If there’s one thing about traveling Americans can agree on, its our love of baroque and palaces. Listen- we don’t have that at home!
Drottningholm Palace as it appears today was built in the late 17th century and was regularly used as the summer residence for the Swedish Royal Court. Its popularity stands today and it remains the permanent residence of the Swedish Royal Family since 1981.
The Swedish Royal family resides in the Southern Wing of Drottningholm Palace, but much of the rest of the palace is open to the public- it’s pretty much as close as you can come to sharing a room with royalty!
What To See
I spent the majority of my visit in the Reception Halls. The stunning baroque rooms are wonderful to explore. I particularly liked the Royal Bedroom and the Royal Library on the ground floor, but make sure to make your way up the grand marble staircase to the second floor for even more rooms to explore.
The Swedish Royal Family had great taste!
The Baroque Gardens are also stunning and shouldn’t be missed. They are absolutely massive, taking up 120 hectares Make sure to take your time exploring the area- I was so charmed by the hedge mazes! I could just imagine getting some air by strolling through the gardens in the 17th century.
On the far side of the gardens, the Chinese Pavilion is a popular attraction- though it is an additional cost to enter. The 18th century building was a surprise for Queen Lovisa Ulrika during a time where Chinese fashion was all the rage in Europe. The building houses Chinese-inspired Swedish Rococo work and Chinese decorative objects including original silk, porcelain and lacquered screens.
Make to sure to pop by Evert Lundquist’s studio-turned-musuem for a peak into Lundquist’s artistic process.
The Royal Chapel has been in use since its completion in 1754. It saw the marriage of at least three royal weddings, most recently the 2015 wedding between Prince Carl Phillip and Princess Sofia.
Theatre
Drottningholm’s Slottsteater is one of only a few 18th century theaters in Europe that remains in use with its original stage machinery- although electric lights have been added. Guided tours are available at an additional cost of 155 SEK. The Opera House also regularly runs performances with tickets ranging from 2095- 400 SEK.
Giftshop/Cafe
What’s a museum tour without a gift shop? Drottningholm’s gift shop is relatively small, with a few fancy jewelry pieces, some tea options and toys for children. I found it amusing that they were selling portraits of the Swedish Royal Family at the shop- imagine strangers collecting copies of your graduation portraits!
The gift shop is attached to a Swiss-style cafe that sells treats, drinks, and light lunches. Although there is a decent amount of indoor seats, the outside seating is particularly lovely in the summertime. You may also choose to take your snacks and sit by one of the benches along the waterfront.
Getting There
Getting to the palace is easy. The first and cheapest option is to take the underground (T-Bana) to Brommaplan before transferring to a bus to Drottningholm. This whole process takes about 40 minutes (including the transfer time) and costs 86SEK each way. I used a 24 hour SL card, but it’s also possible to use your bank card to pay as you go or use the SL Travel Planning app.
Alternatively, check Stromma’s website in the summertime for a lovely water-based approach. This is more expensive and will cost about 235 SEK each way.
A bicycle path also runs from Stockholm City Centre to the palace, and a car is also an option- though parking will be 15SEK per hour.
Cost
Drottningholm Palace is an interesting tourist site given that it’s still actively inhabited by the Swedish Royal Family. While the rooms in the Southern Wing are reserved for the King and Queen, the palace itself is owned by the Swedish State and therefore mostly open to the public. It kind of reminds me of Munich’s Nymphenburg Palace, which was also being actively lived in- though technically not by royalty.
The Reception Halls cost just SEK 160 to enter- about 17USD. The Chinese Pavillon costs an additional SEK 70, but visitors are able to pay the difference at the entrance to the pavilion with no price difference compared to purchasing the two tickets as a package.
This worked out great for me as I spent so much time in the main palace and the gardens that I didn’t even make it to the Chinese Pavilion- though I was happy to have the option if I changed my mind.
As far as I could tell, the gardens were free to enter, and were a total show stopper- don’t miss a stroll through these grounds!
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