The Palace of Drottningholm has history and style

By Jonas Tyden

July 14, 2008 | This week I visited the Palace of Drottningholm, which is on Lovön outside Stockholm, Sweden.

It was built in the 1600s and it is a palace full of history.

It is also the private residence of the Swedish Royal Family. Drottningholm was inspired by the Palace of Versailles and it is surrounded by a big park and multiple gardens. The gardens around the palace have many styles, some being baroque and others English.

The palace is right next to the lake Mälaren, which runs through all of Stockholm. Drottningholm's palace is a UNESCO World Heritage site mostly because of the Palace Theatre and the Chinese Pavilion that are in the park.

The Chinese Pavilion was finished in 1769 and the architecture is mostly French rococo, but there are orientalic parts and that is where the name Chinese Pavilion comes from. The Royal Theatre was finished in 1766 and it is well preserved and there are still plays that run there.

The royal park is open for visitors for most of the year and it has become a large tourist attraction.

That is why I decided to visit it once again.

I have not visited the palace since I was a child, but since I live close I drive past it almost every day.

It is a special feeling coming to a Royal Palace, and in a weird way it feels like going back in time. Outside the Palace there are armed guards wearing military uniforms and they are standing so still that you cannot tell if they are statues or real people. The park is a great place for a long walk and besides the gardens the palace itself is beautiful to look at.

It is a great place to visit as a tourist and it is worth the extra time to take a guided tour inside the palace. When you are walking inside, looking at the great art and decorations it feels like you were brought back 300 years in time, and it is an amazing experience.

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