The Royal Palace — Attraction in Stockholm

We visited The Royal Palace during a one-day cruise stop in Stockholm, and I’m so glad we made time for it. This place is massive, majestic, and steeped in history—one of the largest palaces in Europe with over 600 rooms spread across 7 floors. It’s the official residence of the Swedish king and queen, though the royal family lives elsewhere now. Still, the palace is very much active and incredibly well-preserved, with multiple museums and historical displays that give you a real sense of Sweden’s royal legacy.

We walked through Parade Square and then along Slottsbacken, the street that runs down the south side of the palace. This view gives you a sense of the scale of the building—and its history. There’s been a castle on this site since the 13th century, and the current palace, completed in 1754, blends Baroque elegance with royal functionality.

We especially enjoyed the Royal Armoury Museum, where you can see King Gustav III’s actual bloodstained clothing from his assassination—a chilling but fascinating piece of history. The museum also includes royal costumes, carriages, and weaponry that span centuries.

Don’t miss the Tre Kronor Museum, which tells the story of the original castle that stood here before the fire of 1697, and Gustav III’s Museum of Antiquities, which houses the king’s collection of Roman sculptures. There’s also the Bernadotte Library, which contains over 100,000 books collected by the Swedish royal family, and the Royal Chapel, which dates back to medieval times.

As we continued along Skeppsbron, the eastern side of the palace, we admired the elegant waterfall-style fountains and private garden terrace nestled between the palace wings. Across the street is a beautiful view of the inner harbor and Skeppsholmen Island, home to several museums.

The Royal Guard, who have been stationed here since 1523, added an extra touch of pageantry to the experience. If you time it right, you might catch the changing of the guard ceremony—it’s a popular event and full of tradition.

Whether you're a history lover, architecture enthusiast, or just want to explore one of Stockholm's most iconic landmarks, the Royal Palace is absolutely worth a visit. Give yourself plenty of time—we easily spent a couple of hours here, and could have...

SUBLIME. You have a day in Stockholm ? Look no further.

The pros :

Look at the pictures, it is seriously one of the best palaces I've ever seen. The amount of work, dedication, maintenance required to run such an immense piece of history is just outstanding and deserves every bit of our respect. Because it is a symbol of prestige, power and rich history, you'll learn crucial information that is probably unavailable online at least in English. An outstanding archaeological work was notably carried out in the Three Crowns Museum providing visitors in-depth knowledge. I suggest starting from the TCM so you'll get to know the genesis and architectural evolutions of the building. Then, the Crown's Jewels (shorter). Then the state apartments (longer). The gift shop staff were truly awesome

The cons :

It is an imposing palace requiring a lot of walking. You loose a bit of time figuring out in which order you have to visit the place. There are many accesses and doubled stairs. Having a guide would speed things up. That's on the palace's history itself (built over several time periods so different levels...). I had to ask an entrance staff twice, she got audibly annoyed, not really that welcoming (but it was just one staff tbh) There are many staff walking around, watching over visitors. I understand the threats we face but I found it a bit 'big brotherish'. You're under constant scrutiny, I get it's a security measure but it could be less intrusive overall. The tickets aren't cheap, but it is WELL worth it because they get you through three museums. I'd take a full day onsite just because the opening times are short. -Summertime can get hot as the state apartments do not have A/C. There are fans running, open windows, but there is a lot of tapestry, which keeps the heat (useful for winter though).

Overall, the visit was exhausting because I took 600 pictures and read a lot but WOW, the pros far outnumber...

Out of the 18 years of my life, this might be one of the most incredible buildings I have ever visited.

While standing outside of it, you expect it to be pretty big on the inside. I mean, it's 3 above-ground stories, covering a huge space. But, you will nonetheless be awestruck when you walk in.

The entry hall has an incredibly high ceiling, with an enormous painting of cherubs and royalty. This in itself is a beautiful work of art and a great foreshadowing for the grandeur to come later in the exploration of the palace.

The next area was a series of rooms containing royal and military awards and orders, vestments, and information regarding the royal family and crests. All of these rooms are incredibly ornate. The walls are gilded in addition to plentiful red paint, and the ceilings are equipped with enormous crystal chandeliers. The throne room is at the end of this, which is finished with incredibly intricate marble statues and façades. The throne itself was surprisingly small. I'd imagine probably because they spent all their money constructing the other rooms.

Now, walking through the other wing of the palace, your expectations are shattered again. The rooms somehow get more ornate and a lot more red. There is no available space here not covered with a painting, gold, marble, fancy curtains, or rugs. This was an incredible way to experience the full might of royal splendor, leaving you speechless.

This is a 100% MUST-SEE in Stockholm. You do not want to miss...