Castle Hopping in Sweden

We spent the night on a small square in the municipality of Knivsta. Surrounded by fields and autumn-colored trees, it lies quietly on the edge of the village. Three of the typical little red wooden houses stand on the square, with an old pear tree in front, tirelessly dropping its ripe fruit onto the ground. In the early morning, heavy rain patters on the roof once more, causing us to set off a bit later than planned. Today, we have a bit of castle hopping on our agenda.

First stop: Skokloster Castle.

It’s not very far away, but as is fitting for a castle, it proudly sits on a small peninsula by Lake Mälaren – half secluded, half elevated. The drive takes us along narrow roads until we reach the parking lot after about an hour. A church service is currently taking place in the castle church, and we take a few minutes to sit on a bench in the sun, listening to the music and soaking in the atmosphere. A quiet, almost magical moment.

Inside the castle, we retrieve our tickets and begin to explore. The exhibition features the famous painting by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, a portrait made up of fruits, vegetables, and flowers – quirky, humorous, and a bit creepy, as Frank describes it. However, we are even more captivated by the rooms themselves: the intricate stucco work, heavy fireplaces, and ornate ceiling paintings, which have been almost entirely preserved from the 17th century. You can truly feel as if time has stood still here. For a Sunday, it is surprisingly quiet, and we leisurely stroll through the halls until we finally step back outside into the castle park. There, a little hidden away, is a small playground. We have to check it out.

After a walk around the castle grounds, we continue towards Stockholm. But before we roll into the capital, there’s another highlight: Drottningholm Palace. It’s located on an island in Lake Mälaren and is today the private residence of the Swedish royal family – a baroque jewel, with magnificent gardens that are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. After a piece of cake and coffee, we set out to explore the estate.

For hours, we wander through the geometrically designed gardens, past avenues, ponds, and artistically trimmed hedges. Behind the palace lies the Chinese Pavilion, a playful structure from the 18th century. The weather is favorable, the sun peeks through the clouds, and we spend the entire afternoon in the vast grounds that beautifully combine history, elegance, and nature.

Castle Hopping in Sweden

We spent the night on a small campsite in the municipality of Knivsta. Surrounded by fields and autumn-colored trees, it sits quietly on the edge of the village. Three of the typical little red houses stand on the site, and in front of them, an old pear tree keeps dropping its ripe fruit onto the ground. In the early morning, heavy rain drums on the roof once again, so we set off a little later than planned. Today’s plan: a bit of castle-hopping.

First stop: Skokloster Castle.

It isn’t very far, but as befits a castle, it stands proudly on its own little peninsula in Lake Mälaren – half secluded, half commanding. The drive takes us down narrow country roads, and after about an hour we reach the parking lot. As we arrive, the sound of music drifts out of the castle church, where a service is underway. We sit for a few minutes on a bench in the sunshine, listening, soaking in the atmosphere. A quiet, almost magical moment.

Inside the castle, we collect our tickets and begin to explore. The exhibition features the famous painting by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, a portrait made entirely of fruits, vegetables, and flowers – strange, humorous, and, as Frank puts it, “a little creepy.”

But what impresses us most are the rooms themselves: elaborate stucco, heavy fireplaces, and ornate ceiling paintings, almost perfectly preserved from the 17th century. It feels as though time has stood still here. For a Sunday, it is surprisingly quiet, and we stroll leisurely through the halls until we finally step back outside into the castle park. There, tucked away, we find a small playground. Of course, we have to check it out.

After a walk around the castle grounds, we continue on toward Stockholm.

But before we roll into the capital, there is another highlight: Drottningholm Palace. Situated on an island in Lake Mälaren, it is the private residence of the Swedish royal family – a baroque jewel whose magnificent gardens are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After a slice of cake and a cup of coffee, we set off to explore the grounds.

We wander for hours through the perfectly geometric gardens, along avenues, ponds, and carefully trimmed hedges. Behind the palace sits the Chinese Pavilion, a delicate and playful structure from the 18th century. The weather is kind to us, with the sun peeking through the clouds, and we spend the entire afternoon enjoying the vast, historic grounds.