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It’s almost time for Stockholm Pride 2020, which starts on Friday 31st July until Sunday 2nd August! This year, a lot of the celebrations are taking place online, but you can come and celebrate Pride all week here at Royal Djurgården. We’ve listed our tips below!

#LoveWins 🌈

BALTIC SEA SCIENCE CENTER

Did you know that the male pipefish carries and gives birth to the babies? During Pride Week (27th July-2nd August), you can learn all about love under the sea with a guided tour from one of the Science Center’s aquarists.

The tour is free and takes place at the aquarium in the Baltic Sea Science Center at 13:00 every day during Pride Week.

THE VIKING MUSEUM

Join The Viking Museum for an exciting, enlightening and funny tour through the Vikings’ attitude towards homosexuality and masculinity.

You can join a tour at 11:00, 13:00 or 15:00 on Thursday and Friday, and it is included in your entrance ticket.

ABBA THE MUSEUM

Celebrate love and go 2 for the price of 1! Bring a friend or a loved one and experience the story of ABBA.

The museum even has special Pride opening hours; it’s open until 18:30 on Saturday and from 11:00-16:30 on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Buy your tickets here.

CIRKUS & POP HOUSE

This Saturday (19:00-20:45), Cirkus and Pop House are hosting the Nordics’ first ever Drag dinner! Get ready for an evening filled with humour, dance, spex and mischief, as well as the world-famous ‘Heel Race’ competition (who really goes best in high heels?) The evening’s Drag Queens will be Becky, Miss Listerine and “Man who imitates women”.

Click here to book a table and be part of what’s sure to be a fabulous evening, darling!

STOCKHOLM PRIDE PARADE

This year is extra special because Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria is opening the celebrations – the first time a national monarch has officiated a Pride festival.

You can follow the Stockholm Pride Parade via the Stockholm Pride website and their social media channels. The parade is taking place on Saturday 1st August 2020, 12:00-14:00.

Djurgården’s attractions mark and celebrate Stockholm Pride (10.2,)

 

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

This summer is going to be a little bit different to normal, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of fun and exciting things happening at Royal Djurgården. In fact, we think Djurgården is one of the biggest, greenest and coolest places to be!

Are you going to come and join us this summer? If so, here are our top 8 things to do when you come to visit:

1. Enjoy a truly unique outdoor sculpture exhibition

All the way from Park Avenue in NYC, now you can see Alice Aycock’s ‘Turbulences’ sculpture exhibition here at Royal Djurgården. It’s the first to be arranged by the Princess Estelle Cultural Foundation, and Alice Aycock’s first solo exhibition in Scandinavia!⁠ You can find the six sculptures at at Djurgårdsbrunn Bay near the Folke Bernadottes bridge.

2. Relax in the green oasis that is Rosendal’s Garden

One of our favourite places to enjoy the summer (or any season, come to that) is Rosendal’s Garden. As well as enjoying the garden, you can come here for a meal or traditional Swedish ‘fika’, and visit their farm shop and plant shop. And until mid-August, you can enjoy food from their wood fired oven and drinks from their garden bar at the Herbarium. You certainly won’t believe you’re in the midst of a capital city!

3. Celebrate 75 years of the world’s strongest girl at Junibacken

Pippi Longstocking is a female icon worldwide, and turns 75 this year. At Junibacken‘s new exhibition, ‘Topsy Turvy with Pippi’, you can be part of Pippi’s fun and mischievous world; lift Pippi’s horse, fly a plane, snoop around the sweet shop, climb up the lemonade tree – plus much more!⁠ We recommend booking your ticket in advance to guarantee admission, which you can do here.

4. Discover Djurgården on wheels 

Cycling is one of the best ways to get around and see the island – did you know that southern Djurgården is 10km all the way around? You can pick up free cycle maps from Royal Djurgården Visitor Center and hire bikes from the adjoining Sjöcaféet.

5. Marvel at Nordiska museet’s new entrance

…and relax in their outdoor living room.

Nordiska museet‘s newly-renovated backyard now hosts a Nordic café, and is surrounded by topiary linden trees, espaliered fruit trees and a walnut tree.

A visit inside the museum itself is also a must; after all, its main exhibition, The Arctic – While the Ice is Melting, was nominated for Exhibition of the Year.

6. Soak up the sun with some al fresco dining

Many of our lovely cafés and restaurants boast beautiful garden settings and waterside views, so you can enjoy amazing food with a view to match. Even some of our museums have their own outdoor seating area, like the Museum of Spirits with their Seaside Dock and Garden Patio, which is open exclusively during the summer.

