s Drottningholm Palace has the largest collection of his works anywhere in the world. Enjoy the contrast of the flowing English garden with ponds, bridges and rambling paths. Take a pleasant stroll to see more statues, these of Italian marble brought to Sweden in the late 1700s by King Gustav III.
Inside the Chinese Pavilion see paintings showing the developing relationship between Asia and Europe three centuries ago. Then move to the Evert Lundquist Studio. Bring your family to see how Lundquist and his family created oil paintings and charcoal drawings.
A trip to Drottningholm Palace must include a stop at the Slottsteater. Take the tour of this royal theatre or watch an 18th-century opera performance. Schedules are available on the Slottsteater website book in advance to be sure you’ll have a spot.
Drottningholm Palace is on Lovön, 30 minutes by car from the centre of Stockholm. The site has free parking near the Slottsteater. Public buses stop at the main palace entrance year-round. In summer enjoy a one-hour boat trip from Stadshuskajen (City Hall Quay) to Drottningholm.
Check the website for complete visitor information for all palace areas, since sections have varying hours. Garden admission is free. Drottningholm Palace, the Chinese Pavilion and Slottsteater all have separate charges. Palace admission includes a guided tour.
