At Djurgården there are a lot of restaurants offering something very Swedish this time of year, called julbord, or translated into Christmas smorgasbord. It is a kind of collection of what we usually eat in Sweden for Christmas, set up at a table, like a buffet. It is usually very traditional but nowadays it has been more and more popular to switch to a more sustainable julbord with more greens instead of meat for example.

What usually is included in the classical julbord is of course the very important Christmas ham. This is the piece of food that the whole table is about! It is usually very big and takes many hours to cook. It lasts for days and is almost always the food you have to keep eating even after Christmas is over just to get rid of it, but you are actually quite tired of the taste by this time.

Other delicious things you can find at a classical julbord at Djurgården is many different kinds of pickled herring with a lot of different tastes and combinations. With that you usually eat boiled potato, boiled and sliced eggs decorated with shrimp, roe and dill. Another very important thing on the table is also the meatballs, the food Sweden is known world wide for, and of course they have to be hand made from scratch!

Janssons Frestelse is also something very important and traditional at the julbord, which is basically like a potato gratin with onion and anchovy. But what do Swedes drink to their beloved Christmas food you might think? Usually special Christmas beer, wine or julmust, which is a type of soda that looks a lot like Coke, but with a specific sweet taste hard to describe, you just need to try it! For dessert it is common to drink some snaps or some kind of avec with the coffee.

The dessert at the julbord usually consists of a lot of different small sweets and mostly with chocolate or fruits as a base, in many shapes and combinations. Rice pudding is also common in different styles, and typical Christmas flavors for all these sweets are cinnamon, citrus, saffron, ginger and mint, among others.

The more sustainable and modern julbord has become more popular over the past time and many of our restaurants here at Djurgården are embracing the alternative way of serving delicious, healthier variations of the classical julbord, which is better for the environment.

If you want to visit Djurgården before Christmas and try out any of the traditional or modern julbord, you have a lot of options to choose from. Try for example the julbord at Gröna Lunds Tyrolen, at Oaxen, The Museum of Spirits or The Viking Museum. You can also find julbord at Hotel Hasselbacken, Villa Godthem, Villa Källhagen, Ulla Winbladh and Rosendals Wärdshus.

During the fall season Djurgården is beautiful in so many ways, with the leaves changing color, crisp fresh air and the sharp light on sunny days. Another beautiful thing you can see on the island is all the art we have in our different galleries! We have plenty to discover, and whether you want to spend one or several days you can create your own art tour at Djurgården with a few recommendations from us.

Djurgården offers everything from The future of food and drinks at The Museum of Spirits to a look into the life in the Arctic at the Nordic Museum and everything in between. For those interested in magnificent paintings from the 20th century we recommend the Thiel Gallery and Prince Eugen’s Waldemarsudde. And don’t miss out on all the beautiful monuments at Djurgården!

Take a refreshing walk, or why not explore Djurgården by bike! There are so many things to see along the way. For example several monuments and memorials. Our suggestion for an art tour at Djurgården is that you start at the Thiel Gallery which you’ll find furthest away on the island, and then head back towards the Djurgården Bridge. Along the way you can visit Waldemarsudde, then Liljevalchs, afterwards the Museum of Spirits which is located almost next door, before you finish the tour at the Nordic Museum.

(You can read about the exhibitions and events down here.)

Our best tips for an art tour at Djurgården

Thielska Galleriet – The hidden gem at Djurgården

The Thiel Gallery was built for the magnificent art collection of the businessman Ernest Thiel and was finished in 1907 in a magical building in Art Nouveau-style. Here art lovers are invited to enjoy a unique collection with everything from Eugen Jansson to August Strindberg. At the moment they have an exhibition about Karin Frostenson with works from 1960-2018. The exhibition is a mix of old photographs, satire and references from advertising.

Waldemarsudde – Swedish cultural heritage

At Prince Eugen’s old home at Waldemarsudde visitors can enjoy his extensive art collection with several of the prince’s own creations which you can experience all year round. You will also find artworks from Carl Larsson and the international star Anders Zorn, among others. The collection consists of about 700 pieces and includes visual arts, sculptures and craftsmanship. Right now there is an ongoing exhibition about Edward Burne-Jones which is the first ever monographic exhibition by him shown in Scandinavia. The presentation includes fascinating paintings, textiles and drawings and reveals his influence of Scandinavian art and design. This is definitely an opportunity for the Swedish public to discover this eminent Pre-Raphaelite artist.

