Drottningholm Palace

About Drottningholm Palace

Drottningholm Palace is **the permanent private residence of the Swedish royal family**. The original palace on this island in Lake Mälaren, **10 kilometres west of Stockholm**, burned down in 1661; the current building was begun immediately afterward by the Dowager Queen Hedvig Eleonora and completed over the following decades in a **baroque style drawing heavily on Versailles** — making it one of the finest examples of that idiom outside France. It has been the private home of the Swedish royal family **since 1981**. What elevates Drottningholm is the extraordinary completeness of its ensemble. The **baroque gardens in the French formal style** are among the best-preserved 17th-century formal gardens in Scandinavia. The **Chinese Pavilion**, built in 1763 as a birthday surprise for Queen Lovisa Ulrika, is a superb example of 18th-century European chinoiserie. But the most remarkable element is the **Court Theatre, built in 1766 and preserved in virtually its original condition, including the stage machinery** — pulleys, winches, and trapdoors operated by hand that can produce the full range of Baroque theatrical effects. It is still used for **summer performances of Baroque opera**. Drottningholm is easily reached from Stockholm by a pleasant **boat trip (about an hour)** or by metro and bus (30 minutes). UNESCO inscribed the palace as a World Heritage Site in **1991**. Best visited **May to September**, when the gardens are at their finest and the theatre season is in operation. Stockholm itself — with the **Vasa Museum** housing a perfectly preserved 17th-century warship, the medieval Gamla Stan, and one of the finest archipelagos in Europe — deserves at least four or five days.

Highlights

• ✦ Official residence of the Swedish royal family since 1981
• ✦ 17th-century Baroque palace on Lovön island
• ✦ Chinese Pavilion and English-style park in the grounds

Practical info

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to visit Drottningholm Palace?

Entry to the palace's state rooms costs roughly SEK 160-180 for an adult; the Chinese Pavilion and the Court Theatre are ticketed separately, each for a similar price, so seeing everything can add up. A combined ticket is often the best value if you plan to see more than one part of the estate.

How do you get to Drottningholm from Stockholm without a car?

Take the metro (T-bana) to Brommaplan, then change to a local bus that runs directly to Drottningholm, a combined trip of about 30-40 minutes and covered by a standard SL public transport ticket. Between May and September, the boat from Stadshusbron near City Hall is a slower but much more scenic alternative at around 50 minutes each way.

Why is Drottningholm called Sweden's Versailles?

It earned the nickname for its 17th and 18th-century French-inspired palace, formal gardens and baroque layout, built when French court culture strongly influenced Swedish royalty. It's more modest in scale than the real Versailles, but shares the same aesthetic ambitions and is where the Swedish royal family actually still lives part of the year.

Is the Drottningholm Court Theatre worth visiting?

Yes, if 18th-century stagecraft interests you — it's one of the few theatres in the world still using its original 1766 stage machinery, wind and thunder effects, and backdrops, and it hosts real opera and ballet performances in summer. It's a separate ticket from the palace and takes about 45 minutes as a guided tour outside performance dates.

How long do you need for a Drottningholm day trip?

Allow a half day: about 1-1.5 hours for the palace state rooms, plus time for the gardens, the Chinese Pavilion and, if it interests you, the Court Theatre. Add travel time of roughly an hour each way if going by public transport or boat.

Explore more

• Sweden

Join the community

Track your visits to Drottningholm Palace and other world miracles, rate your experience, and share photos with fellow travelers.