Skokloster, a Baroque guest pier, 14 September

Skokloster castle is one of the most famous Swedish baroque castle built in the 1650s'. Its architecture was probably inspired by the Warsaw's Ujazdów Castle. Since the 1970s', it is a national museum. During summer, the castle is open for visits, weekend only in June and September. There is a cafe in the castle where salads and sandwiches can be served. In addition, there is an old vintage gas station with a small grocery shop and café. The entrance is free but the armoury and the top floor can only be visited as part of a guided tour for a fee.

There is a guest pier where one can come and spend a day or two by the castle. The petrol station is responsible for the guest harbour (150 SEK/day). If you shop at the petrol station you get a discount on harbour fees. There is even a SXK buoy, not indicated on the SXK website.Unfortunately, there is a 17.2 metre bridge on the way, so it is a no go for Belisama. 

The guest pier at Skokloster castle.

The castle towers are crowned with "armillary spheres", otherwise called spherical astrolabes, made of oak and clad covered with coper plating. The spheres are a symbol of the planet's movements.

Ground floor access to the patio

First floor corridor

One of the many marine paintings along the wall of the corridors.

The text below is one of the text painted along the walls of the corridor of the first floor of the castle. While all texts are writen in Latin, this one is in French and read "Friends are like cantaloupe, one needs to try several to get a good one."

The two Arcimboldo paintings are dating of the 1500s'. Both were taken by the Swedish army during the looting resulting from the 1648 Battle of Prague. They were part of the fabulous collection of art pieces assembled by Rudolph II, the Holy Roman Emperor.

Vertumnus, Giuseppe Arcimboldo, 1590

The librarian, Giuseppe Arcimboldo, 1566

The King's hall, Skokloster castle, September 2019, picture by Terezka

Swedes were among the first groups of settlers in the Americas. The founded "New Sweden" and occupied it from 1638 until 1655 when it was conquered by the Dutch and incorporated in the "New Netherland". New Sweden was established along the river Delaware. Swedish traders had been visiting the area since 1610. The objective of the colonization was to trade fur and tobacco independently from the French and the British powers. Fort Cristina was built in Wilmington in 1638. The book below in the Skokloster museum dates from 1702 and depicts the life of the indigeneous populations in New Sweden.

The first mention of a church in Skokloster dates from the 1200s'. It was originally built for Cistercian nuns. The church underwent numerous modifications over the centuries. In the 17th century it became Wrangel’s castle church and the entire Wrangel family are buried in the chapel. Services are now held throughout the year and there are also occasional concerts. The church is a popular wedding venue. It is nowadays one of the important brick churches in the Mälaren and the second in size in Sweden.

The bell tower was constructed in 1639.

The pulit is from the 1600s, originally from the monastery in Oliwa 

The crucifix in oak and pine dates from the 1200s'.

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