Stockholm Off Side Sightseeing Tour
Solna, Sweden, a northern suburb of Metropolitan Stockholm, is a tourist Mecca for individual visitors and incentive groups seeking castles, parks, gardens, and historical sights. This area is also easily reached by community transportation.
Next time you travel between Arlanda Airport and Stockholm notice the signs to these hidden gems only 10 minutes from the city centre. In Haga Park you will find Haga Castle, Gustav III’s Pavilion, The Copper Tent with Haga Park Museum, The Butterfly House, fabulous gardens, and a departure station for boat excursions. 
Haga Castle, sometimes called the Queen’s Pavilion, dates from the early 1800’s. This impressive building is where the current Swedish monarch, Carl XVI Gustav, was born. Today the castle is used as a residence for state visitors. Gustav III’s Pavilion is a fine example of European Neo Classicism of the late 1700’s. Guided tours through this magnificent castle are available in the summer. Located nearby is the Copper Tent. This unusual building was built in the late 1700’s as a stable and barrack for Gustav III’s troops. It now houses the Haga Park Museum, which displays exhibits about the history of the park. The Butterfly House is a wonderful lush, tropical environment, where hundreds of exotic butterflies share their home with an assortment of birds. While visiting, take time to explore the winter garden, where the spicy scent of citrus or the lingering aroma of jasmine will tweak the senses.
Karlberg Castle, built in 1630, is the oldest castle in Solna. It became a royal estate in 1688, and is where young Crown Prince Charles (XII) spent his youth. He hunted wolves in the nearby forest. Queen Ulrika Eleonora the Elder, mother of the Crown Prince, created a school for 30 orphaned girls at the castle. These young women, benefiting from the Queen’s charitable work, learned to weave tapestries. In the late 1700’s the castle became the headquarters for the Royal War Academy. Large wings were added to the castle to accommodate cadets. The building now houses Military Academy Karlberg and cadets from all branches of the Swedish Armed Forces study here. The park is open to the public every day from 6 A.M. to 10 P.M.
Travel to the north of Solna to visit Ulriksdal Palace, the Orangery, Ulriksdal Palace Chapel and Ulriksdal Palace Theater. Built in the mid 1600’s, Ulriksdal Palace was originally intended as a country retreat. It was called Jacobsdal, but became a royal palace in 1669 and was renamed in 1684. A tour through the castle provides sights of interior designs spanning from the 1600’s to the 1900’s. Of particular interest is the Orangery Museum, where exhibits of Swedish sculpture are on view, including works by Johan T. Sergel and Carl Miles. Combined with historic trees and scrubs, this location will 
enrich one’s experience with color, fragrance, and form. Ulriksdal Palace Chapel, designed in Dutch new Renaissance style, is a reflection of Carl XV’s interest in art. The chapel is used by the Solna Parish for mass, and is a popular wedding venue.
Confidencen, the Ulriksdal Palace Theater, is Sweden’s oldest rococo theatre. The building was originally used as a riding school and as guest quarters, but was converted into a theatre in the mid- 1700’s. Part of the building was used as a salon for the royal family, and it was here that the table à confidence was located. This table could be lowered through the floor to the kitchen. Kitchen staff would set the table, without di
sturbing the conversations of the royal party. No one would know who was dining with the King! The theater, now offering performances from April through September, is also a location where new citizens of the country are welcomed on Sweden’s National Day.
Solna Church, located in the center of town, is one of three round churches in Stockholm. It was used as a defensive position for the local population during times of unrest.
Visit Filmstaden, a film studio where some of Sweden’s best known directors e.g Ingemar Bergman and actors worked. This location was the center of Swedish film making for 50 years and memorabilia from that time is on display.
Photos:
1. Haga Castle, photo by FriskoKry, GNU Free Documentation license
2. Ulriksdal Palace, photo by Hoger.Ellgaard, GNU Free Documentation license
3. Karlbergs Castle, photo by FriskoKry, GNU Free Documentation license
4. Solna Church, photo by Håkan Svensson, GNU Free Documentation license
Biking tour including Haga Palace in Stockholm.