Drottningholm Palace (Drottningholms Slott) is one of Sweden’s Royal Palaces, located in the western part of Stockholm and it is a popular tourist attraction with its appealing looks and surroundings, nearby theater and café. It is the summer residence of the Swedish Royal Family.

Design and Construction
Drottningholm Palace was designed and supervised during its construction by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder for Hedwig Eleonora, starting in 1662. When Hedwig Eleonora bought the grounds they housed an older renaissance building built by John III of Sweden in 1580 for his wife Queen Katarina Jagellonica, however this building burned shortly after her purchase, which prompted Hedwig to hire Nicodemus for the rebuilding and redesigning of the palace. The palace was almost complete by 1681, when Nicodemus Tessin the Elder died. His son, Nicodemus Tessin the Younger, architect of The Royal Palace among other famous historical buildings, stepped in to finish the work.

Decay and Restoration
During the 19th century Drottningholm Palace stood largely empty and was left without maintenance, until 1907 when Oscar I of Sweden decided that it should be restored. Electricity, heating and sewage was installed during this restauration, modernizing the palace. The latest maintenance was done in a 5 year period up to 2002, with cleaning and refurbishing of the exterior walls.

Tours and Heritage
Today Drottningholm Palace is available for tours, which are included in the entrance fee should you choose to enter the palace itself. The tours last an average of 50 minutes and showcase the insides of Drottningholm Palace and its rich heritage. Drottningholm Palace was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, which includes the theater and Chinese Pavilion (Kina Slott), a Chinese-inspired royal pavilion built in 1753.

Gardens and Inspiration
Drottningholm Palace is host to several gardens and parks both by the palace itself and in the grounds around it. The baroque garden was created by Hedwig Eleonora herself and stretches itself out in front of the palace, giving a grand and majestic appearance. The English garden, founded by Gustav III of Sweden, is located north of the baroque garden and is, much like the baroque garden, filled with interesting sculptures. The English garden is designed to surprise its visitors with artworks sticking out where one expected to see nature. Both of the gardens and the other greens around Drottningholm Palace are well suited for pick nicks and social games like rounders or frisbee throwing.

Drottningholm Palace Theatre
In the near vicinity of Drottningholm Palace lies the Drottningholm Palace Theatre (Drottningholms Slottsteater). Finished and opened in 1766, the Drottningholm Palace Theatre hosted plays until 1792, when the assassination of King Gustav III left the theatre to be forgotten. However, in 1920, under direction of the Swedish theater historian Agne Beijer, the theater was restored. It saw fitting of electrical lights and other modernizations but for the most part retained the original architecture and style. Today the theater is open to the public for both plays and guided tours, both of which are available from the theater’s homepage, located here.

Recommendations and Pricing
Drottningholm Palace is excellent for a days trip with a pick nick, perhaps a tour of the palace or the theater or just some fresh air in the many green areas and gardens in the area.
Price to enter the Drottningholm Palace is 70 SEK for Adults, 35 SEK for children ages 7-18 and free for children ages 0-7.

Location and Getting to Drottningholm Palace
Drottningholm Palace is located in Drottningholm. It is built on the island of Lovön. For getting to Drottningholm Palace we recommend taking the subway to Brommaplan and from there changing to bus 301-323 to Drottningholm. During the summer you may also take the boat which departs from Stadshuskajen in Stockholm City. Operator of this line is Strömma Kanalbolaget and information about the boat trip is available here.

For more information about Drottningholm Palace, please see the official website.

• The Royal Armoury (Livrustkammaren)