Gripsholm Castle — Attraction in Strängnäs kommun

Located in Mariefred, a picturesque town on Lake Mälaren, Gripsholm Castle towers powerfully and fairytale-like over the idyllic small town of Mariefred in Södermanland (about 60 km west of Stockholm).

Gripsholm is known as Gustav Vasa's castle, as it was he who built the castle here in 1537. The renaissance castle offers romantic grounds, a fallow deer nature reserve and collections of furniture, handicrafts and interiors from four centuries.

Since Gustav Vasa, Gripsholm has belonged to the Swedish Royal Family and was used as one of their residences until the 18th century. It is now a museum, but still considered to be a palace at the disposal of the King and as such it is part of the Crown palaces in Sweden.

Take time to wander slowly through the many rooms and winding passages... See the Swedish State's collection of portraits – featuring prominent Swedes from the days of Gustav Vasa to present day musician and composer Benny Andersson. Visitors can also enjoy a royal stroll around the romantic castle grounds or meet the royal deer at the Hjorthagen nature reserve... and immerse yourself in Swedish history.

Opening hours:

May–September: Daily 10:00–16:00 October–November: Sat–Sun 12:00–15:00

Some photos courtesy of...

This castle is amazing. A guided tour is included in the price, and well worth taking. There’s one tour per day in English; the others are in Swedish. The guides are knowledgeable and entertaining.

Several rooms have been preserved from the 16th century, but most are 17th/18th century. There’s an impressive collection of royal and aristocratic portraits dating back to the 16th century, and the furniture and furnishings give you a sense of how impressive the palace must have been to the Court and visiting ambassadors and dignitaries. Not to be missed: the Council Room, the 16th century King’s chamber, the white room, the 18th century theatre and, of course, Francis I’s taxidermied lion. The Gripsholms Lejon is rightly infamous.

The castle itself is beautiful, as are the grounds. Give yourself at least four hours, including a fika at the nearby pavilion cafe.

The picturesque town of Mariefred is a short stroll from the palace and provides great views of the castle and Lake Malar (Mälaren). With bars, cafes and boutiques aplenty, you will want another couple of...

Fabulous day out. The train from Stockholm to Laggesta and the bus to Gripsholm, no driving involved, what a bonus. On arrival at the Castle (around 11:30) we noticed there was a tour (in English) at 15:00. We checked the tickets were reusable and proceeded to do a 2 hour tour of the rooms. One of 11 Royal Palaces in Sweden it is also the home to a large portrait collection. Most rooms have beautiful painted walls and/or carved/painted ceilings as well as painted leather and Chinese hand-painted silk wallcovering. Our guide for the afternoon tour Hugo was very knowledgeable with a good sense of humour. The wealth of portraits came into their own and provided a romp through Sweden's early Royalty and their shortcomings. The visit to the theatre was more interesting as part of this experience. The grounds around the castle are not extensive and there is time for lunch in Mariefred, the village adjacent to Gripsholm (see report on Tva Goda Ting). The rooms are generally dark so photos are difficult without a flash unit. Lots to see and we still...