The Royal Palace in Stockholm, is a baroque building and is located on the island of Gamla Stan.
With its 600 rooms, the Royal Palace is one of the largest residences in Europe but only a part is open to the public.
The main rooms that can be visited are:
- State apartments: these are rooms used by the Swedish monarchy for official receptions
- Royal Chapel: built in the seventeenth century is decorated in marble and gold.
- Banquet hall: probably the largest room of the entire building in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century style
- Rikssalen: this is the Royal Hall where the silver throne of Queen Christina is kept
- Tre Kronor Museum: the museum is dedicated to the ancient royal palace gone with models and objects of the time.
- The “The treasure” room: in the vaults in the Royal Palace are exposed the most beautiful jewels of the Swedish monarchy. Also on display in the hall are Gustav Vasa’s sword, Erik XIV’s scepter and the silver baptismal font still used by the Swedish royal family.
Although today it is not the official residence of the monarchy, the King of Sweden works in the Royal Palace and has established court offices there.
Another of Stockholm’s top tourist attractions is the changing of the Guard. It is performed every day in front of the Royal Palace at 12 noon and, for about 40 minutes, the Guard’s parade to the rhythm of the Royal Band.