Liljevalchs – Contemporary Art and design in a beautiful setting

Liljevalchs is welcoming everyone regardless of your level of artistic interests. They have four different exhibitions all year around. At the moment they have their major fall exhibition by Helene Billgren – “All clear”, which is a survey of her work and includes the objects and drawings from the 1980s and 1990s to the increasingly color-intense paintings of the 2000s.

Museum of Spirits – Exhibition consisting of swing-ticket tags

Artist Angus Fairhurst belonged to an influential generation which became a phenomena known as Young British Artists or YBAs. The early 1990s was a period of economic crisis and the YBAs made a sensational splash with an attitude at once countercultural and market-driven. Fairhurst was a central figure during this brash and innovative era, but unlike many in his generation of art graduates from Goldsmiths’ College in London, he avoided the obviously provocative and shocking. The exhibition at the Museum of Spirits is an Absolut Art Collection including Angus Fairhurst from 1994. The pieces consists of a thicket of blue, red and black swing-ticket tags formating the shape of an Absolut Vodka bottle. These tiny straps are used in clothes shops everywhere to attach price tags onto clothes – here, they are the core material of a work of art.

The Nordic Museum – Take a look inside the Arctic

The Nordic Museum is Sweden’s greatest museum of cultural history. Here you can experience different parts of the Nordic way of life and culture. They have everything from a 1940s apartment to Nordic lights and traditions, about the celebrations and festivities throughout life. A new and big exhibitions is “Arctic – While the ice is melting” which allows you to meet people from some of the coldest places on earth. Where the living conditions and environment are changing at a rapid pace.

A new exhibition opened at the National Sports Museum yesterday afternoon called Sport and Sápmi. The inauguration of the exhibition was accompanied by some introductory words from Museum Director Pernilla Klingofström and speeches by Exhibition Curator Gunilla Stillström; State Secretary to the Minister for Culture and Democracy Helene Öberg; and the Minister responsible for Sports Amanda Lind.

In the exhibition you can see the different types of tools used for Sami games, learn about the interesting history of Sami sports and how they have developed over time – plus much more.

So, what is Sami sport exactly? It varies from activities that have a connection to the traditional Sami way of life, such as lasso throwing or reindeer herding, to sports events where the participants identify themselves as Sami, at the Sami Championships for example. Participants might also choose to represent Sápmi (Sami country) in traditional Sami sports or modern Western sports.

The history of Sami sport is still relatively unknown today, and in this exhibition you will gain an insight into the function and meaning of sport in Sápmi. There is something for the whole family; children can read Sami fairy tales, play Sami board games and more.

Don’t miss this exciting and informative exhibition at the National Sports Museum!

The exhibition increases awareness of the Sami culture, thereby promoting the inclusion of Sami culture (10.2)

The exhibition provides insight into the function and importance of sport in Sápmi (3.4)

If you want to read more about our work with sustainability, visit sustainable.royaldjurgarden.se

It has been 25 years since the passenger ferry M/S Estonia sank on its trip from Tallinn to Stockholm. This was the biggest civil ship disaster in Europe after WWII and 852 persons died whereof 551 from Sweden.

To honor the victims and the relatives, a memorial ceremony will be held on Saturday September 28 at 14:00 with flower placing by the Estonian monument in Galärvarvskyrkogården here at Djurgården.

Their Royal HighnessesThe Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel are taking part at the ceremony and also representatives from the parliament and the government, authorities and foreign missions.

This is also happening together with MSB which is the contact member of the state for relatives and the survivors from the Estonia tragedy.

In late winter 2016/early spring 2017, 101 trout were born at Djurgården at the old aquarium. They have since moved to the Baltic Sea Science Center at Skansen, and now they are moving out with the help of Magnus Carlsson from the indie rock group Weeping Willows.

You can join in too!

Come and see Skansen’s trouts being released from the protected bay below the Scanian mine on Sunday 8th September at 10:00. One of the people helping out is Magnus Carlsson from Weeping Willows, who is committed to protecting and preserving the Baltic Sea.