And right now, we are running a special restaurant collaboration on Djurgården, where when you bring your receipt and voucher from one of 20 Djurgården restaurants to another, you get 10% off the bill. In case you needed an excuse to try even more delicious food and drink!

7. Take a tour of the island’s art exhibitions 

Art has long since been a part of Royal Djurgården (dating way back to 1905, in fact). But not all exhibitions are around for so long! This summer, choose between Ulrica Hydman Vallien at Liljevalchs, Hidden Treasures from the Thiel Gallery Collection at the Thiel Gallery and Silent Beauty – Nordic and East Asian Interaction at Prince Eugen’s Waldemarsudde. Take a look at our calendar to see all the exhibitions running at Royal Djurgården.

8. See beautiful Djurgården from the water

One of the best ways to explore Royal Djurgården is from the water, and you can rent a canoe, kayak or pedal boat from Sjöcaféet, which is just by the Djurgården bridge.

Fancy some sightseeing? Then why not test out Strömma’s Royal Canal Tour, which takes you along Djurgården’s beautiful and tranquil canal. And for something truly unique, Ocean Bus is an amphibious bus which lets you experience Stockholm from both land and water in one single vehicle.

On 11th July between 10:00 and 15:00, by the Maritime Museum, representatives from Djurgården’s attractions are taking action against littering with an underwater clean-up dive. We are working together with the Rena Botten foundation to take action against litter in our oceans. 

Just because we can’t see the rubbish, that doesn’t mean it’s not there. There is far too much rubbish in our oceans which we don’t see, but which affects our waters and the animals that live there.

“We all work together when it comes to sustainability at Djurgården, and a clean and tidy Djurgården is a matter of course. Last year we took it upon us to actively reduce littering. Through doing this underwater clean-up on Saturday, we want to show where so much rubbish ends up: in the Baltic Sea. It’s a small step, but still an important part of our journey to reduce littering. We hope that lots of people will come to the beach below the Maritime Museum to follow our work and see what we find”, says the Royal Djurgården Society’s CEO Camilla Zedendahl.

Saturday’s underwater clean-up dive will be our second together with Rena Botten, who have picked up tons of rubbish over the years. Together we will clean up Djurgårdsbrunnsviken, in the Museum Park below the Maritime Museum. There will be about ten of us taking part, including several representatives from Djurgården’s attractions.

The work towards a clean and tidy Djurgården is carried out by the Royal Djurgården Society, the Royal Djurgården Administration, the Maritime Museum, the Royal National City Park, Rena Botten and Håll Sverige Rent. Håll Sverige Rent (‘Keep Sweden Clean’) is a foundation on a mission to achieve ‘No littering’.

If you’d like to know more about the underwater clean-up dive, or even sign up, contact Camilla Zedendahl on camilla.zedendahl@royaldjurgarden.se or +46 (0)709 906973.

Would you like to know more about Rena Botten and/or get involved? Take a look at their Facebook page.

Djurgården works with other organisations to combat litter (17.17)

 

Through underwater clean-ups, Djurgården reduces the number of pollutants in the Baltic Sea (14.1)

 

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

From 1st July, you will be able to start your visit to Nordiska museet via a new entrance! As well as the main entrance, the ‘Two Directions’ entrance is located in the backyard, which was closed previously. It was designed by Finnish artist Outi Pieski and inspired by objects from the museum’s Sami collections. Through ‘Two Directions’, an important part of Nordic and Sami culture has been given permanent visibility in the museum building.

‘Two Directions/Guokte Bálga’ was commissioned by Nordiska museet and Sweden’s Public Art Agency. The artwork is part of the building and made up of several parts in and around the new western entrance. Two of these can be found along the protruding glass section of the entrance building and along the beams, in different patterns made of weathering steel. The patterns create a play of light and shadow, which alters with the time of day and the changing of the seasons.

“The old Sami decorative tradition is a language in which every individual element is its own word. Together we are putting together an ornate story of Sami philosophy, cosmology and life. The artwork reflects the museum’s collections, which include objects from several different Sami regions. The wall’s decoration draws inspiration from the southern Sami decorative ribbons, whose diagonal structure is an expression of flexibility and community, while the vertical/horizontal structure stands for stability”, says Outi Pieski.

