Sweden 2013, part 2 (Stockholm, Drottningholm Palace)
During a short visit to friends who live in Uppsala, Sweden, I took the train to Stockholm for two days to see what interested me there. So on the first day I immediately went for a walk through the old town called Gamla Stan.
I already talked about some details in the previous instalment of these travel stories and now I can continue with my arrival at the German Church or Tyska kyrkan.
Tyska kyrkan is located in the centre of Gamla Stan and is one of the most important historical churches in Stockholm. It was built in the 16th century for the German merchant community, which at that time had a major influence on the city’s development. The church is dedicated to Saint Gertrude, the patron saint of travellers and merchants. The church tower with its clock and golden ornaments is a recognisable part of the skyline of this part of Stockholm.
Today, church services are still held there, especially in the German language, as a testament to the historical ties between Sweden and Germany.
Its interior is richly decorated with Baroque elements, featuring a gilded altar, galleries and stained-glass windows with inscriptions in German.
Continuing my walk through the Old Town, I also noticed that at the tops of taller buildings along the narrow streets there are pulleys. As I later read, they were used to raise and lower items through the windows directly to the upper floors.
Namely, as can be seen from the previous photograph, the streets were (and have remained) very narrow, while the staircases inside these houses are steep and tight, making it impractical to carry goods inside. For that reason, furniture, crates, food, textiles and even barrels were lifted from the outside using ropes and pulleys, straight through the window. In addition, this also reduced the risk of fire and damage to the walls in these narrow, timber-framed houses.
As Gamla Stan abounds in interesting details and since I have a good and well-trained eye, I also noticed and photographed an exceptionally interesting fragment of a Viking runestone that was secondarily built into a wall, while there was a cannon barrel as well.
Still, the runestone interested me more. This type of stones most often date from the 10th and 11th centuries and were erected as memorial stones (often in honour of the deceased). As Stockholm was built and expanded during the Middle Ages, people did not view these stones as archaeological treasures, but rather as convenient building material. As a result, many were broken or cut and incorporated into foundations, walls and corners of houses.
Generally speaking, Stockholm’s Old Town is very charming and beautiful, and it is probably nice just to sit there and watch people, but perhaps another time. For now, I even had to hurry a bit, because I needed to catch a boat that was departing exactly at 12 o’clock.
Along the way, I photographed Riddarholmen Church again, which is located on the neighbouring island, and I also passed by the rear part of the House of Nobility (Riddarhuset), which, due to the richness of its architectural decorations, is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Stockholm.
I headed back towards the main railway station, but went down to the waterfront, where the pier is located and the boats depart from. I looked back at Gamla Stan and then boarded the boat.
Namely, I took a boat to Drottningholm Palace, which is located on the island of Lovön and is one of the most important royal residences in Sweden. It was built at the end of the 17th century in the Baroque style and is today the permanent residence of the Swedish royal family. Due to its exceptionally well-preserved architecture and surroundings, the palace is included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The Baroque gardens are particularly famous, as is the Chinese Pavilion that reflects the European fascination with the Far East at the time. Drottningholm is often called “the Swedish Versailles” because of its elegance and historical significance.
Reading about all of this was inspiration enough to make me want to go there. What made it even nicer was that I travelled there by boat for an hour, while the weather on that day was perfect – bright sunshine and blue skies.
At the start, the boat passed by Stockholm City Hall.
Stockholm City Hall (Stadshus) is one of the most recognisable buildings in the city. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century from red brick and is located on the shore of Lake Mälaren. The building is famous for its tall tower topped with three golden crowns, a symbol of Sweden. Each year, it also hosts the Nobel Prize banquet.
As I’ve mentioned earlier, Stockholm is often called the “Venice of the North” because of its unique position on the water. The city spans fourteen islands, connected by more than fifty bridges, at the point where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea. Water is an integral part of daily life – canals, shorelines and piers shape the city’s appearance and set its rhythm. The many islands provide a sense of closeness to nature even in the very centre of the city. It is precisely this combination of lakes, rivers, sea and urban space that gives Stockholm its special character and justifies its romantic nickname. Because of this, the city is experienced both as a metropolis and as a series of smaller towns scattered across the water.
