Solliden Palace

Solliden Palace is the Royal Family's summer residence on Öland and King Carl XVI Gustaf's private property. The palace is located near Borgholm Castle ruins along the Baltic Sea coast and is one of Öland's largest tourist attractions.

The palace was built 1903-1906 as a summer residence for the then Crown Princess Victoria, who suffered from poor health and found relief in Öland's dry climate. The famous architect Torben Grut, who also designed Stockholm Stadium for the 1912 Olympics, designed the palace with inspiration from Axel Munthe's Villa San Michele on Capri.

When Queen Victoria died in 1930, she bequeathed Solliden to her husband Gustaf V. Using Mainau Castle on Lake Constance as a model, Gustaf V opened the park to the public. The gardens include a geometric Italian garden, an English landscape park and a Dutch garden laid out by Dutch gardeners in 1926.

The Royal Family spends every summer at Solliden, and the highlight is Victoria Day on July 14 when the Crown Princess celebrates her birthday. The Crown Princess Couple also has a private summer house, Villa Skönvik, on the palace grounds.