A fairytale castle of the banks of Lake Mälaren. The steam-ship s/s Mariefred from Stockholm takes you there.Renaissance-period Gripsholm Castle was built in 1537 and commissioned by Swedish king Gustav Vasa. It sits on the banks of Lake Mälaren and dominates the skyline around the small town of Mariefred that lies on the other side of the lake.
The most picturesque way of getting to it is by taking steam-ship s/s Mariefred from Stockholm. The castle houses the Swedish state collection of portraits and here you will find portraits from the time of Gustav Vasa to the present day, including one of Benny Andersson of ABBA fame.The interior of the castle covers four centuries of furnishings and interiors; the many rooms connected by winding passages.
With its narrow streets, colourful, low wooden houses and boatmen’s cottage, the charming town of Mariefred is very much worth visiting, especially if you want to buy local specialties and handicrafts.