Page 116 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Sweden

114  ST OCKHOLM AREA B Y AREA

Exploring Drottningholm
The Palace of Drottningholm, a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
is complemented by the Court Theatre (Slottsteatern), the
world’s oldest theatre still in active use, and the elegant
Chinese Pavilion (Kina Slott), which has one of the finest
European Rococo interiors with chinoiserie. The complex
is situated on the shores of Lake Mälaren, surrounded by
Baroque and Rococo gardens, and lush English-style
parkland. In summer the theatre stages opera and ballet.
Drottningholm Palace Area Karl XI’s gallery at Drottningholm, featuring
the victory at Lund, 1667
the tiled stove is also a sofa
bed. The Oscar Room was
Stockholm
refurbished by Oscar I (1799–
1859) and is adorned by a
tapestry dating from the 1630s.
After the General’s Room, Karl
XI’s Gallery commemorating
the victory at Lund (1667), and
the Golden Salon, comes the
Sights Queen’s Salon. Just as the
1 Palace adjoining State Room has
2 Chinese Pavilion portraits of all the European
0 metres 250 3 Palace Park monarchs, the portraits in the
4 Court Theatre Queen’s Salon are of European
0 yards 250
queens. This floor finishes with
the Upper South Bodyguard
audiences in the Ehrenstrahl Room, an ante-room to the
The Palace Apartments
Salon, named after the artist State Room and lavishly
The first thing that meets the whose paintings dominate the decorated by the Carove
eye on entering the apartments walls. More prominent guests stucco artists and the ceiling
is a Baroque corridor with a were received in the State painter Johan Sylvius.
view that frames part of the Bedroom which later in Queen
gardens in all their splendour. Lovisa Ulrika’s time was in fact
The central part of the palace is used for sleeping. Her Meissen The Chinese Pavilion
dominated by the staircase, porcelain can be seen in On her 33rd birthday in 1753
crowned by a lantern the Blue Cabinet; the Queen Lovisa Ulrika was given
with ceiling paintings Library has her a Chinese pavilion by her
by Ehrenstrahl. There collection of more husband, King Adolf Fredrik.
are examples of than 2,000 books. It had been manufactured in
Baroque stucco work Behind the Upper Stockholm and the previous
by Giovanni and Carlo Northern Bodyguard night it was shipped to
Carove. Marble statues Room, with a ceiling by Drottningholm and assembled
of the nine muses Medallion symbol izing Johan Sylvius, is a a short distance from the
and their protector, life and death Gustavian drawing palace. It had to be taken down
Apollo, are placed at room with a bureau after 10 years because rot had
the corners of the balustrades. by Johan Niklas Eckstein. In set in, and was replaced by the
The Green Salon is reached 1777, following Gustav III’s
from the lower vestibule via the assumption of power, the
Lower Northern Bodyguard Blue Salon was decorated
Room. This is the beginning of in the Neo-Classical style.
the main ceremonial suite, which The Chinese Salon was
continues with Karl X’s Gallery used as a private bedroom
where paintings illustrate his by King Adolf Fredrik. It is
major military exploit, the directly above the Queen’s
crossing of the iced-over Store State Bedroom and there
Bælt (Great Belt) by the Swedish is a hidden staircase
army in 1658. Queen Hedvig linking the two floors. The Chinese Pavilion, an extravaganza in
Eleonora (1636–1715) held The “bureau” opposite blue and gold
For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp284–5 and pp294–5

114-115_EW_Sweden.indd 114 11/07/16 11:48 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Flashmap follow-on template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.4)
Date 5th November 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm