Getting to Drottingholm Palace
For those driving, it only takes 30 minutes to get to the Palace and there is paid parking on the premise. We took the bus to Drottingholm which took about 40 minutes and involved one change. The bus drops you off right in front of the Palace and it’s only a short walk down the driveway from the main road. Please note, it’s important to have the SL app on your phone in order to buy public transportation tickets, as cash is not accepted.
In the Summer months, you can take a boat from Stadshuskajen (near City Hall) to get there, which is the most scenic route and usually takes over an hour. For more information on the best route visit: How to Get to Drottingholm.
If you prefer a guided option, you can choose this option, which includes transportation to and from the Palace: Drottingholm: Full Day Guided Sightseeing with lunch*.
About the Palace
Drottingholm Palace was built in the 17th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is also used as residence for the Royal Family of Sweden. Despite the royals occupancy, the palace and gardens are open year round for travelers to explore.
After a fire burned the original palace down, architect Nicodemus Tessin was hired by Queen Dowager Hedvig Eleonora to build the stately palace we see today. In 1744, Drottingholm was given as a wedding gift to Princess Lovisa Ulrika of Prussia when she married the Swedish heir to the throne, Adolf Fredrik. Drottingholm translates to Queen’s Islet; or Queen’s island. The Palace has predominantly been a place for for Royal women throughout the years.
The Hall of State
One of our favorite rooms inside the Palace was the Hall of State. Since the 17th century this has been used as a banquet hall. The the 1850’s King Oskar I renovated the hall to incorporate portraits of his contemporaries from around the world. At the center of the room is his own portrait, flanked by Queen Victoria of England and Napoleon III of France. Even Pope Pius X is on the wall, represented as a Prince of the Church, rather than a spiritual leader. In all of our travels, we’ve never seen anything like this before so it was really a unique experience!
Drottingholm Palace Park
One of the reasons Drottingholm is so beautiful is thanks to the gardens. The park is open year round and free for guests to visit. The Baroque Garden was modeled after gardens in France at the time, focusing on symmetry. The bronze statues lining the garden are cast copies (the originals are in the Museum de Vries). While sadly the garden fell into despair in the 19th century, it was restored to its former glory in the 1950-60’s.
North of the Baroque Garden, you can find an English Garden, which was added in the 18th century to feel more natural. There are walking paths through the English Garden, with views of the ponds and canals throughout.
Ticket Information
While it’s free to visit the gardens at Drottingholm, there is an entrance fee to visit the Palace itself. The interior is only open on select days throughout the year – typically on Saturdays. If it’s important to visit Drottingholm on your visit to Stockholm, you’ll want to plan accordingly and check when it will be open. It costs 150 SEK (~$13.50) to visit for adults, with discounts for students available. For more information on entry times and to pre-purchase your tickets online visit: Drottingholm Tickets. If you’re inclined, guided tours are offered at select times in both English & Swedish and last about 45 minutes.
Our Visit
We arrived to Drottingholm shortly after it opened. We prioritized visiting the gardens first, in order to walk through with as few people as possible. Since we were traveling in April, many of the fountains were not running – since they were being preserved from the cold winter. Despite that, the gardens were still extraordinary and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit.
The people stationed in each room of the Palace were able to answer any questions we had and we were blown away by the detail and sheer beauty in each space. If you want to feel as though you’ve traveled back in time, I highly recommend this day trip from Stockholm to visit Drottingholm Palace!
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