Excursions
For a Half Day
Drottningholms Slott: Just 15km (nine miles) west of central Stockholm, Drottningholms Slott (Drottningholm Palace), Flottsforvaltining (tel: (08) 402 6280; website: www.royalcourt.se), is one of the most magnificent legacies of Sweden’s imperial age, justly compared to Louis XIV’s Versailles. Begun by the great Swedish Baroque architects, Nicodemus Tessin the Elder and Younger, in 1662, for the dowager queen, Hedvig Eleonora, Drottningholm is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is surrounded by equally splendid gardens containing the delightful Rococo Chinese Pavilion (tel: (08) 402 6270), almost a palace in itself. It also has the world’s best-preserved palace theatre, with its 18th-century stage machinery still in working order – a popular venue for summer concerts and performances. Closed to the public in winter, the palace is the official residence of King Carl Gustaf XVI and the Swedish royal family. Guided tours in English are available on request. Admission to the Royal Palace costs SKr50 and SKr50 to the Chinese Pavilion (concessions are available).
Drottningholm Palace is open daily 1000–1630 (May to August), daily 1200–1530 (September) and Saturday and Sunday 1200–1530 (October to April) and can be reached by bus 301 or 323 from Brommaplan metro station or bus 177 or 178 to Drottningholm. There is a regular summer boat service from Stadshuskajen (City Hall Quay) to Drottningholm, operated by Stockholm Sightseeing, Skeppsbron 22 (tel: (08) 5871 4020; website: www.stockholmsightseeing.com).
For a Whole Day
Thousand Isles: The classic excursion from Stockholm, this is a water tour of the entire surrounding archipelago. The 24,000 islands and islets of the Stockholm Archipelago are famed for their beauty and unique atmosphere, especially in summer. The standard package stops at four of the most appealing islands, allowing the option of an overnight stay on one of them. During summer, Stromma Kanalbolaget (tel: (08) 5871 4000; fax: (08) 5871 4044; website: www.stromma.se), operates excursions departing from Stockholm Nybroplan and costing SKr875, which include lunch, coffee and guided tours.
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