For the castle of the month of March we chose Södertuna outside of Gnesta. They had an Afternoon Tea event which we signed up for.
The hour-long drive over there could have been really nice if it wasn’t for a terrible fog and rain. Not very scenic. But everything went well and we arrived on time.
The afternoon tea was rather pricy but everything was delicious so we left happy and with a full stomach.
Södertuna is a medieval castle situated on a small island in the lake Frösjön. It dates to the 14th century in is now a luxury hotel and conference center. It has belonged to several families during the centuries. The last main renovation was in 1892.
Castle of the month – Mirabell Palace, Salzburg
Since we spent the weekend in Salzburg, Austria, we chose the castle of the month of February to be the Mirabell Palace.
The archbishop Raitenau built the castle in 1606 and it was initially named Schloss Altenau. His successor Mark Sittich gave the palace its current name from Italian: mirabile, bella: “amazing”, “wonderful”.
The palace is, together with its garden, listed a cultural heritage and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Marble Hall in the palace hosts concerts and venues. It is also a popular location for weddings.
The palace is now owned by the city of Salzburg and is being used as the mayor’s office and several municipal departments. It is situated right by the Salzach river and the Hohensalzburg Fortress is overlooking it from the hill.
Castle of the month – Ljunglöfska
The first castle of the month this year – Ljunglöfska Slottet, in Bromma.
“When Knut Fredrik Ljunglöf (1833-1920) took over his father’s tobacco business in 1860 the property was valued to 850 000 old Swedish crowns. At the end of the 19th century, tobacco and wet snuff (Swedish snuff characteristically has a high degree of moisture) were manufactured by his firm. His success resulted in his concern becoming one of Sweden’s largest snuff and the Europe second largest tobacco business. Like many of the rich and well-to-do people, Ljunglöf left the city during the summer months. Since he already owned much of the western suburbs of Stockholm, he chose to erect a large villa there, on the shores of Lake Mälaren. Later on the villa came to be known as “slottet” (“the palace”). This colonial Portuguese-Spanish style mansion with natural stone ornamentation was finished in 1893 having taken four years to complete. Surrounding the mansion is a beautiful garden with fountains and trees such as cypress, “blood beach” and silver fir.” (text borrowed from their website)
It was a lovely day when we arrived in Bromma, but shortly after it started to snow really bad so we decided to return home. Made it back without any problems. Now it is snowing heavily so the afternoon will be spent in the comfort of our corners watching series.
Castle of the month – Öster Malma
For our last castle this year we chose Öster Malma outside of Gnesta in Ludgo parish. The property was built in 1665-69 and Jean de la Vallées design takes a clear step away from the high nobility barock castles created by Tessin.
The castle is facing the lake Malma and is very well preserved. It is open for public and we were able to enjoy the last part of the smorgasbord-dinner we had at Öster Malma. They served the coffee and sweets there. Then we were able to have a look around the castle and visit the amazing rooms upstairs.
Svenska Jägareförbundet (Swedish Hunter Association) owns the properties and their national office is situated here. It is open all year round for conferences, events and over-night stays.
Castle of the month – Skokloster
For the castle of the month of November we chose Skokloster in Sigtuna (a lot of castles in this area). A nice hour drive up there in the sunny cold day. We stopped at the Åberg Museum on the way – not much to see unfortunately.
The castle was built in the 17th century and it is the best preserved baroque castle in Europe. It has stayed as a museum since the beginning of the 18th century. A beautiful church is situated right next to the castle which overlooks the water.
On our way back we stopped for a coffee at “Tant Bruns Kaffestuga” in Sigtuna, situated in an old 17th century building. So picturesque and cosy! We enjoyed a carrot cake and a coffee / tea. The oldest part of Sigtuna originates from the 10th century. The main street is the first pedestrian precinct in Sweden, has stores and shops open so it is very much a living town.
Castle of the month – Wenngarn
Our choice of castle in October fell on Wenngarn Castle in Sigtuna. And the day treated us perfect weather so we had a lovely drive over there.
The castle was built in the 16th century and contains a church chapel from the 17th century, still intact and unchanged from that period. Behind the castle is a baroque garden.
