Stockholm Attractions
Changing of the Guard, Royal Palace © Stockholm Visitors Board
Royal Palace and Gamla Stan
The official Swedish Royal residence is one of the largest and
most glorious palaces in Europe, dating from 1754 (although it was
built on the remains of an earlier medieval castle). The Baroque
edifice is in the heart of Gamla Stan, the old city, and many of
its 608 staterooms are open to the public all year round. Visitors
can admire the Hall of State, the Royal Treasury, Apartment of the
Orders of Chivalry, Gustav III Museum of Antiquities and the Royal
Chapel. In front of the palace the changing of the guard ceremony
takes place (Wednesday and Saturday 12.15pm, Sunday 1.15pm) with
splendid pomp and ceremony that rivals the similar tradition played
out at Britain's Buckingham Palace. Gamla Stan itself is a
treasure-trove of Swedish architecture from the 17th century. Today
tourists throng the alleyways, once notorious for brothels, but now
lined with shops and restaurants, and admire the 13th-century
Cathedral, the Storkyrkan.
Address: Slottsbacken 1, Gamla Stan;
Website: www.royalcourt.se;
Telephone: (0)8 402 6000;
Transport: Metro stop Gamla Stan, or bus 2, 43, 55, 71 or 76 to Slottsbacken station;
Opening time: Royal apartments: closed 8-31 January and subject to closure according to the King's official duties, but open daily 10am to 5pm (June to August), 10am to 4pm (15–31 May and 1–14 September). Opening hours are shortened the rest of the year, and closed on Mondays;
Admission: 130kr (combined ticket for the whole palace), or 90kr for selected parts of the palace; concessions available
