Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
▲▲Royal Armory (Livrustkammaren)
—The oldest museum in Sweden
is more than an armory and less than an armory. It displays impressive ce-
remonial royal armor (never used in battle), but there's a lot more to see.
Everything is beautifully lit and displayed, and well-described in English and
by the museum's evocative audioguide.
Cost and Hours:
80 kr; May-June daily 11:00-17:00; July-Aug daily
10:00-18:00; Sept-April Tue-Sun 11:00-17:00, Thu until 20:00, closed Mon;
20-kr audioguide is excellent—romantic couples can share it if they crank
up the volume, information sheets in English available in most rooms; en-
trance at bottom of Slottsbacken at base of palace, tel. 08/5195-5546,
Visiting the Museum:
The first room is almost a shrine for Swedish vis-
itors. It contains the clothes Gustavus Adolphus wore, and even the horse he
was riding, when he was killed in the Thirty Years' War. The exquisite work-
manship on the
ceremonial armor
in this room is a fine example of weaponry
as an art form. The next room shows royal suits and gowns through the ages.
The 1766 wedding dress of Queen Sofia is designed to cleverly show off
its fabulously rich fabric (the dress seems even wider when compared to her
20-inch corseted waist). There are some modern royal dresses here as well.
The royal children get a section for themselves, featuring a cradle that has
rocked heirs to the throne since the 1650s; eventually it will leave the armory
to rock the next royal offspring as well. It's fun to imagine little princes romp-
ing around their 600-room home with these toys. A century ago, one prince
treasured his boxcar and loved playing cowboys and Indians.
