The huge walls of the city palace make it clear from afar that this building plays a major role in Stockholm. The medieval Vasa Castle used to stand here, but was completely destroyed by the devastating fire of 1697. In 1754, on the site of the former fairytale castle, an impressive baroque building in Italian style rose - like a phoenix from the ashes. With its square floor plan, the city residence of the Swedish royal family is as huge and colossal as it is distant and cool. The Swedish king's workplace is one of the largest inhabited castles in the world. Since the royal family only has their official city residence here and actually lives at Drottningholm Palace, the palace offers enough space for extraordinary museums and exhibitions in addition to the state rooms.
In the Te Kronor Museum you can trace the history of the castle's creation, while the treasury contains fascinating jewels and the imperial insignia of the key, orb and scepter. There are also various crowns, swords and a huge silver baptismal font to admire. The armory impresses with military exhibits, but also bizarre items, such as the stuffed horse of King Gustav II Adolf or the face mask of Gustav III. present themselves to the curious viewer. Also interesting are the royal representative rooms with the castle church, which provide a clear picture of the life of the royal family. The daily changing of the royal guard on the palace square is always a welcome spectacle. At 12.15 p.m. sharp (an hour later on Sundays and public holidays), the military parade often takes place here on horseback and with music. However, in Stockholm this popular tourist attraction is limited to the warm summer months, as - unlike in mild London - it gets freezing cold here in the winter.