The pattern design for Two Directions is inspired by a decorated spoon made of elk antler. Within Sami culture, the spoon is a very personal item. The carvings signs and patterns on the spoon bear cultural heritage and identity, as well as magic and mythology.

“Two Directions is a conscious, contemporary addition to our iconic museum building, which is highly decorated with sculptures and engravings which represent Nordic history and mythology. For us, therefore, it is important that any updates to the museum building are done in a cautious, contemporary and respectful way. With her artwork, Outi Pieski brings Nordic cultural heritage to the fore and broadens attitudes and perspectives”, says Sanne Houby-Nielsen, Director of Nordiska museet.

The Curator of Sweden’s Public Art Agency, Peter Hagdahl, echoes these sentiments: “In ‘Two Directions’, Outi Pieski combines her experience and knowledge of the Sami culture in a deeply idiosyncratic and poetic way”.

The new entrance is located on the museum’s ground floor and is an important part of the museum’s long-term work to improve the museum’s accessibility. By creating a new way into the museum, areas that were previously closed are now open for new learning experiences. The extension of the building was designed by the architect Lone-Pia Bach. As you make your way further through the entrance, you can see the newly-acquired film ‘Birds in the Earth’ by the Finnish artist Marja Helander.

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

Two Directions increases the visibility of Nordic and Sami culture (10.2)

 

The new entrance is an important part of Nordiska museet’s accessibility work (11.3)

The summer of 2020 is going to be different, at Djurgården as everywhere else. In an ordinary summer, thousands of visitors come to experience music at Djurgården. But this year it’s not quite the same, as most concerts have been cancelled due to current regulations. Other events have been adapted to the current situation and are still taking place – just in new, creative ways. It’s worth checking with the event organiser for the latest information.

Even so, our calendar is filled with information on events, ongoing exhibitions and guided tours. In addition, there are tips on virtual guided tours and museum experiences for those unable to visit Djurgården. You can use the calendar category filter to find events that you might be interested in.

CALENDAR

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Royal Djurgården is an important part of the Royal National City Park, which, on 19th May 2020, celebrates its 25th anniversary. 

As part of the celebrations, we wanted to tell you a bit more about the Park. Here are 9 fun facts that you might not know about the Royal National City Park!

1. The Royal National Park is the world’s first National City Park.

2. There are over 800 types of flowering plants, 1200 species of beetle and 100 bird species in the Park.

3. You may stumble across paving stones which, based on their appearance and location, are deemed to be from 550 BC.

4. Southern Djurgården used to be called ‘Valmundsö’, and the king exchanged it with the Archbishop of Uppsala. Anyone who wanted to lease Valmundsö could do so for a payment of 15 pounds or 60 barrels of barley.

5. The Prince Eugen oak, which you can find at Waldemarsudde, has a perimeter of 842cm and is estimated to be 500-800 years old, making it the largest and oldest oak in the Royal National City Park.

6. ¾ of all of Uppland’s plants and animals can be found in the Park.

7. Traces of royalty include Karl XI’s fishing cabin at Djurgården, and the palaces at Rosendal, Ulriksdal and Haga.

8. The Royal National City Park is Stockholm’s and Sweden’s most visited greenspace.

9. The park is always open for you to come and visit: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round!

In these troubling times we like to think of Royal Djurgården as a place of relaxation and tranquility — somewhere that you might like to escape to when you need some space, peace and quiet. We believe this is still the case — perhaps even more so than usual — at this time.

You can still visit the majority of our restaurants, and many of them offer outdoor seating and/or takeaway options. So you can enjoy some delicious food and drink in and amongst nature, or if you prefer, in the comfort of your own home. Why not also take a walk along the waterfront or through a park, or pay a visit to some of our monuments?

Some of the attractions here at Royal Djurgården have remained open, and many more are starting to open up again. We recommend checking the individual websites of our attractions for information regarding specific events and opening hours.

And did you know that you can still visit Djurgården from home? Here you can join in with some fun activities and experience lots of our museums from your own living room.

Protecting our visitors is of course our main priority; we are continuously following all updates surrounding the Corona (COVID-19) outbreak, as well as guidelines and decisions from the authorities and Swedish government. Keep an eye on our website and social media channels, where we will keep you up to date with what’s going on.

Keep taking care of yourselves and one another!

In the midst of the Coronavirus crisis, Tekniska museet is unveiling its new exhibition. It poses a highly relevant question: Who is the human of the future? Following the success of the Robots exhibition, which showcased human-like robots, this amazing self-produced exhibition focuses on the technology in humans. With the help of art, ethical reasoning, the latest technology and the extensive knowledge gathered at Tekniska Museet, you can now be part of an exhibition that we hope everyone can connect with — even  in the current circumstances. It is certainly a time to reflect on where we are going and what the future human is going to be like.

