Kungliga Slottet

On Tuesday, January 24 we took a private tour of Kungliga Slottet, the official residence of the Swedish Royal Family in Gamla Stan, Stockholm.  This castle was built in 1697 on top of the old viking castle.  Located on one of the 14 islands that make up Stockholm, this location was chosen to protect the city. With 1,300 rooms, this is the largest castle in the world that is still being used.

Inside the Courtyard

Our tour guide was Göran Alm, the royal librarian of the Bernadottbiblioteket--the collective private libraries of the Swedish Kings and Queens.  This is also the library where the Nobel Laureates meet each December to discuss world peace.

Nobel Laureates

Captivated, we sat in the biblioteket listening to Göran give us a lesson in Swedish royal history. I thoroughly enjoyed the Swedish royal mythos, which attests to a continued line of Swedish royalty since the youngest son of Noah, Japheth, forefather of the northern peoples.  When asked how the Swedes deal with the noted breaks in the Swedish royal lineage, Göran simply shrugged and said, "It is tradition."

Official Pass

We went on to see more of the castle, but the Bernadottbiblioteket remained my favorite room.  I felt like Belle.  Our knowledgeable guide told us stories of his dinners with the King and Crown Princess as we walked through the oldest parts of the Castle.  As the royal librarian, he attends the Nobel dinners, staff holiday dinners, and he even attended the Swedish Princess' royal wedding.

Castle Guard

I walked out of the castle just in time to see the changing of the guards.  Apparently these guards are allowed to talk to you and even crack a smile, though their favorite phrase is "Outside the line."  You don't want to get too close to their bayonet.

 

After the castle, we wandered the small islands of Gamla Stan and Riddarholmem. Even in the dead of winter, the city of Stockholm is incredibly beautiful.  But I still can't wait for spring!

The streets of Gamla Stan