Djurgården - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Djurgården (ˈjʉːɡɔɳ, ˈjʉːrˈɡoːɖɛn) or, more officially, Kungliga Djurgården (Swedish

Swedish language

Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...

: "The (Royal) Game Park") is an island in central Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

. Djurgården is home to historical buildings and monuments, museums, galleries, the amusement park Gröna Lund

Gröna Lund

Tivoli Gröna Lund or Grönan is an amusement park in Stockholm, Sweden. It is located on the seaward side of the Djurgården island and is relatively small compared to other amusement parks, mainly due to its central location, which limits expansion. Gröna Lund is a popular venue for concerts during...

, the open air museum

Open air museum

An open-air museum is a distinct type of museum exhibiting its collections out-of-doors. The first open-air museums were established in Scandinavia towards the end of the nineteenth century, and the concept soon spread throughout Europe and North America. Open-air museums are variously known as...

Skansen

Skansen is the first open air museum and zoo in Sweden and is located on the island Djurgården in Stockholm, Sweden. It was founded in 1891 by Artur Hazelius to show the way of life in the different parts of Sweden before the industrial era....

, the small residential area Djurgårdsstaden, yacht harbours, and extensive stretches of forest and meadows. It is one of the Stockholmers' favorite recreation areas and tourist destination alike, attracting over 10 million visitors per year, of which some 5 million come to visit the museums and amusement park. The island belongs to the National City park

Ekoparken

The Royal National City Park is the world's first National City Park, established in 1995 in the municipalities of Stockholm, Solna and Lidingö in Sweden.1/ km²2/ Population per km²- Pictures :Some places in "The Eco Park"....

founded in 1995. Since the 15th century the Swedish monarch has owned or held the right of disposition of Royal Djurgården. Today, this right is exercised by the Royal Djurgården Administration which is a part of the Royal Court of Sweden

Royal Court of Sweden

The Royal Court of Sweden is the official name for the organisation that supports the Monarch of Sweden, and the Royal House...

.

A larger area of the city, separated from Djurgården proper by Djurgårdsbrunnsviken

Djurgårdsbrunnsviken

Djurgårdsbrunnsviken is a bay in central Stockholm, Sweden, together with the canal Djurgårdsbrunnskanalen forming the northern shore line of the island Djurgården...

is Norra Djurgården (Northern Djurgården), including Gärdet

Gärdet

Gärdet is a part of Stockholm east and northeast of Östermalm. Its official name is Ladugårdsgärdet. It is renowned for its large number of modernist apartments...

History

Djurgården was until the 16th century known as Valmundsö (spelled
Walmunzø (1286), Walmundzø (1288), Walmanzö (1349), Wadhmundzøø (1432), Wadhmalsø (1437), Wadmalsö (1444), Walmundzön (1452), Walmasöön (1511), Walmarsöö (1516), Wallmarsön, Waldemarksön (17th c.)) and this name is still preserved in locations such as Waldemarsudde

Waldemarsudde

Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde , the scenic former home of the Swedish Prince Eugen, is a museum located on Djurgården in central Stockholm. The name is derived from a historical name of the island Djurgården, Valmundsö The painter prince discovered the place in 1892, when he rented a house there for...

. Though several proposals to explain this name have been put forward, no authoritative explanation is generally accepted. While the name of King Valdemar

Valdemar I of Sweden

Valdemar, English also Waldemar; , was King of Sweden 1250–1275.-Biography:Valdemar was the son of princess Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Sweden and Birger jarl, from the House of Bjelbo. During the first sixteen years of his reign, it was Birger Jarl who was the real ruler...

(1239 – 1302) was probably associated with the old name during the 17th century, the separate elements of the original variations of the name might be interpreted as etymologically related to either Walm-und-ö - if walm is linked to the Anglo-Saxon

Old English language

Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...

words wielm, wylm, this would mean the original name should be interpreted as "The island outside of which the waves grow large" (an interpretation with no equivalents in other Nordic geographic names) - or Wal-mund-ö - which could possibly be interpreted as walder ("embankment", "grounds") and mun ("mouth"), i.e. "the grounds next to the mouth of Lake Mälaren

Mälaren

Lake Mälaren is the third-largest lake in Sweden, after Lakes Vänern and Vättern. Its area is 1,140 km² and its greatest depth is 64 m. Mälaren spans 120 kilometers from east to west...

".

The present name, Djurgården, stems from the game park of King John III

John III of Sweden

-Family:John married his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland , house of Jagiello, in Vilnius on 4 October 1562. In Sweden, she is known as Katarina Jagellonica. She was the sister of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland...