What happens when technology makes it possible for us to design our children using genome editing? Where is the distinction between man and machine when we are able to enhance and replace body parts? Who is in control when we allow artificial intelligence to make decisions in crucial life choices? This is your chance to explore these questions and more.

With an immersive experience that arouses curiosity, poses questions and fascinates, the Hyper Human exhibition illustrates some of the challenges that we face as a result of technological developments. But above all it inspires a sense of hope and engagement in questions concerning how technology can make it possible for a greater number of people to have a greater quality of life.

“The ever accelerating process of technology requires us to stop and have the opportunity to reflect and understand” says Magdalena Tafvelin Heldner, who is the Project Manager at Tekniska museet. “We all need to be involved in deciding what we want our future to look like. It is not just about what is technically possible, but also what is ethical,  based on, for example, equality, sustainability and justice.”

In addition to the exhibition, Tekniska museet also houses one of Sweden’s leading designers, Monica Förster, and her design studio. Together with the innovation agency BAS ITG, she has let artificial intelligence influence the design — a meeting between man and machine that produces both surprising and interesting results.

Hyper Human combines a historical perspective with an analysis of the present and thoughts on the future. It features a musculature model from the 1700s, prosthetic eyes from the 1800s, intelligent supercomputers from the 1980s, and visions of the future drawn from both popular culture and science.

During your time in the exhibition, you as the visitor will be challenged by a range of different ethical questions, where there are consequences to every response.

Read about how Tekniska Museet is handling COVID-19 here.

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

The exhibition encourages visitors to reflect on ethical issues like equality and sustainability in relation to technological developments (10.3)

Swedes might say they love winter, but when the days start getting longer and lighter, it’s a sure sign that our beloved summer is on its way.  

Spring is a time, therefore, when we start to feel positive and inspired. Royal Djurgården is a green oasis, so for Stockholmers and visitors alike, it is the place to experience the beautiful greenery and flowers that blossom as spring begins. It is also home to lots of exciting art exhibitions, many of which are hosted in museums and galleries that are surrounded by nature. This means that you can experience beautiful art, both inside and outside!

Here is a selection of exhibitions that are ongoing throughout the spring, here on Royal Djurgården: 

Angus Fairhurst Absolut Art Collection

The Museum of Spirits
23rd October 2019-13th April 2020

Angus Fairhurst (1966-2008) belonged to an influential generation that became the phenomenon known as the Young British Artists, or YBAs. As a group, they fought against the market-driven attitude of the 1990s. Fairhurst was a central figure, expressing himself with brilliant, absurd, somewhat melancholy humour. His work has been described as a labyrinth of references to Western art history, but it is equally an exploration of the dubious ideals of advertising and luxury consumerism. Spritmuseum’s own Absolut Art Collection includes Absolut Fairhurst from 1994.

Find out more about the exhibition here

The Experimental Self: Edvard Munch’s Photography

The Thiel Gallery
8th February-31st May 2020 

Edvard Munch (1863-1944) was one of the first artists to take “selfies.” He pursued photography as an experimental medium and himself as an experimental subject. He explored the dynamics of layered imagery; unexpected areas of blank, disunified, or undefined form; and shadows that replace living bodies. The exhibition gives you an insight into this lesser-known side of the artist. 

Find out more about the exhibition here

Silent Beauty – Nordic and East Asian Interaction

Prince Eugen’s Waldemarsudde
15th February-31st May 2020 

Silent Beauty – Nordic and East Asian Interaction is a fusion of Nordic and East Asian aesthetics from the 1900s, with a special focus on the years following the Second World War. The exhibition features paintings, graphics, ceramics and textiles by Japanese, Swedish and Finnish artists. Geometric shapes, refined colours and fabrics and textures are recurrent characteristics amongst the works on display.⁠ 

Find out more about the exhibition here

Lena Cronqvist

Prince Eugen’s Waldemarsudde
7th March-27th September 2020 

With a career spanning nearly 60 years, Lena Cronqvist has established herself as one of Sweden’s most prominent artists. Her imagery embraces existential themes, such as love, childhood, motherhood, loneliness and death, and she often uses herself as a model. Cronqvist’s artistic practice is profoundly personal, yet equally inclusive and universal. This thematic exhibition includes several recent paintings that are being exhibited publicly for the first time. 

