Skokloster Castle (Skoklosters slott) is a baroque castle between Stockholm and Uppsala. The name comes from the village located here called Sko, and the former nearby monastery (“kloster” in Swedish). The castle was built on land once belonging to the medieval Sko Abbey, which is how it got its name which translates to the Castle of the Sko Abbey.
The castle was built in the 17th century, commissioned by Carl Gustaf Wrangel, a Swedish count and field marshall, who commanded the Swedish forces in the Thirty Years War. The location right by the Lake Mälaren and the sea route between Stockholm and Uppsala was a great location for a large and lavish palace. The unique architectural features, including the unfinished banquet hall, offer an interesting perspective on 17th-century construction methods and design intentions.
The monastery is nowadays a church and you can visit the church, which you’ll pass on the way to the castle.
The castle has one of best preserved baroque interior designs, with four floors of exhibitions. This is the largest private palace in Sweden with 78 rooms and some 50,000 items from the 17th, 18th and 19th century on display. Today, it serves as a museum where you can explore the entire palace, which was once the private residence of three different families. You can visit the first two floors on your own or all four floors if you take a guided tour.
The Wrangler family had the castle as its residence during the 17th century, the castle was then passed on to the Brahe family in the late 17th century. And in the 19th century the Brahe family had their residence here, until the castle was acquired by the Swedish government in 1967 and turned into a museum.
You can visit the castle on your own, with a guided tour or using their audio guide. The guided tour will get you access to the top floor that you cannot visit on your own, but you can see most of the castle without the guided tour. The permanent exhibition has an extensive collection of paintings, including works by Swedish and European artists from the 17th and 18th centuries. There are several collections of woven tapestries, each with its own tale depicted. One of the most notable art pieces is the painting Vertumanus, by the Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo, as well as the painting the Librarian.
The easiest way to get there is by car. It is approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) from central Stockholm, which will take about one hour by car. You can also go here by public transport, with train and bus, which will take about 2 hours one way. You can also take a boat cruise to Skokloster Castle. The boats are operated by the shipping company Strömma. The whole trip is roughly 8.5 hours and will give you 2 hours to explore Skokloster (note that entrance fees to the castle are not included). Read more on Strömma’s website: https://www.stromma.com/en-se/stockholm/excursions/palace-excursions/skokloster/
| Additional information | |
| Time needed | 1-2 hours. |
| Prices | Entrance: … SEK (Subject to changes. Check the official website for the latest information about prices.) |
| Opening hours | All days from 11 am to 5 pm (only during summer season: June 1 to September 1).(Subject to changes. Check the official website for the latest information about opening times and tours.) |
| Food nearby | The Skokloster Castle CaféSkokloster Kafferosteri & Café |
| Website | https://skoklostersslott.se/en/ |