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Excursions For a Half Day Drottningholms Slott: Just 15km (nine miles) west of central Stockholm, Drottningholms Slott (Drottningholm Palace), Flottsforvaltining (tel: (08) 402 6280; website: www.royalcourt.se), is one of the most magnificent legacies of Sweden’s imperial age, justly compared to Louis XIV’s Versailles. Begun in 1662 – for the dowager queen, Hedvig Eleonora – by the great Swedish Baroque architects, Nicodemus Tessin the Elder and Younger, Drottningholm is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is surrounded by equally splendid gardens containing the delightful Rococo Chinese Pavilion (tel: (08) 402 6270), almost a palace in itself. It also has the world’s best-preserved palace theatre – with its 18th-century stage machinery still in working order – a popular venue for summer concerts and performances. Closed to the public in winter, the palace is the official residence of King Carl Gustaf XVI and the Swedish royal family. Guided tours in English are available on request. Admission to the Royal Palace costs SKr50 and SKr50 to the Chinese Pavilion (concessions are available). Drottningholm Palace is open daily 1000-1630 (May-August), daily 1200-1530 (September) and Saturday-Sunday 1200-1530 (October-April) and can be reached by taking bus 301 or 323 from Brommaplan metro station or bus 177 or 178 to Drottningholm. There is a regular summer boat service from Stadshuskajen (the City Hall Quay) to Drottningholm, operated by Stockholm Sightseeing, Skeppsbron 22 (tel: (08) 5871 4020; website: www.stockholmsightseeing.com). For a Whole Day Thousand Isles: The classic excursion from Stockholm, this is a water tour of the entire surrounding archipelago. The 24,000 islands and islets of the Stockholm Archipelago are famed for their beauty and unique atmosphere, especially in summer. The standard package stops at four of the most appealing islands, allowing the option of an overnight stay on one of them. In the summer, Stromma Kanalbolaget (tel: (08) 5871 4000; fax: (08) 5871 4044; website: www.stromma.se), runs tours departing from Stockholm Nybroplan, costing SKr825, which includes lunch, coffee and guided tours. |
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