Mariefred and Gripsholm Castle
A red-brick renaissance castle on Lake Mälaren, a wooden town beside it, and the slow boat that has served the route since 1903.
The short version
- The fast way is a Mälartåg train from Stockholm toward Eskilstuna to Läggesta, about 40 minutes, then a short bus or the narrow-gauge steam railway for the last 4 km into Mariefred. Castle details at kungligaslotten.se.
- The slow way is the point for many: the S/S Mariefred, a 1903 steamer with its original engine, runs from Klara Mälarstrand in summer — about three and a half hours each way, roughly 490 SEK return. Timetables at mariefred.info.
- Gripsholm Castle holds the Swedish state portrait collection — the world’s oldest national portrait gallery — and one of Europe’s best-preserved 18th-century theatres, built for Gustav III.
- The castle opens daily 10:00–16:00 in high summer, with a guided-tour program from May through September; check days before you commit in spring or autumn.
- A common round trip: boat out, train back. The steamer’s 10:00 departure lands mid-afternoon with time for the castle before the evening train from Läggesta.
Getting there
Mälartåg trains from Stockholm City station toward Eskilstuna reach Läggesta in about 40 minutes. From Läggesta a local bus covers the 4 km to Mariefred in minutes; in season, the ÖSlJ narrow-gauge railway does the same run behind a steam engine, which is the better story. The S/S Mariefred steams from Klara Mälarstrand in central Stockholm on summer sailing days, departing at 10:00 and taking about three and a half hours each way across Lake Mälaren. Drivers take the E20 to exit 139, under an hour.
The day
Gripsholm is the reason the town exists: Gustav Vasa raised the red-brick fortress in the 1530s, and four centuries of Swedish rulers left their rooms inside it. The state portrait collection lines its walls — kings, queens, and modern Swedes worth painting — and Gustav III’s court theatre survives in the round tower much as the 1780s left it. Give the castle two hours, then walk the deer park and the runestones near the gate. Mariefred itself is a low wooden town of ochre and falu-red houses with a lakeside path, a church hill, and Gripsholms Värdshus, an inn that has fed castle visitors for centuries. The German writer Kurt Tucholsky, who died in exile in Sweden in 1935, lies in the churchyard — his grave draws quiet pilgrims still.
When to go
May through September, when the castle opens daily and the steamboat and steam railway both run. July and the first days of August bring the full timetable — the steamer sails several days a week — while June runs a lighter schedule. Winter reduces Gripsholm to booked groups and weekend openings; check before going far out of season. A clear early-autumn Saturday, boat out and train back, is the trip at its best.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get to Mariefred from Stockholm without a car?
Mälartåg train toward Eskilstuna to Läggesta in about 40 minutes, then a short bus or the seasonal steam railway into town. In summer the S/S Mariefred steamboat sails direct from central Stockholm in about three and a half hours.
Is the steamboat worth three and a half hours?
One way, yes — it is a working 1903 steamer with its original engine, and Lake Mälaren from the water is the old approach to the castle. Both ways costs you the castle itself; ride it one direction and train the other.
What is inside Gripsholm Castle?
The Swedish state portrait collection — the world’s oldest national portrait gallery — plus furnished royal interiors spanning four centuries and Gustav III’s remarkably preserved 18th-century theatre.
When is the castle open?
Daily 10:00–16:00 through the summer months, with guided tours from May to September. Outside the season it drops to weekends and booked groups, so check the official site before an off-season trip.
Who is buried in Mariefred?
Kurt Tucholsky, the Weimar-era German satirist, who died in Swedish exile in 1935. His grave in the churchyard is a short walk from the castle.