Around Scandinavia: Part Nineteen

In which I explored the Swedish palace

Day Seven continues …

The Royal Palace in Stockholm (Kungliga slottet) is one of Europe’s largest and most historically rich palaces. Official residence of the Swedish monarch (though the royal family lives at Drottningholm Palace). It also houses the offices of the Royal Court.

The Hall of State

The main entrance into to the Hall of State is from the South Entrance. The Hall of State and the Royal Chapel are situated on either side of the vaulted entry way, symbols of the God-given power of the monarchy. 

The Silver Throne was a gift to Queen Kristina from Count Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie for her coronation in 1650.

The Royal Apartments

It is a collective name for the magnificent state rooms that are used at The King and Queen's receptions.

The Apartments of the Orders of Chivalry

The Apartment’s suite of large rooms consists of a guardroom, two assembly halls and a fourth room, which was the chapter room for the royal orders. The rooms were named after the royal orders – the Order of Vasa, the Order of the Polar Star, the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim. 

We did not wait to witness the change of guard ceremony. We walked back to our bus by 11:45am and drove for half an hour towards the last sightseeing for the day. Djurgården is an island, blending lush nature with cultural treasures. Once a royal hunting ground, it’s now a vibrant district filled with museums and gardens. These include:

Nordiska museet (Nordic Museum): Focuses on Swedish cultural history and ethnography.

ABBA The Museum: An interactive museum dedicated to the famous Swedish pop group.

Skansen: A historic open-air museum featuring historical buildings and Swedish wildlife. 

The Viking Museum: An interactive museum exploring the history of the Vikings through movies, artifacts, and environment

Vasa Museum: Houses a 17th-century warship that was salvaged from the sea. Our itinerary covered only this museum. We reached there at noon; tickets were scanned and had an hour to explore. More on this in next post.