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.”
Castle of the month – Rosendal on Mother’s day
Happy Mother’s Day, all amazing mothers out there. In Sweden, we celebrate you all today (other parts of the world celebrate this day another time). As Wikipedia says: “Mother’s Day in Sweden is celebrated on the last Sunday in May. A later date was chosen to allow everyone to go outside and pick flowers.” Great reason, I think!
Our youngest left for work at 06.30 already this morning, so I haven’t seen him yet. My hubby bought me these lovely flowers yesterday, as a gift from him and our sons for me on this day. Thank you, I love them!
We decided to go for a ride and to get me out of the house for the first time in a week. A test to see if I’m up for work tomorrow or not. The answer is – maybe. Not sure. It was quite exhausting but nice to see something else.
We visited Rosendals Slott and trädgård on Djurgården. It was built between 1823 and 1827 for Karl den 14e Johan, the first Bernadotte king of Sweden, and intended as an escape from the Royal Palace. The palace was the home for Prince Carl Philip and his wife during 2015-2017 while their home was being renovated.
The Rosendals Trädgård was a bit too crowded and the lunch line was way too long for us so we walked back towards the car (we had parked by the museums on Gärdet) and had a nice lunch at the Museum of Ethnograph. We also looked at their exhibitions “Yokai – Spirits of Japan” and “Viva Mexico”. A very nice Mother’s Day!
And a bronze for our pride and joy! We were hoping for more since it’s a tournament played in Stockholm, but third place is good.
Castle of the month – Västanå
The castle of the month of April is Västanå Slott outside Gränna. We had booked an overnight stay together with two dear friends and we had a lovely time. We met up for lunch at Gyllene Uttern and then after we had checked in to the castle we went for a long walk in the beautiful surroundings.
We were treated an amazing four-course dinner and afterwards we ended the evening with a cup of coffee and a small whiskey to round up a fantastic day.
Västanå Manor is one of Sweden’s best preserved castle estates and the first manor hotel in the country. The castle was built in 1590 by Count Sten Bielke and has operated as a family hotel since 1948. From the castle you have a magnificent view on Lake Vättern.
Castle of the month – Uppsala
A lovely sunny Sunday and perfect for a drive to see a new castle. We invited my parents to come along and we had a very nice time.
First we visited the castle and had lunch at the Art museum. Soup of the day – funnel chanterelle (yes, my hubby chose something else .. lol ) was delicious.
The castle was built back in the 16th century by Gustav Vasa and was a defense fort to begin with. One of the most famous events that took place in this castle (in Rikssalen – the National Hall) was when Queen Kristina abdicated from the throne back in 1654. The Rikssalen is now available if you want to arrange a big party or cultural events but booking is limited by the statutes of the Rikssalsstiftelsen. The Hall is only rented out for events that go beyond the ordinary or have a certain ceremonial character.
We then drove downtown and went to Güntherska for a nice coffee. We were able to sit outside in a small pavilion which was lovely.
Castle of the month – Ekebyhov
New month and a new castle to visit. It is February and we visited Ekebyhov Slott which is situated on Ekerö, an island in Mälaren. In the early 1600s there was a stone castle here, but hardly anything is left from the original castle. It was replaced by this wooden castle and that started to be built in 1661 and completed 1701. It is now owned by the municipality of Ekerö and hosts a café. There is also a lot of associations that has their activities and other gatherings here with conferences and courses. We had a very nice cup of tea with home baked goodies at a very fair price.
Afterwards we drove further out on Ekerö to try to find Bjorn Ironsides Buriel Mound, but it was situated on private property so we didn’t get to see it.
We did, however, make a quick stop and walk around the Munsö Church, which was really pretty. The church is one of eight still existing circular churches in Sweden and origins back from 1185.