Gripsholm and Mariefred – The Vasa Castle on Lake Mälaren near Stockholm

A steamboat from 1903, a brick castle with four round towers and a wooden town that has barely changed since the 1700s. Gripsholm and Mariefred are the classic summer excursion from Stockholm – and one of the most beautiful.

Mariefred is situated on Lake Mälaren about 65 kilometres west of Stockholm, and the best way to get there is the oldest: by steamboat. S/S Mariefred has operated the route from Stockholm since 1903, nowadays during the summer, and as the boat rounds the headland, Gripsholm Castle comes into view by the water's edge – red brick, four round towers and copper roofs. Behind the castle lies a small town of wooden houses and plank fences that has retained its street layout from the 18th century. Together they form one of Sweden's most complete historical environments, and a day here is a day in the Sweden of the Vasa era.

From the Lord High Steward's castle to the Vasa castle

The story begins with the Lord High Steward Bo Jonsson Grip, who between 1377 and 1380 bought farms in Kärnbo parish and built a castle on an islet in Lake Gripsholmsfjärden. The name Gripsholm was used for the first time in 1381 and refers to the griffin's head in his family coat of arms. In 1383, he invited King Albert of Mecklenburg here, who at Gripsholm had to promise always to follow the realm's council in future. After Bo Jonsson's death, his heirs sold the castle to Queen Margaret. During the Engelbrekt rebellion in 1434, it was surrounded by a peasant army, and the castle steward set fire to the castle and fled to Stockholm with its valuables. In 1472, Sten Sture the Elder acquired it through an exchange. In 1493, he donated it to the Carthusian Order, who built a monastery nearby: Pax Mariae, Mary's peace – hence the name Mariefred.

The monastery was short-lived. In 1526 it became the first monastery to be dissolved by Gustav Vasa, and in 1537 the king began building a new brick castle on the islet. It was to be a defensive fortress against both foreign and domestic threats, and in 1539 twenty master masons were working on the construction. The core, with its four towers and enclosed castle courtyard, was largely complete by 1545. Only a few remnants of the medieval castle remain, including two granite-stone façades at Kronoköket.

The four towers are known today as Griptornet, Vasatornet, Fängelsetornet and Teatertornet. They were originally equipped with cannons, and in Griptornet each floor has a vertical passage for hoisting up provisions and cannonballs. Later regents left their mark on the castle: Hedvig Eleonora, who held Gripsholm as part of her dower estate 1654–1715, had the Queen's Wing (Drottningflygeln) built in 1691 and replaced the tiled roof with copper in 1708. In the 1770s, most rooms were fitted with tiled stoves, and in 1780 the Cavalier's Wing (Kavaljersflygeln) was erected by the outer courtyard.

A castle full of prisoners and parties

Gripsholm has a dark side. Johan III and his wife Katarina Jagellonica were imprisoned here 1563–1567, and their first children, Isabella and Sigismund, were born at the castle. In 1571, Johan reversed the roles and had his brother Erik XIV and his family imprisoned here. Even the deposed Gustav IV Adolf spent most of his last year in Sweden, 1809, in captivity at Gripsholm.

The brighter side arrived with Gustav III, who between 1773 and 1785 periodically spent long stretches of time here with large parts of the court, mainly in autumn and often over Christmas. The court's presence also brought the town a period of prosperity: the king established a large distillery by the castle which employed around 280 people. His foremost legacy, however, is perhaps the castle's most enchanting room.

Gustav III's Theatre

At the top of the Theatre Tower, the castle's largest tower, Gustav III had a theatre built in 1781–1782 for his French theatre troupe. The architect Erik Palmstedt converted the tower rotunda into an auditorium and raised the Queen's Wing by three half-storeys for the stage and boxes. The first performance was given in May 1782. The theatre is well preserved, with original stage machinery and decorations, and on either side of the proscenium stand Johan Tobias Sergel's plaster statues of the muses Thalia and Melpomene. Further down the tower lies the round salon, which Jean Eric Rehn decorated in 1779.

The portrait collection and the lion Leo

Gripsholm houses the National Portrait Gallery, founded in 1820, with over 5,000 works showing the development of portrait art from the 16th century to the present day. Since the 1860s, the Nationalmuseum has been responsible for the collection. And then there's Leo – a stuffed lion that has entertained visitors since the 1700s. Since 2025, Gripsholm Castle, with the portrait collection, has been part of Sweden's cultural canon.

The restoration that divided Sweden

The castle one sees today is partly an 1890s interpretation. Between 1892 and 1899, the architect Fredrik Lilljekvist led an extensive restoration with the aim of giving the castle its exterior character from the end of the 1500s. The moat was dug out again, a new drawbridge was built, and an oriel was placed over the staircase to the main entrance. Criticism was harsh. Verner von Heidenstam wrote in 1894 that "a restored Pompeii would be a devastated Pompeii" and preferred a ruin to a "stylised" copy.

North of the castle, on Rännarbanan, stand runestones that tell of the famous Ingvar expedition, and further on lies Gripsholm's royal farmstead and deer park.

Mariefred – the wooden town by the water

Mariefred was granted town privileges in 1605. After the fire of 1682, the buildings have largely been spared from demolition, and the old town centre still essentially follows the same layout as on a map from 1759. The entrance to the town passes through the old toll gate, and the high street leads straight down towards the water. The waiting pavilion from 1888 stands by the steamboat jetty.

Tourism has a long history here. As early as 1821, the steamship Yngve Frey arrived in the town with 200 passengers, and that same year the steam schooner Stockholm brought tourists to Gripsholm. In 1873, regular steamboat traffic was established with timetables for each season, and in 1903 S/S Mariefred began its service. Close to the castle lie the ruins of Kärnbo church, and by Mariefred church there are excavated remains of the old monastery as well as a memorial stone to Sten Sture the Elder, erected in 1905.

Here you'll also find Gripsholms Värdshus, dating back to 1609 and, according to Wikipedia, Sweden's oldest inn, with views over Lake Mälaren and the castle.

How to plan your day

In summer, you take S/S Mariefred from Stockholm and arrive after a long, beautiful boat trip through Lake Mälaren. One alternative is to take the train to Läggesta and then the heritage railway Östra Södermanlands Järnväg, which runs on a narrow gauge to Mariefred. On the first Saturday in June, Ångans dag (Steam Day) is celebrated with steamboats, vintage cars and extra services with steam locomotives. Always check the current timetables and the castle's opening hours before your trip.

Plan the rest of your Stockholm visit with Metro Mode's Stockholm map, read our guide for first time in Stockholm and explore the districts in VERA PI's Stockholm guide. At the castle: point your phone at the façade with Metro Mode Camera.

Gripsholm and Mariefred in brief