Being In Stockholm: Rosendals Trädgård

Saturday was a picture perfect day of sunshine and mild summer temperatures, so we pulled out the bikes and rode to Djurgården. Originally designed as a royal hunting preserve in the 16^th century, Djurgården remains a wooded parkland as well as home to amusement parks, museums, walking trails and gardens.

Djurgården, which is about an hour’s walk from our apartment, has remained something of an undiscovered area in our Stockholm adventure. So with pedal power at our disposal and with no specific destination in mind we just headed out to explore this island woodland.

Near Gröna Lund Entrance

We pedaled past Gröna Lund, the island’s large amusement park, and savored the funnel cake-like atmosphere that accompanies any seaside amusement park, regardless of location. Think Jersey shore boardwalk gaiety, only in Swedish.

We continued on the paved roadways before turning onto gravel walking and cycling paths into the island’s interior. It was then that we discovered another Stockholm gem, Rosendals Trädgård (botanical garden).

The Orangery and Flower Beds

In the 19^th century, the Swedish royals developed the area around Rosendals Trädgård into an English-like park. In 1848, King Oscar I built an orangery, a building to grow fruit trees and exotic plants and palms. The early history of the garden, not surprisingly, includes helping farmers plant and grow orchards of fruit trees.

Picnickers enjoying the grassy orchard

Rosendals Trädgård is still a working botanical garden, but appears now to cater more to the wine sipping, cheese munching crowd than farmers clad in overalls. A large grassy area filled with benches and picnic tables shaded by apple trees provides a delightful sitting area to enjoy either a purchased or carried picnic. The gently sloped approach to the old orangery is no longer filled with laboring farmers, but a rose garden populated with giggling children and doting grandparents.

Hothouse Tomatoes

The working history of the garden, however, is seen in the preservation of several multi-purpose glass hot houses. One glass hot house was filled with a well-tended tomato crop. Another offered seed choices primarily for urbanites seeking vegetable and flower options for their small gardens or apartment balcony flower boxes. Yet another offered latte options and a table display with an array of pastries. Working comes in many forms.