Adventures for Anyone: Drottingholm...Good One Jenn! Welcome to Stockholm!

Upon returning to my friends' bucket lists, I ran across one of Jenn's requests and couldn't resist. She asked if I could discuss a very specific site, Drottingholm Castle, the summer residence of the Swedish Royal Family. Well, being that it's on the outskirts of Stockholm, Sweden; one of the most fascinating cities in one of the most fascinating countries in Europe, how could I possibly resist?

First, we'll discuss the castle. Built in 1580 by Johan III for his wife, the queen; it stood on Island Lovon in Lake Malar just outside of Stockholm. Drottingholm literally meant Queen's Islet. Sweden was a powerhouse during that time, and having a grand residence to show how powerful they were was of utmost importance. After all, who's going to respect your power if you don't have a massive castle, inspired by Versailles on an island to spend your summers at? I don't know, but it sure has made life for us Europhiles traveling the continent grand and amazing. There's nothing quite like visiting a grand palace.

But, as happened with many works of architecture in pre fire retardant times, Drottingholm burned in 1681. It was eventually rebuilt, but then was sold to the state in 1777. The royal family still used it as a summer residence until 1818 when Charles XIV abandoned the palace during his entire reign. He died in 1844.

As with most ancient palaces in Europe, there was more to Drottingholm than just the main palace. There were elaborate gardens and grounds. There were other buildings, like the church built in 1746 and the Chinese Pavilion built during the reign of Catherine the Great of Russia who also fancied all things Asian and had a Chinese Palace of her own.

Oscar I revived the abandoned palace during his reign, and since then, it has been maintained and the royal family, although these days they are largely figureheads, have used the palace as their residence consistently since 1981.

The Palace has many areas that are open to the public these days, and there are about a dozen different tours you can take. Over the centuries, world renowned artists and architects, sculptors and painters, garden designers and horticulturists have worked tirelessly to produce the collective work of art that we see today as Drottingholm Palace. It's an amazing place with an amazing history, and Jenn has officially landed it directly on my bucket list.

And now, I need to digress. I have always wanted to go to Sweden, and Stockholm has always been on my bucket list. So, just a little information on the city that is home to the amazing Drottingholm Palace.

First, there are at least a dozen other amazing palaces and castles to see in the area, including the official Royal Palace of Sweden right in the city. If you love a good castle and palace like I do, this is a city for you.

Stockholm is a city we've all heard of. It's one of those happy countries that none of us Americans understands, because it seem that the weather alone would drive a person crazy. In the winter it is cold, dark most of the day, and people do take their snowmobiles to McDonald's drive thru. We've seen that on TV. In the summer though. Wow. It really doesn't get dark and the weather is largely sunny and warm. People go swimming in lakes in the summer, not just in the winter after running out of one of their world famous saunas.

Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and one of the most progressive cities and countries on Earth. During the pandemic, Sweden took its own path to deal with Covid-19 by not trying to stop the spread with masks and lock downs. They did restrict entry into their country, and they have a fabulous vaccine rate, but they decided that it would have to run its course. And now, Sweden does fall on the low risk list. Were they right? Who knows.

But, Sweden has been celebrating science, art, and forward thinking pretty much forever. They have a city that sits on 14 different islands, and they have many ways for the citizens to get around on public transportation. Can you have an underground in such a watery area? Why, yes you can. And not only do they have a subway system, the stations are works of art. A working art museum if you will. They also have an intricate ferry system to navigate all those islands. There's also buses, taxis, ubers and whatever. Bicycle rentals are very popular.

You might recognize the iconic city hall of Stockholm. There are only a handful of cities in the world that has a city hall that is world famous, but Stockholm has made that happen. Every year, the Nobel Prizes are announced in that hall, and they are the single most sought after awards on Earth. Being a Nobel Laureate is a dream of just about anyone.

Stockholm has museums as well. The Vasa is preserved in its museum and is the best preserved ship in the world from the 1700's.

There's also the Skansen Open Air Museum just outside of town. It shows you what life was like in the past in Sweden and is the largest open air museum in the world. Pretty impressive.

Art is tantamount in Stockholm, and Fotografiska is their photography museum. They showcase photography from Sweden and all over the world. Hold onto your hat. This is a chain that is producing museums all over the world. I've been to the one in New York City. It's a great place to visit if you love the art of photography.

Now, what else is Sweden famous for? What do we Americans know about it? That's right, we Americans love IKEA. That's right. Stockholm is ground zero and the flagship store is right in the city.

Not only can you shop at the original, but they have a museum too, and you can see all of the designs from over the years. Sweden had both modern and museum together all over Stockholm. It's a little bit of world wide combined with a lot of Swedish creativity and ingenuity. What we call the Nordic Countries are some of the most creative countries on Earth. They've taken what could be a problematic environment and turned it into an area of some of the most inventive cultures on Earth, and Sweden heads that list of countries.

I had to leave one of my favorites for last. The very first 45 record I ever owned was the very first piece of music I ever owned and I got it for my birthday. That record was Dancing Queen and so began my lifelong love of ABBA. Yes, they are Swedish, and yes, there is a museum in Stockholm. Honestly, that place would be my first stop. And, don't forget, ABBA put out a new album last winter. They're still going strong.

There's so much to see and do in Stockholm, and Drottingholm is the pinnacle of any trip there. You should tour that Palace and any others you have time to see. There's so much that you shouldn't miss in that city. Yes, you should take a tour on some kind of boat. You should check out the old town. You should take a ride on a bike and check out the amazing parks and gardens. You should definitely go to some one of a kind museums. Stockholm is also a world famous food destination, they have a massive music scene, and they have festivals of all kinds all year long. They have one of the largest pride festivals in the world.

Sweden is one of the most progressive countries in the world. We know their artists, their products, their food, and their happy lifestyle. They have a socialist outlook, a royal family, a democratic government, a creative nature, a go with the flow attitude, an eye for beauty and an ear for great tunes. It's one of the places that we know so much about, yet don't realize how much we really know. It's a country that has gone from warring with Russia to celebrating the world's greatest acts of peace and greatest genius.

So, take some time to think about visiting the capital of a country that battled Covid-19 head on with no fear. Come and see forward thinking in action. Come and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. Come and study the past, see the future, sail all around it and enjoy!

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