Find out more about the exhibition here

Market Art Fair 2020

Liljevalchs
24th April-26th April 2020

Market Art Fair is the leading contemporary art fair in the Nordic region, initiated in 2006 by galleries representing the Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. During the fair, selected galleries showcase an exclusive selection of the most interesting art on the Nordic scene, focusing on solo projects as well as carefully curated presentations.

Find out more about the exhibition here

The Arctic – While the Ice is Melting, Nordiska museet‘s own exhibition, opened in October last year. And now the highly acclaimed exhibition has been nominated for Exhibition of the Year 2019!

Nordiska museet is up against two other finalists: the Skate exhibition at The Regional Museum of Kristianstad and the Hjärnrummet exhibition at the Vattenhallen Science Center at Lund University. Those of us who have visited The Arctic – While the Ice is Melting are keeping our fingers crossed that the winner will be from Royal Djurgården.

The winner will be announced at the Swedish Museums Association’s Spring Meeting in Visby in April. Make sure to keep an eye out on our website and social media channels to see if Nordiska museet takes the crown.

And if you haven’t had a chance to visit the exhibition yet, well then what are you waiting for?

The exhibition highlights how climate change is affecting the Arctic, nature, humans and animals. Visitors are given the opportunity to make a climate promise (13.3)

Djurgården is an important part of the world’s first National City Park: The Royal National City Park. The area is a truly unique historical landscape, interwoven with parks, beautiful buildings, woods and forests, open land and beaches. And now it is the Royal National City Park’s 25^th anniversary.

In the 1990s, the park became under threat from overexploitation. A combination of local authorities, non-profit organisations and the Swedish Parliament decided, therefore, that an area with such natural, cultural and recreational value needed to be protected. And in 1995, the Royal National City Park was born.

Today, the Royal National City Park is Sweden’s most visited greenspace, and it is home to a very rich plant and animal life – about three quarters of Uppland’s plants and animals are found there. The Royal National City Park is also home to the highest collection of large oak trees in northern Europe. Here on southern Djurgården you will find, among others, the Prince Eugen oak, which is considered the largest living oak tree in Stockholm.

The park provides clean air and dampens noise, and is a place where locals can come to relax and recuperate. The Royal National City Park also has significant cultural value, with beautiful houses, buildings, interesting museums, amusement parks, theatre and entertainment venues and palaces. One of these palaces can be found here on southern Djurgården: the Rosendal Palace.

This year we are excited and honoured to be congratulating the Royal National City Park and everyone who is a part of it on its 25th birthday.

There are many activities taking place as part of the celebrations, including guided tours, lectures, a photo exhibition at Nybroviken, and various activities throughout the park. You can find out about the events taking place on southern Djurgården in the calendar on our website, under the ’Royal National City Park 25 year anniversary’ category. Further information can be found at nationalstadsparken.se.

We hope you will come and explore our amazing park soon!

Congratulations to Oaxen Krog & Slip who have not only retained their two Michelin stars, but were also awarded a special prize at the Michelin Guide ceremony in Trondheim, Norway.

Sustainability is becoming a big part of our lives, especially here in the Nordic countries where many people recognise sustainability as a way of life. Nordic chefs are also leading the way when it comes to focusing on locally-produced ingredients, setting the standard for the rest of the world to follow. In addition to the Michelin Stars that were awarded at the ceremony, a new symbol was launched: a green clover, given to restaurants that promote ‘sustainable gastronomy’.

We are happy and proud, but not surprised, that Oaxen Krog & Slip at Royal Djurgården has been awarded one of the first sustainability awards. Magnus Ek, who runs Oaxen Krog & Slip, has been involved in sustainability for many years. Together with his restaurant colleagues, they have addressed all aspects of sustainability; everything from animal welfare and farming and agricultural methods to working conditions and employee well-being.

It’s not surprising, therefore, that Oaxen Krog & Slip took home this prestigious award. Congratulations again and keep up the amazing work!

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

Oaxen received an award for its sustainable food production (12.2,3,5)

 

Oaxen’s way of working ensures a safe and secure working environment and contributes to a prosperous and sustainable hospitality industry (8.8,9)

Here at Royal Djurgården there are lots of exciting activities happening during February half term, such as family shows, art workshops, experiment shows and even an ice-skating disco! To help you plan your visit to Djurgården, we’ve put together lots of ideas for fun half-term activities for the whole family.

