Welcome to Mariefred
Lyssna
Mariefred – the idyll that offers more
A town that’s alive with things to experience all year round. Gripsholm Castle, steamboats and steam trains, and the charming town centre attract visitors from all over the world. Gripsholm is also famous for its many events. Here you can sample dishes from all corners of the world at the Nordic Food Truck Championships, buy local ingredients from the Farmers’ Market, and enjoy music on every street corner during the Swedish street musicians’ championships.
Mariefred’s small-town idyll exudes a tangible sense of history, which you can experience on a stroll through its narrow alleys of charming 18th-and 19th-century houses.
There are two main reasons why the town of Mariefred grew up here: Gripsholm Castle and Mariefred Charterhouse, also known as Pax Mariae Monastery. No traces remain of the monastery above ground, making the castle all the more dominant in the surroundings.
A warm welcome to Mariefred!
Gripsholm Castle
Wander through the many beautiful rooms at your own pace or join a guided tour. The most interesting things to see in the castle include Duke Karl’s chamber, Gustav III’s theatre and the Swedish state portrait collection.
Gripsholm Castle web-site
Narrow Gauge Railway
Travel on a train pulled by a genuine steam locomotive on the narrowest track ever used for public train services. Between May and September, the trains run from Mariefred to Läggesta and Taxinge Näsby.
S/S Mariefred
S/S Mariefred, ‘Maja’, is a living part of Sweden’s cultural heritage. It was built in 1903 to operate between Stockholm and Mariefred. At weekends and on Wednesdays in summer, she also goes to Taxinge, which has a castle that is well known for its cakes.
S/S Mariefred web-site
Castles & Steam
From the jetty you can board the steamboat Mariefred, which will take you on the ‘Cake tour’ to the famous cake table at Taxinge Castle, which always offers at least 60 different kinds of cakes. There is time to take a dip from the shallow beach before returning on the steam train on the narrow-gauge railway.
Narrow Gauge Railway web-site
POM Gallery
A gallery that works mainly with artists who are recent graduates of Sweden’s major art colleges and schools. Some important names of the future may be found among the artists.
POM Gallery web-site
Town Centre
The well-preserved town centre features many small shops, restaurants and cafés. The proximity to Lake Mälaren with a guest harbour and steamboat jetty contributes to the wonderful bustling atmosphere during the warmer months of the year.
Callanderska gården, Homestead Museum
A dyer’s house in Mariefred dating from the 1780s with a beautiful garden. A rural life museum in the town that shows a middle-class home from the turn of the last century.
Callanderska gården web-site
Mariefred Church
The church was completed in 1701 and is a typical building from Sweden’s period as a great power. Some call it the ‘Queen’s church’ as Queen Christina, widow of Charles IX, and Hedvig Eleonora, widow of Charles X, both contributed funds to the building of a church on the hill by Lake Mälaren.
Mariefred Church web-site
Kärnbo ruined church
The church was built at the end of the 12th century but abandoned when the new church was completed in 1624. It was preserved in the 1920s.
Gripsholms hjorthage (deer park)
The deer park is a nature reserve adjacent to Gripsholm Castle with a great biological diversity of trees and many deer.
Gripsholm Castle web-site