While part of this can be experienced on foot, walking from the railway station to Gamla Stan and back, the boat trip I was now taking not only carried me to another notable destination, but also gave me the opportunity to view the city from this specific perspective I mentioned in the previous paragraph.
After a pleasant and sufficiently long boat ride, at one point I caught sight of Drottningholm Palace.
I have already mentioned that the palace is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, but it’s important to note that this designation does not apply only to the palace itself, but rather it encompasses the entire royal domain, which includes Drottningholm Palace, the parks and gardens, the theatre, and the Chinese Pavilion. In other words, the entire historical and cultural complex.
After docking and leaving the boat, I first set out for a walk around the palace grounds.
So, this royal complex represents one of the finest and best-preserved examples of royal palace construction in Northern Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries, much of it inspired by Italian and French architecture, and especially the famous Palace of Versailles.
Since I had planned to visit the palace as part of a guided tour and had less than an hour until then, I first headed fairly quickly towards the Chinese Pavilion, meanwhile looking at the gardens and various details, and also taking quite a lot of photographs.
Just before reaching the Chinese Pavilion, I passed by a structure known as the “Guard’s Tent.” It is a small, decorative pavilion that served as a guard post for the royal guard within the Drottningholm Palace complex. Built in the 18th century, it was designed to look like a tent, which was a popular motif in court architecture at the time. Although modest in function, the structure had a pronounced symbolic role, emphasising the presence of royal authority and the ceremonial character of the space. Today, it is viewed as part of the broader royal estate ensemble and as an example of the combination of practical use and aesthetic design.
Soon I arrived at the Chinese Pavilion, which is one of the finest examples of this type of 18th-century structure.
It was built as a summer residence and a space for entertainment, inspired by the European fascination with China and the Far East at the time. The pavilion is richly decorated with lacquered wood, silk wallpapers and Chinese motifs, designed as an exotic contrast to the Baroque palace.
Given that I had limited time here, I entered the rooms where it was allowed, but took very few photographs of the interiors. Still, here are a couple of images that illustrate the interior of the Chinese Pavilion.
Nearby is the former kitchen, which has been converted into a summer café since 1957.
By now I had to start heading back towards the palace so as not to miss the guided tour. Along the way, I passed through the parts of the gardens I had previously skipped, which were mostly developed at the end of the 17th and during the 18th century, alongside the construction of the palace itself. The oldest section consists of the Baroque gardens, arranged after the model of French royal gardens, with strictly symmetrical parterres, fountains and sculptures. Later, in line with the changed fashion and taste of the 18th century, an English-style landscape park was added, with winding paths, lawns and a more natural appearance.
This brought me to the Drottningholm Palace Theatre, which was built in 1766 and is perfectly preserved. However, due to my hurry, I didn’t photograph it, though a small part can be seen in the previous image.
It’s important to note that this is the only surviving Baroque European theatre with its original stage machinery. The theatre, where operas, ballets and plays were historically performed, can accommodate 400 spectators and was intended to entertain the Swedish royal family. It is especially famous for its mechanical sets and decorations, which still function today.
I took a few more photos of various details and then made my way to the palace itself.
The palace tour began as planned with the guided group and it was all very beautiful and interesting, but photography was not allowed. The tour lasted nearly an hour, after which I returned to the park and continued a more relaxed walk, since I had a boat back to Stockholm in an hour.
As I wandered around, I began noticing various birds. To start with, on the small islet visible in the previous photograph, a swan was lying on its nest.
Speaking of nests, there was also a Eurasian coot (Fulica atra) in its nest, while a little farther away on the grass, a mallard or wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos) was resting.
Still, I think the majority were Canada geese (Branta canadensis), an introduced species in Sweden, peacefully roaming everywhere.
This walk through the park was a very pleasant experience, but at some point I had to start heading back in order to catch the boat.
As can be seen from the previous photograph, the weather had changed a bit in the meantime, with clouds partially covering the sky. But that wasn’t much of a problem. The main issue was that we were going against the wind on the return trip, so it was good that I had a windcheater. I zipped it up all the way to my neck. On the other hand, the views along the water were still very beautiful.