Brown trout (Salmo trutta)

The trouts being released by Skansen were bred artificially. The mature fish were collected and had spawn and milk taken from them before being released back into the water. The eggs were then left in an incubator until they were ready to hatch. A newly-hatched trout has a yellow yolk sac on its stomach, which keeps it nourished so that it can survive without needing to hunt. Once the fish has absorbed the yolk sac, it can start to hunt and eat for itself.

Brown trout migrate into freshwater to spawn, laying their eggs and leaving them to hatch there. Their young then return to the sea when they are young adults. Skansen’s trout were born in winter 2016/spring 2017, so are now just over two and a half years old and able to survive well on their own. Releasing 101 trout in one go is a far cry from the number of fish that are released in Sweden each year, but it is unusual for the general public to be able to get as close to the fish as they will do on Sunday. In carrying out this trout stocking, Skansen wants to inform people about the Baltic Sea and its species; the brown trout is an important species for the food chain and humans. Come to Djurgården on Sunday so that you don’t miss this unique opportunity!

Photo: S Beskow/Azote Källa: havet.nu

Skansen’s trout stocking encourages further protection and restoration of ecosystems through action and education (14.2)

If you want to read more about our work with sustainability, visit sustainable.royaldjurgarden.se/en

Djurgården is a place that should be accessible to everyone. The ‘St Julian prize’ (S:t Julianpriset) is awarded by the City of Stockholm and rewards work that helps to include people with disabilities in society. The prize has previously been awarded to the Vasa museum, Gröna Lund and Skansen, and now Tekniska museet has become the latest Royal Djurgården winner, in recognition of the museum’s wonderful work to make the museum accessible to more visitors.

Tekniska museet has been investing in accessibility for several years now, and has made improvements in ensuring access for all visitors, including those with physical impairments and intellectual disabilities. As well as installing new ramps and lifts, the museum has made its exhibitions and website more accessible and adjusted its opening hours and capacity.

MegaMind

The main attraction that attracted attention for the St Julian prize is MegaMind. In the exhibition, visitors learn through testing, touching, moving, experimenting and exploring – accessibility was a key feature of the exhibition right from the word go. Through the MegaMind function, the museum has also been able to offer visiting hours where there are fewer visitors and more educators.

Information

A key issue on the topic of accessibility is how visitors access information and that there should be a variety of ways of doing so. Tekniska museet has information available for those who want to access information through detailed information, moving objects, visuals and other mediums. MegaMind has a system whereby visitors can choose how they receive information.

The St Julian prize (S:t Julianpriset)

The St Julian prize is given out every year and recognises companies, activities and organisations that actively work to make sure that everyone – regardless of their functional ability – can participate equally in society.

Tekniska museet won the prize in the ‘Access to information and communication’ category. “The MegaMind exhibition has a fully inclusive approach in its design”, the judges said. “Nobody should be excluded; everybody should be able to participate. The future of technology is the focus for the museum, which includes making information and communication available to everyone. By involving experts, researchers and reference groups, they’ve brought in a wide range of expertise. Their work sets a good example to others”.

The MegaMind exhibition is a good example of how you can ensure accessibility and inclusion (10.3)

If you want to read more about our work with sustainability, visit sustainable.royaldjurgarden.se/en/home-en

Nu börjar 26 oktober närma sig med stormsteg. Det är datumet då vi återigen tänder Djurgårdsljuset. Har ni inte redan planerat ert bidrag så finns det fortfarande möjlighet till det!

Vill ni vara en del av att lysa upp Djurgården så kontakta henrik@presentationsdesign.se eller ring honom på 0766-441451
Projektansvarig från KDF är Johan Nilsson.
Ni kan också alltid kontakta Camilla på camilla.zedendahl@royaldjurgarden.se om ni har ytterligare frågor.

Här kan du läsa mer i det inlägg som vi publicerade i mars om Djurgårdsljuset.

Emma Hocker, who used to work at the Vasa Museum with the conservation of the Vasa Ship, have written a new book about all the challenges involved with preserving Vasa.

In April 1961, Vasa was raised from the waters of Stockholm harbour having sunk on her maiden voyage in 1628. Conservation and reconstruction of the ship has proven to be a great challenge during almost 30 years before the ship was placed on permanent display in the purpose-built Vasa Museum where it remains today.

The new book by Emma Hocker documents hos this huge ship survived the forces of decay ad what needs to be done to preserve the ship for future generations.

You can read more about the museum shop right here!

Information about the museum can be found here.