The Royal Armory

Livrustkammaren

Address: Slottsbacken 3
Phone: 08-519 555 44, 08-10 24 88
Opening hours: www.livrustkammaren.se
Admission: www.livrustkammaren.se
Busses: 43, 55, 71, 76 to bus stop “Slottsbacken”
Subway station: Gamla Stan or Kungsträdgården and a 10 minute walk

Fearless maidens and valiant knights, this is the museum for you! Suits of armor, ancient gowns, swords and gilded royal carriages are all on exhibit here. You may even get a chance to feel the weight of a two-handed broadsword or try on a child-sized suit of armor.

At the Royal Armory, Swedish history is presented in terms of how people, especially the nobility, were once outfitted. This museum is located in the vaulted basement of the Royal Palace. I’d recommend either a guided tour (usually in Swedish only) or an audio-guide because I think it’s much more interesting to listen to the story behind the clothes, weapons and other objects as you look at them. The prerecorded audio-guides are available in both a children’s and adult version and come in several different languages including English.

Here’s a fun thing to know: Look at the top of the carriages and you can see what they were used for. If there is a golden crown on the top, the carriage was used for coronations. If there is a black crown on the top, the carriage was reserved for funerals. But my favorite is the carriage that is decorated with two of cupid’s arrows—it was used for weddings, of course!

Sometimes members of the Swedish Knight’s Club come to visit. This club was founded to awaken Swedish kids’ interest in history, and its members model historical costumes and demonstrate weapons and armor. They claim that the age of chivalry is not yet past. Find out why at the Royal Armory. (Photo: Joakim Strömholm)