All about Sofiero castle in Helsingborg Sweden with Swede on tour

Sofiero is a castle with a 15-acre park garden in Helsingborg municipality, about five kilometers north of central Helsingborg. In connection with the castle is also a gourmet restaurant. The park surrounding the castle is a thriving oasis, with exhibits, activities and events. The park is about 10 000 rhododendron bushes of 300 different species and as many hybrids. Sofiero has northern Europe's largest collection of rhododendrons. The park was named Europe's most beautiful 2010th

History
Oscar (II) and Sofia (1864-1905)
In the summer of 1864 spent the Crown Prince Oscar (II), Crown Princess Sophia and the children in Kulla Gunnar Torps castle, which was then owned by Baltzar von Platen, at the Sound, not far from the present Sofiero. Both the princess and the eldest son, Prince Gustaf (V), was sickly and needed fresh air. Crown Prince Couple was fond of the place where Sofiero now, priest Skrabelycke homestead, with its views of Denmark and the wooded ravine down to the Sound. In September 1864 they bought Skrabelycke, named Sophie-Rose. In April 1865 raised the rafters at the summer villa of six towers that Crown Prince ordered the construction of Sophie-Rose. In July 1866 the family moved there from Stockholm. Crown Prince family lived a carefree life on Sofiero - Crown Princess Sofia took rides on his horse, Ada, and the four princes grew strong during my stays in the country that was much freer than court life in Stockholm.

Oscar II became king in 1872 after his brother Karl XV's death. Oscar and Sofia continued to reside at Sofiero the summer, but now that they were not only Duke and Duchess of Östergötland, but also Sweden's royal couple, and the four princes also grew ever larger, it also led to a larger Household, and a summer house on Sofiero became too small. In June 1874 began the rebuilding of the castle, which was completed 1876th Sofiero now had two stories, instead of one as before, and a total of 35 rooms, exclusive economic areas. In the years that followed Sofiero visited often by the Scanian aristocracy, but also of foreign royalty. Tsar Alexander visited the castle 1893rd When King Edward VII of Britain visited in 1901 it was under more than a casual way - the first British state visit to Sweden took place only after the dissolution of the union.

In the 1890s became the royal couple's visit to Sofiero rarer. The queen was prescribed dry forest air instead of the Sound salty winds, and the king preferred to travel with the royal ship Drott, and was seen as a frequent guest, not least in Marstrand in Bohuslän. The last time Oscar and Sophia spent time together at Sofiero was associated with the Helsingborg exhibition 1903rd

Gustaf (VI) Adolf, Margaret, and Louise (1905-1973) When Oscar and Sofia's grandson, Prince Gustaf (VI) Adolf married Margaret of Connaught in 1905 received the young couple Sofiero a wedding gift by the king and queen. They arrived in Sofiero July 22, 1905. During Princess Margaret underwent Sofiero a change from the oscarianska future heavy dark interior ideals to a more modern, lighter style. When Oscar II died in 1907 and Gustav V ascended the throne, became Gustavus Adolphus and Margaret Swedish crown prin-saving, but in spite of a more official status and more responsibilities, they stopped staying up Sofiero.

When Gustaf Adolf and Margareta took Sofiero 1905 the garden was outdated and the care of the neglected. Only a small part of the castle grounds were landscaped garden, mainly the large lawn east of the castle. Here grew trees as chestnut, copper beech, acacia trees and the Emperor. Otherwise, there was a fruit and vegetable garden, and on the terrace at the seaside for the late 1800's typical wallpaper groups. The ravine down to the sea was untouched nature and was considered by contemporaries as bleak. Crown Princess Margareta came from a gardening enthusiast family, and inspired by the English Arts and Crafts movement's ideals garden she created Sofieros new garden. Along the so-called flower street was built in 1910 big discounts, with a width of five meters. They were planted with plenty of flowers, but only one variety of each discount. To protect against the wind plots were constructed a trellis covered with hops, honeysuckle, clematis, and wire loop. Margaret gave the innovative for its time, the books Our garden at Sofiero (1915, reissue 1995) and from the flower farm (1917), with many photographs taken of herself and court photographer Alfred B. Nilsson, several of them in color back in the 1910s. Through the books on Sofiero, but also flower street on Baltic Exhibition in Malmo in 1914, featured Margaret the modern English garden in Sweden.

Margaret died in 1920, and Gustaf Adolf remarried Louise Mountbatten 1923rd Even the crown prince had a keen interest in landscape gardening, and in the 1930s he began collecting rhododendrons. The collection arrived in time to include nearly five hundred different varieties. Rhododendron collection was widely reported, from seed to full-sized plant. Until Gustaf VI Adolf's death in 1973 there was a nursery in Sofiero, and co-operation was conducted, including Gothenburg Botanical Garden and Kew Gardens in London. In addition to the rhododendrons were planned almost two thousand geraniums and over three hundred marguerites at Sofiero each year. As early as the Oscar II's reign was planted fruit trees at Sofiero, and Gustaf VI Adolf was harvested at the most twenty-six tonnes of fruit annually. Most were sold, but still in the 1960s became much fruit for jam and juice in the castle kitchen, and then transported to Stockholm by train in the fall. For Sofiero were also eighty acres of cultivated land, much of which was sold to the city of Helsingborg 1964th when Gustaf VI Adolf became king in 1950 and when Gustaf V died.

Some examples of foreign statesmen who visited Sofiero is Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1957, former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1962 and U.S. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson 1963rd

Sofiero in Helsingborg (1973 -) Sofiero from east
In his will, dated 7 December 1959, gave Gustaf VI Adolf property Sofiero to the city of Helsingborg, on the condition that the city agreed to "forever [...] maintaining the park and garden plants in mainly present form and condition, and maintain the facilities available for the public to such an extent and on such conditions as to be considered reasonable. " The park at Sofiero thus were not distorted, but the buildings were altered or even demolished. The castle was in fact in poor condition and required extensive renovations. The king died September 15, 1973 at Helsingborg hospital, and the castle was submitted to the city of Helsingborg, but to accept the gift was not obvious. One argument was that it would cost expensive tax dollars, while the Republicans for ideological and principled reasons did not want to receive the king's gift. The City Council wanted to be different, and decided to accept the gift of the king's condition. In May 1974 opened the park to the public. The castle was cafeteria and a small art gallery. The entrance was at the time, two crowns, a crown for retirees. In the summer of 1974 visited the park of almost 150 000 people.

1978 was the first exhibition at Sofiero when Helsingborg Museum attended to the Royal Collections Chamber exhibition "Swedish people's gifts to the royal couple's wedding and prinsessdop" was shown at the castle. At the same time borrowed art collector Sture Andersson, Borstahusgreven called, the works of, among others, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali and Henri Matisse. The following year, 1979, was the first concert, when the soprano Birgit Nilsson attracted 5000 people in the audience. In the same year was art of the Crown Princess Margareta and Prince Eugen at Sofiero.

1979 it was decided to Sofiero not be used for commercial purposes. In recognition of Helsingborg's city management of Sofiero gave the Crown Princess Margareta's children 1992, a medallion with his mother's portrait, produced by Carl Milles.

On 31 March 2010 it was announced that Sofiero Palace and Gardens with its English park named Europe's most beautiful park in 2010. The announcement took place at Sofiero. It is a jury of experts from six countries that have chosen the park.

The link takes you directly to Sofiero site where you can read about what activities are concerned there right now.