Located outside Stockholm on the Island of Lovön, the Versailles of Sweden, Drottningholm Palace was my first Swedish and Scandinavian World Heritage Site I visited in the year 2001, it was a fondly memory that I had a chance to unexpectedly greet by HM the Queen of Sweden while my mother and I joined the palace tour. Revisited in 2012 I took the same old way by using the T-Bana to Brommaplan then bus to the palace. The first view of Drottningholm by the lakeside was beautiful as always. My friend and I entered the palace, after saw many royal palaces in recent years, my views on Drottningholm changed badly. The first time I visited here I was pleased to see the interior, but for second time I hardly enjoyed or excited and even bored!

The best thing of Drottningholm was its garden behind the palace; I really liked the size of the garden as it was not too big and the distance from the palace to Chinese Pavilion was lovely for leisurely strolling. The Guard Tent was another highlight; this white-blue copper tent in the garden was full of details and quite unique to Swedish Palaces; however this tent was not the best in my opinion, the one in Haga Park in Northern Stockholm was much better. The Chinese Pavilion in the far end of the garden was quite nice but nothing looked Chinese at all! Nevertheless the curved line of its copper roof, and some furniture inside the pavilion were quite nice. The only regret for me was that I never had chance to see the interior of the Court Theatre in both trips.

Drottningholm was a fine World Heritage Site with nothing special or unique from other European Palaces. However if compared to other palaces outside Stockholm, Drottningholm was quite lovely and its many French elements were quite fascinating that how French absolutism be interpreted by Swedish monarchs. One suggestion from me would be that there are two must see palaces in Stockholm, the Royal Palace and Drottningholm Palace, better to see the Royal Palace first, and if you still need more royalty then Drottningholm should be your next.