Our history
Built by Gustav Vasa in 1549, Uppsala Castle was the seat of the national assembly, the starting point for the King’s Eriksgata and played a central role in the history of both Uppsala and Sweden for a long time.
Important events that took place at the castle include The Sture murders in 1567 and Gustav II Adolf’s decision to involve Sweden in what became the 30 Years’ War. And in the palace’s Hall of State, Schering Rosenhane read Queen Christina’s abdication on June 6, 1654.
The castle was badly damaged in a major fire in 1702, leaving it largely in ruins. Reconstruction took a long time, and it was not helped by the fact that the remains of the castle were used as a quarry for the large castle building in Stockholm.
The facades of the castle were renovated in the early 2000s, reverting to the original, lighter color of the castle in the 1740s.
The castle served for a long time as the administrative center of Uppland and is now the residence of the governors of Uppsala County. The castle is currently the residence of the governor. There are also three museums: the Uppsala Art Museum, the Peace Museum and Vasaborgen.
The South Tower was built at the end of the 16th century and is still the highest building in Uppsala. It has nine floors in addition to the basement and attic. The tower has served as a prison and water tower. Rikssalen, which previously served as a drying room for the governor’s wives, was restored in 1932 and is now Uppsala’s most glamorous party venue.
Slottsduvan at the castle
Slottsduvan has run a restaurant business in Uppsala since 1995 and since 1999 the Rikssalsstiftelsen has been responsible for the activities in the Rikssalen at Uppsala Castle.
We are the perfect partner for large events, conferences, exhibitions, fairs, concerts, etc. as we have extensive experience in organizing these. We offer menus for all occasions and are happy to help you book entertainment for your event.
Party at the castle in the present
The celebrations at Uppsala Castle have evolved over several centuries. The castle environment today is still just as grand, but the premises are equipped with modern technology suitable for today’s festivities.
When guests arrive, they leave their outerwear in the cloakroom and start mingling in the lower gallery. The King’s portrait looks down on the guests from the wall of the staircase and the fire burns atmospherically in the fireplace. The guests then move on to the Rikssalen, the palace’s magnificent banquet hall.
The kitchen serves food inspired by traditional castle meals, on silver platters of course.
The kitchen serves food inspired by traditional castle meals, on silver platters of course. Dessert arrives accompanied by music for extra atmospheric effect and after dinner coffee and avec is served before dancing to the sounds of a big band.