skokloster castle

JJinXS

Skokloster castle was well worth the visit which took all day by boat. The guided tour of the castle was a must with its full history and Sweden’s military campaigns explained to us as we visited its many rooms & corridors. The grand finale was the armory – an amazing display of pistols, rifles and armor. We lucked out with our visit to Skokloster on an all day Stromma boat cruise as it began with heavy rain so there were very few other passengers. The guide and staff made a real effort to keep us all in good spirits. Fortunately the weather started clearing up after an hour and so we had a very enjoyable day, interesting scenery, and a guide with lots of time to fill us in on the sites and historical events. The boat had limited but excellent snacks and on the return leg of the trip we enjoyed our pre-booked 3-course lunch which was excellent, and sat on deck in the sun until we arrived back in Stockholm contented after a very satisfying trip.

ohiowanderer

After seeing the sights in Stockholm, we decided to drive to Skokloster Castle. The drive itself was lovely through farming areas. The castle lacks the grandeur of the Royal Palace in Stockholm, but is amazing as it is so well preserved as it really wasn't lived in much. We did the 12.15pm English tour with a knowledgable guide named Eva who, in 40 minutes, gave us a lot of info about the castle and the family who built it. Without a guide, you cannot go to the upper floors where the armory is located. Even if you aren't interested in arms, the collection is impressive. In addition to the castle, there was a medieval village outside with activities and things to buy. And there were demonstrations of archery and knights etc. Not sure if that is a regular thing or just today. It would be a great place to bring children.

811kristinr

Different than other European castles I've seen and worth a quick trip. The nearby church is also one of my favorite I have ever seen, with beautiful brick work. We did this as part of a Stromma boat tour and recommend it to those looking for a boat tour as well. The castle's tour fee was included in the boat trip.

mkrijntjes

We visited this 16th century castle in july. The exterior looks like a castle should look, dramatic and intimidating. The interior is going on slightly run down but the grand rooms are amazing with the leather wallhangings. There is even a painting of Michiel de Ruyter and of Scheveningen. Take the guided tour only if you have the time. It was interesting but not amazing. Highlight of the tour is the armoury .... That is just amazing. The guide was a bit full of himself :-)

pttuva

Skokloster is an exceptional and unique palace situated on a small peninsula on Lake Mälaren about an hour or so drive north of Stockholm. Built in the mid 1600's, It is exceptionally well-preserved (but not restored) and only minimally modernized. Most of the castle was simply vacated after the death of it's fabulously wealthy owner, the Swedish noble Carl Gustav Wrangel. The empty and incomplete grand hall is as if the craftsmen left yesterday, exposing building infrastructure, roof tiles leaving tools lying about, and sub flooring exposed. Wrangel amassed impressive collections of books, in only 30 or so years. The are as he left them. Considering his other and extensive holdings, Skokloster is even more impressive. The English language guide was friendly, quite knowledgable, enthusiastic and spoke excellent English. The tour group was small (~ 9 people) allowing plenty of questions. I have visited this castle 4 times/20 years and have learned more each visit. The grounds and adjacent church is also magnificent and worth a visit.

pawdy

We made the road trip out to Skokloster and thought it was definitely worth it. We went to Sigtuna first (disappointment) then on to this wonderful castle built in the 1600s. We got the last tour and saw a snapshot of the amazing life of the nobility in Sweden. And it was deserted!! Even on a lovely day in the summertime. The furnishings were impressive and the gun room blew our minds. Definitely worth a trip and you get to see the beautiful countryside on the way.

PatJ391

We REALLY enjoyed a trip to Skokloster Castle, a 17th century castle very well preserved, with an excellent guided tour in English, not far from Arlanda. I highly recommend the guided tour, check to make sure you have the correct time for the language you prefer (English, Swedish, Finnish, etc...). The café was very good, and there was plenty of seating indoors and out. It it's a nice day, the seating closest to the lake is best, with lots of shade and views. Next to the castle is a church that began as a nunnery in the 13th century, still an active church today. There's also the quaint little town of Sigtuna you can stop at on the way to or from Skokloster Castle, with charming shopping and a beautiful park right on the water.

nataliadelopez

Me and my husband and two friends visit Skokloster Castle today, 18th May 2013This castle is located on a peninsula on the northern part of Lake Mälaren along the old water route between Stockholm and Uppsala. The construction of the castle went on between 1654 and 1676 by order of Count Carl Gustaf Wrangel ( 1613-1676 ), a Magnificent castle, beautiful antique furniture, great collection of curious objects created both by man and nature. Avoid the café by the castle, my husband paid 100SEK for a Shrimp sandwich but it become a salad with some shrimp hahaha Not worth!!

Wolfie54

in the Stockholm area. If you like old castles you need to see this with most of the furnitures left from the 1600th century.

windisle

An hour away from Stockholm you find this beatuful, big castle from the time, when Sweden was in great wars and was successful in them, which you can see in this castle. Drive from ther to Sigtuna and see the very old town there

RogerTidy

A monument to Sweden's "Age of Greatness". Go there by boat if possible. Interesting architecture, and sevreal intersting collections. Good guidance.

TopzT

Mostly it is the surrounding nature and the outdoor view of the Castle which are worth seeing. The Castle is located by the lake, looks great at the outside and has an alley with a few centuries old trees. If you are after art collections you should rather go to Gripsholm Castle. Skokloster Castle collections are not that abundant and some of them are only available as a part of a guided tour at an extra price. There are small tables with chairs by the Castle, a nice place for a small picnic.It takes a bit more than an hour by public transport to get there. After you take a commuter train to Bålsta (beware that Bålsta is further than traffic zone C which in case you use remsa paper strip tickets will cost you 6 of them one way - then rather buy a 7 days unlimited access SL card) take a bus 311. The bus runs only once an hour (e.g. at 12pm, 1 pm.; UL card for 10 rides costs 270 kr) and it takes somewhere 20-25 min of a bus ride to the Castle. During the ride you will see an absolutely different part of the scenery - nice rural area with forest and fields, very pleasant view.

NinaF77

Wonderful place to visit - with perserved monuments and surroundings from the time of the build in 1674. Take the guided tour - so worth it!

CrengutaM

The castle is wonderful, a little expensive though. Don't really recomend the guided tour. It shows only a few extra rooms but nothing important. It is very hard to see everything during the guided tour and you are being asked not to take pictures. Altough it was not forbidden.I visited the castel 2 times but i really regret taking the guided tour the second time. The "guide" was very rude and did not give us interesting info. I recomend to visit the castel by yourself and just read the paper version guide available at the entrance, it is far more interesting and you can fotograph everything you want.

SwedenMats

Well worth a visit for those interested in history. The Castle is the premier Swedish castle from the days when Sweden was a major power in Europe. The best, I think, is to see the unfinished banquet hall that was left of the artisans as they heard that the castle's lord, Carl Gustav Wrangel, had died. They realized that they would not receive their salaries and just left tools and ladders and the like. And there they are today. Amazing!