Junibacken is already a firm favourite amongst children (so much so that it was actually voted the best museum for children by Stockholmers in a recent survey). The attraction brings stories to life – including Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking – and right now children can also become detectives themselves and explore the world of private detective Ture Sventon!

Children can also pretend to be Vikings at The Viking Museum, immerse themselves in the world of pirates at the Maritime Museum or see what it’s like to be a forensic science technician at the Police Museum.

This week at The Museum of Ethnography it’s a Carnival theme! Children can make carnival hats, masks, jewellery and decorations using colourful materials. The family trail at the Vasa Museum is something for the whole family, and at Tekniska Museet you can participate in VR games, film workshops, experiment shows and much more.

There’s also the chance to try out winter sports and go to an ice-skating disco – amongst other activities – at Skansen. Why not visit SportLab at the National Sports Museum, where you can experience how different movements feel, or participate in this year’s “Hasalopp” at Nordiska Museet?

As you can see, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to half term activities at Djurgården!

There’s lots going on at Djurgården right now, and on 8th May Nordiska museet is opening a new exhibition for children called Tidsvalvet (‘Time Vault’). Tidsvalvet is an imaginative and interactive space that tells the history of childhood in Sweden over the last 150 years. It gives young ones the chance to go back in time and see how children lived, dressed, ate, played, work and went to school in the past.

Tidsvalvet is aimed at children aged 8-12 and is a continuation of the museum’s popular Lekstugan (‘playhouse’), which is for younger children. You can travel back in time to 1880, 1940 and 1980 and reflect on the important events that took place. The stories are inspired by real life stories taken from Nordiska museet‘s archives. Visitors can step into a replica of a fully-furnished children’s bedroom from the 1980s, hear the story of Thea, Into and Grethe who grew up during World War II, or visit the library and hear ghost stories from the museum’s archives adapted by Martin Widmark.

“We are proud to be able to offer such an ambitious and elaborate exhibition for 8-12 year olds. We want to arouse curiosity and raise awareness among children about how things used to be, but also show them that their own story can be remembered in the future”, says Elna Nord, Project Manager at Nordiska museet.

A visit to the exhibition starts in the office of Nordiska museet’s founder, Artur Hazelius. This is where you meet Fabella, a contemporary collector who travels through time and collects children’s forgotten stories. She describes Nordiska museet as a house full of memories, which we must preserve for the future. Children are then given the role of collector as they make their way through the exhibition. They are tasked with filling the gaps in the children’s stories, as well as reflecting on how living conditions for children have changed over time. At the end of the visit, they can share their thoughts on what it’s like to be a child today. Their contribution is then saved in the museum’s archive by a memory machine.

The time vault is located in one of the museum’s most beautiful rooms, which is now being opened to the public. There are over 200 cultural artifacts from the museum’s collections on display. Tidsvalvet has been put together by Nordiska museet and designed by Sara Wiklund, who was also the Production Designer for SVT’s Advent Calendar Selmas Saga and the TV series Ture Sventon.

“We chose to work with Sara as she is a master at creating mood and atmosphere in her productions”, says David Berner, who produced the exhibition.

We think the exhibition sounds fantastic, and we look forward to the 8th May rolling around so that we can pay a visit!

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

The time vault gives a voice to the children of both the past and present (10.2)

With just one week left to Christmas Eve we would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas from all of us at Djurgården and also let you know that we are open on Christmas Eve at many of our places here on the island.

You can for example visit Nordiska museet for free on Christmas Eve and see their exhibitions (normal entrance fee to Arctic – while the ice is melting). Skansen is also open on Christmas Eve with normal entrance fee and invites you to a free early service in the church on Christmas Day at 07:00AM and after that the entrance fee is reduced for the rest of the day. Tekniska and ABBA The Museum are also open this day and invites you to a lot of fun.

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and visit us at Djurgården if not just to enjoy and take in the Christmas spirit, but also to step by all our lovely places that would love to be a part of your Christmas celebration.

If you don’t know what to do this weekend you can visit one of the best Christmas markets in the world, at Skansen! CNN Travel has listed the 17 best Christmas markets in the world and of course the long tradition of Christmas market at Skansen earned a spot.

This tradition has been alive ever since 1903 and is extra special because of the location of the market, inside the zoo. In that way you can, while you find unique and handcrafted Christmas gifts, also look for Rudolph among the animals that enjoy the winter season just as much as us.

Read the article and which the other places of the world are, here!

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.