Press release - 10 May 2012 13:46

Gripsholm Castle opens for the season

From Tuesday 15 May until the end of summer, Gripsholm Castle will be open daily from 10 am – 4 pm. The castle, which is celebrating its 475th anniversary, offers something for everyone – from a floor dedicated to a princess, an 18th-century theatre, an armoury and a prison tower to one of the world’s biggest portrait collections. This year the family tours will start at 1 pm.

Celebrating its 475th anniversary this year, GripsholmCastlestarted life in 1537 and still retains typical rooms from the Vasa Renaissance. Since the 16th century, the castle has undergone several renovations in various styles. The interiors therefore offer an intriguing mix from different eras. Duke Karl’s chamber from the 16th century and King Gustav III’s theatre from the 18th century are among the unique rooms on show. One of Gripsholm’s greatest treasures is the National Portrait Gallery, which contains portraits of leading figures from the time of King Gustav Vasa to the present day. Royalty hangs alongside other illustrious Swedes such as Carl Michael Bellman, August Strindberg, Greta Garbo, Dag Hammarskjöld, Birgit Nilsson, Benny Andersson and Magnus Uggla.

The family tours of the castle will fire the imagination of young and old alike. View portraits of princes and princesses as children and discover the big halls and little nooks of the castle. The armoury introduces children to a stuffed lion and armour from the time of Gustav III. New for this year, the family tours start at 1 pm, leaving plenty of time to see more of the castle afterwards. The family tours are on Saturdays and Sundays from 15 May – 15 September and daily from 15 June – 15 August.

From 15 May and throughout the summer, the castle will be open daily from 10 am – 4 pm for you to explore on your own or as part of a guided tour. The tours are held in Swedish at 12 noon and 2 pm, with a tour in English at 3 pm. The last day of the season is 15 September, after which the castle will remain open on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 noon to 3 pm until 30 November.

For more information, contact Morgan Gerle, First Supervisor Gripsholm Castle, +46 (0)8-402 8570 or Hanna Tottmar, press officer Nationalmuseum, hanna.tottmar@nationalmuseum.se, +46 (0)8-5195 4390. Find out more at www.gripsholmsslott.se, press photos www.nationalmuseum.se/pressroom.

Gripsholm Castle is one of the Royal Palaces and falls under the remit of the Royal Court. Nationalmuseum has been responsible for the National Portrait Gallery at the castle since 1880.

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Gripsholm Castle

Welcome to Nationalmuseum Sweden!

Nationalmuseum is Sweden’s museum of art and design. The collections include paintings, sculpture, drawings and graphic art from the 16th century up to the beginning of the 20th century and the collection of applied art and design up to the present day. The total amount of objects is around 700,000. .

The emphasis of the collection of paintings is on Swedish 18th and 19th century painting. Dutch painting from the 17th century is also well represented, and the French 18th century collection is regarded as one of the best in the world. The works are made by artists such as Rembrandt, Rubens, Goya, Boucher, Watteau, Renoir and Degas as well as Swedish artists such as Anders Zorn, Carl Larsson, Ernst Josephson and Carl Fredrik Hill.

The collection of applied art and design consists of objects such as ceramics, textiles, glass and precious and non-precious metals as well as furniture and books etc. The collection of prints and drawings comprises works by Rembrandt, Watteau, Manet, Sergel, Carl Larsson, Carl Fredrik Hill and Ernst Josephson. Central are the 2,000 master drawings that Carl Gustaf Tessin acquired during his tour of duty as Sweden's ambassador to France in the 18th century.

Art and objects from Nationalmuseum’s collections can also be seen at several royal palaces such as Gripsholm, Drottningholm, Strömsholm, Rosersberg and Ulriksdal as well as in the Swedish Institute in Paris. The museum administers the Swedish National Portrait Gallery at Gripsholm Castle, the world’s oldest national portrait gallery and the Gustavsberg collection with approximately 45,000 objects manufactured at the Gustavsberg Porcelain Factory. Nationalmuseum also curates exhibitions at Nationalmuseum Jamtli and the Gustavsberg Porcelain Museum.

Nationalmuseum is a government authority with a mandate to preserve cultural heritage and promote art, interest in art and knowledge of art and that falls within the remit of the Swedish Ministry of Culture.

Gripsholm Castle opens for the season

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