Join us as we immerse ourselves in the story of the Swedish royal family and explore Stockholm, ambling through its great churches, prestigious castles, and public gardens. On this Stockholm Royal Palace Tour, we'll walk the circle of life with the Swedish royal family as we visit Storkyrkan, the Cathedral where royal weddings take place, and experience the ritual and tradition associated with the monarchy, such as the Högvakten—the changing of the guards at the Royal Palace. We’ll also gaze up at the Riddarhuset (House of Nobility) and Riddarholmen Church, the burial site of Sweden’s monarchs.
Stockholm Royal Palace Tour
The branches of Sweden’s royal family tree act as our framework for this walking tour of the Royal Palace and other sites associated the symbolic heads of the country. Beginning at Gustav Adolfs Torg, the namesake square of a 15th-century ruler, we’ll begin to unravel the story of why Sweden’s history is almost by definition “royal,” thanks to the close intertwining of the lives of the Swedish kings with the rise and fall of their country’s political power and favor. We’ll also consider how this tradition of nobility and authority is connected to religion and the consequences of the shift from Viking paganism through Catholic Christianity to Protestantism in the wake of the Thirty Years War.
Our walk will be concentrated in the historical city center, where we’ll view the city scape with a particular lens, looking to understand how this monarchical legacy has molded Swedish culture and society. We’ll take a leisurely walk starting from Gustav Adolfs torg and visit the aristocratic buildings of the island of Riddarholmen before heading deeper into the historical sights of the Old Town.
Trail of Swedish Royals
Encountering stories along the way about the members of the Bernadotte dynasty, whose descendants still serve as symbolic figureheads for Sweden today, we’ll make our way to the Kungliga Slottet: the Royal Palace. Here, we’ll enter the magnificent stone castle complex and walk the same halls trod by Scandinavian royalty, discovering the antiquities and accoutrements of centuries of northern wealth and splendor. And not to be forgotten, just behind the Palace is yet another stately example of the understated architectural style that defines Stockholm’s urban landscape. Storkyrkan, the Great Church, stands as a counterpart to the solemn grounds of the Palace and has acted as the stage for many notable milestones in the public lives of Sweden’s royals.
Take Aways
As our time together comes to an end, we will fast forward to the present day, now having a better understanding of why the story of the royal dynasties in Sweden still plays a role in the hearts of the country’s citizens in the 21st century and how the tales of former kings are scattered across their shared history, forming their own archipelago—just like the physical one of the city’s geography.
