Sofiero Castle

Helsingborg, Sweden

Sofiero Castle was one of the Swedish royal family's country mansions. It was originally a Scanian farm called Skabelycke, bought in 1864 by Crown Prince Oscar of Sweden and his wife Sophia of Nassau. The first one-story palace was completed in 1865. It was expanded to its current size between 1874 and 1876, after crown prince Oscar had been crowned king Oscar II of Sweden and Norway.

In 1905, Oscar II's grandchild Prince Gustaf Adolf, future King Gustaf VI Adolf, and his wife, crown princess Margaret received the palace as a wedding gift. They renovated the palace and started the large Rhododendron garden for which the palace is known today. Prince Gustaf Adolf become king in 1950 and until 1973 Sofiero was his and his second wife Lady Louise Mountbatten's official summer residence. It was supposedly the King's favorite place and upon his death, which occurred in Helsingborg, he left Sofiero to the city of Helsingborg so that the general public could enjoy it as much as he had.

The main attraction today is the very large gardens with a wide range of local (and other) plant life, stretching to the shore of Oresund. The Rhododendrons are especially noteworthy, consisting of almost 500 different varieties. The park also holds a small collection of modern art. During the summer the large grass areas are sometimes used for large outdoor concerts with national as well as international stars. The castle itself is today used as restaurant, cafe and at times as a gallery.

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4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Shweta Chitkara Verma (2 years ago)
Worth a visit !!!!! Loved the castle and the whole park area around it We went in summer time and had a long queue at the ticket counter. So if you are planning to visit during peak season, I recommend to buy tickets in advance. It took approx 3 hours to cover the whole palace and mesmerising park. Loved the place and would love to visit again.
AnJa Mack (2 years ago)
Visit the castle it’s worth it. I was visiting a wedding there. It was so beautiful when the guests where leaving and you had the place later on just for yourself. Entrance staff was so helpful with where to go ans how everything works. The castle is a must see. Plane at least a whole day. Visiting everything in the garden as well.
Miguel Mendes (2 years ago)
I loved visiting this castle and its gardens. Special mention to the amount of rhododendrons that the late king Gustaf VI and his first wife Princess Margaret laid out and took care of. The inside of the castle is not so surprising, but the outside makes it a well worth visit!
Iba (2 years ago)
I could walk in the garden for hours! And with seasonal flowers and bushes, there's plenty of reasons to return. The castle tour was brief but interesting if you are interested in history. Not too expensive for the entrance ticket so I highly recommend a visit if you are nearby.
Lee Norris (ELNOR) (2 years ago)
Stopped for a couple of hours, the gardens are spectacular and worth visiting every little bit of the grounds. The house is beautiful and much like a museum of life and architecture. We had lunch in the orangery which was lovely.
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