DROTTNINGHOLM PALACE

Description

Essentials about Drottningholm Palace in brief

Located on the island of Lovön in the west of Stockholm, Drottningholm Palace is undoubtedly a must-see attraction in the Swedish capital. The baroque palace and the gardens surrounding it are not only beautiful to look at, but were also the first Swedish cultural monument to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. No wonder Drottningholm Palace is referred to by many as the “Swedish Versailles”. Today, the palace is the residence of the royal family, but large parts of it can still be visited.

The history of Drottningholm Palace

The predecessor of today’s palace was built in 1580, when King John III of Sweden had a palace built for his wife Katharina Jagiellonica (Catherine of Poland). He called it “Drottningholm” (“Queen’s Island”). In 1661, Hedwig Eleonora von Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf, the widow of the Swedish King Charles X Gustav, acquired the castle. On December 30, 1661, the building burned to the ground.

The dowager king had a new palace built in the Baroque style according to plans by the architect Nicodemus Tessin the Elder. His son Nicodemus Tessin the Younger took over the construction management after the death of his father shortly before the completion of the building in 1681 and completed the palace and palace church and laid out a baroque garden in the French style. The park was later extended to the west. From 1777, King Gustav III had an English landscape garden laid out to the north according to the plans of garden architect Fredrik Magnus Piper.

The interior of the castle

The interiors of Drottningholm Palace bear witness to different stylistic periods. One of the highlights inside the palace is undoubtedly the staircase, which is one of the most outstanding architectural works of early Baroque in Sweden. Another highlight of the rooms is the magnificent bedroom of the Dowager King Hedwig Eleonora of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf, one of the most beautiful baroque rooms in Sweden. The adjoining audience hall is also worth a visit.

The Kina slott and the Palace Theater

In the 1760s, Queen Lovisa, the wife of King Adolf Friedrich, had a series of new buildings built according to plans by architect Carl Fredrik Adelcrantz. Two of them are among the most important in the palace grounds today: the Chinese Pavilion and the Palace Theater. The Chinese Pavilion (Kina Slott) is built in the French Rococo style, but has an exotic touch due to its numerous Far Eastern elements. The Palace Theater is one of the best-preserved baroque theaters in Europe. It was built to replace a theater that burned down in 1762 and was inaugurated in 1766.

The Palace Theater was left to decay for several centuries and was only rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century and renovated in 1922. The theater’s stage technology is still in its original state. It also has a unique collection of 30 stage sets. Today, the stage is once again used for performances.

The Palace Garden

In addition to the Kina Slott and the Palace Theater, the baroque garden of Drottningholm Palace is absolutely worth seeing. The park is home to numerous sculptures and is the oldest sculpture park in Sweden. Today, only copies of the sculptures can be seen in the garden. The originals, many of which were created by the famous Dutch sculptor Adriaen de Vries, can be found in the Museum de Vries to the north of the castle grounds.

A visit to Drottningholm Palace

With the exception of the south wing, the royal family’s main residence, most of Drottningholm Palace is open to visitors all year round. The interior of the castle can be explored on your own or as part of a guided tour.

In addition to the castle building, almost the entire grounds belonging to the castle can be explored by visitors. These include in particular the magnificent baroque castle park and the large English garden as well as other special buildings such as the unique historic castle theater, the extraordinary Kina Slott and the Museum de Vries as well as Evert Lundquists Ateljémuseum.