Gustav Vasa owned the castle and later his daughter and grandson. Today the castle is owned by a private citizen and in the restaurant on the second floor you can enjoy a brunch in the weekends or a coffee in the café. We had lunch at Bob’s Café across the street from the castle and it was delicious.
Castles of the month – Brindisi (Italy), Split (Croatia), Venice (Italy)
The month of September and a chance to see castles in other countries on our cruise.
First stop – Brindisi in the south of Italy. We found the Palazzo Granafei Nervegna. It was built back in 1565 and is a typical Renaissance palace that was owned by the famous Brindisi Granafei’s family and later on by the Nervegna’s. The building is known for its history, art exhibitions, architecture and other archaeological Roman findings.
Second stop – Split, Croatia. We visited the Diocletian’s Palace which is an ancient Roman palace and fortress complex built at the end of the third century AD by the Roman Emperor Diocletian as his retirement residence. In 1979, it was listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site.
Behind us you can see the Romanesque bell tower in the Cathedral of Saint Domnius.
Third stop – Venice, Italy. The Palazzo Ducale – or Doge’s Palace as it’s called in English. It was originally built in 810, rebuilt in 1340 and extended and modified in the following centuries. It is built in a Venetian Gothic style and included government offices, a jail, and the residence of the Doge of Venice (the elected authority of the former Republic of Venice). It is situated on the Plaza San Marco.
Castle of the month – Steninge
Our choice for castle of the month in August is Steninge Castle in Sigtuna close to Märsta. Count Karl Gyllenstierna built the castle in 1694-1698 and it was designed by Tessin.
Today it is a privately owned estate but the park is open for the public. Next to the castle is a house called Stenladan which was built back in 1873. It has a restaurant, café, art gallery and shops and is overlooking the park.
We had a lovely stroll around the park and enjoyed a nice “fika” at the Stenladan. I chose a delicious oreo-cheescake and hubby a raspberry crumble.
Castle of the month – Rosersberg
Our choice of castle of the month of July is Rosersberg Palace, outside of Stockholm, which was built back in 1634 by the Oxenstierna family.
We took a guided tour of the castle and therefore were able to see the inside. The rooms remain almost untouched from the 1795-1860 period, with well-preserved interiors and collections. They say Rosersberg Palace is one of the best kept secrets of Sweden’s royal palaces.
It became a royal palace in 1762, when the state gave Rosersberg to Gustav III’s younger brother Karl XIII. His adopted son, King Karl XIV Johan and Queen Desideria spent long, relaxing summers at Rosersberg and were the last members of the royalty to live here. Rosersberg became the missing link between the Gustavian era and the first of the Bernadottes.
The endless park in the breathtaking landscape of Mälaren adds to the charm of Rosersberg.
After the tour we drove over to a nice Japanese restaurant called KI. The food was really good and served to us by a Webot – a robot. A fun detail that probably attracts a lot of extra customers.
Castle of the month – Drottningholm
The castle of the month of June is Drottningholms Slott – the private residence of our king and queen since 1981.
I was treated a Strömma-cruise of my choice for my birthday from my parents-in-law so we selected a 2hr trip including lunch with M/S Prins Carl Philip. Lovely. We ate cured salmon with dill-stewed potatoes, red onion, celery, and pickled mustard seeds and a chocolate truffle with the coffee / tea for afters. Mmm. Thank you for the lovely gift!
A sunny day with great weather. We didn’t leave the boat so we just viewed the castle from a distance, but we’ve both been there several times. The original stone palace was built back in 1580 by king John III of Sweden for his queen Catherine. The castle burnt to the ground in 1661. Queen Hedwig Eleonora hired Tessin the Elder to rebuild the castle and it was almost completed when Tessin died. Tessin the Younger took over and completed the elaborate interior designs.
The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. The comment is : “The Royal Domain of Drottningholm stands on an island in Lake Mälaren in a suburb of Stockholm. With its palace, perfectly preserved theatre (built in 1766), Chinese pavilion and gardens, it is the finest example of an 18th-century northern European royal residence inspired by the Palace of Versailles.”