, which he declared the intention to realize in February 1579 to keep deer

Deer

Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...

s, reindeer

Reindeer

The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...

s, and elk

Elk

The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...

s. In the 17th century a baiting

Bait (luring substance)

Bait is any substance used to attract prey, e.g. in a mousetrap.-In Australia:Baiting in Australia refers to specific campaigns to control foxes, wild dogs and dingos by poisoning in areas where they are a problem...

arena was built at the location.

In 1667, a few cottages intended for "paralysed and crippled seafarers" were built forming what was to become Djurgårdsstaden. The Swedish Navy

Swedish Navy

The Royal Swedish Navy is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet – as well as marine units, the so-called Amphibious Corps .In Swedish, vessels of the Swedish Navy are given the prefix "HMS," short for Hans/Hennes...

moved to Karlskrona

Karlskrona

Karlskrona is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 35,212 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Sweden's only remaining naval base and the headquarters of the...

during the 1680s however, and the neighbourhood was instead populated by a diverse crowd. Plans to demolish the "insignificant shacks" in front of the World Fair in 1897, and for a planned expansion of the naval shipyard in 1918, never were accomplished and the area is today protected as a historical monument.

During the late 18th century, Djurgården transformed into more of a popular recreational area than a Royal game park; in 1801, the theatre Djurgårdsteatern was opened, which was to be one of the most popular establishments there during the 19th century. King Charles XIV John

Charles XIV John of Sweden

Charles XIV & III John, also Carl John, Swedish and Norwegian: Karl Johan was King of Sweden and King of Norway from 1818 until his death...

's creation of the Rosendal Palace

Rosendal Palace

Rosendal Palace is a Swedish royal pavilion located at the Djurgården, an island in central Stockholm. It was built between 1823 and 1827 for King Karl XIV Johan, the first Bernadotte King of Sweden...

in the 1820s marked the beginning of Djurgården's development into as a stately residential area, paired with the creation of several entertainment establishment in the late 19th century, including Gröna Lund

Gröna Lund

1883, and Skansen

Skansen

1891.

The western water front of the island was a small scale shipyard

Shipyard

Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...

during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, after which the Navy erected some 30 sheds for the winter quarters of galleys in the area. The operations expanded during the 1870s when a dry dock was constructed. Plans to relocate the shipyard in the beginning of the 20th century were interrupted by WW2, which meant the activities grew considerably instead, culminating in 1945 when 1,280 people were employed. In 1969, the Navy moved to Muskö

Muskö

Muskö is a locality situated in Haninge Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 287 inhabitants in 2005....

, and in the early 1970s the area was transformed into the recreation area it is today.

Many structures on the western part of Djurgården date back to the Stockholm World's Fair of 1897

General Art and Industrial Exposition of Stockholm (1897)

The General Art and Industrial Exposition of Stockholm of 1897 also known as Stockholm Exhibition or Stockholm World's Fair was a World's Fair staged in 1897 in Stockholm, Sweden....

, including Djurgårdsbron

Djurgårdsbron

Djurgårdsbron is a bridge in central Stockholm, Sweden. Designed by Carl Fraenell and built for the Stockholm World's Fair 1897, the present bridge forms a southern extension to the boulevard Narvavägen, thus connecting mainland Östermalm to the island Djurgården...

, the main bridge to the island. One of the most prominent buildings of the exposition, a 16,820 m² exposition hall in wood, design by the architect Ferdinand Boberg

Ferdinand Boberg

Ferdinand Boberg, born 11 April 1860 in Falun, died 7 May 1946 in Stockholm, was a Swedish architect.He was one of the most productive and prominent architects of Stockholm around the turn of the 20th century. Among his most famous work is an electrical plant at Björns Trädgård in Stockholm, that...

and featuring a 100 metres tall cupola and 4 minarets, was demolished after the exposition however, together with many other pavilions built in non-permanent materials.

In what is today the southern part of the amusement park Gröna Lund

Gröna Lund

and east of it, a private shipyard was developed from 1735 by the merchant Efraim Lothsack, who also had several new residential buildings built. The activities grew during the 19th century under the managership of John Burgman and Adolf Fredholm, of which the former had the church, Djurgårdskyrkan, and the school, Djurgårdsskolan, built. The shipyard was sold to the city in 1863 and moved to Södra Hammarbyhamnen in 1979. Another shipyard for pinnace

Pinnace (ship's boat)

As a ship's boat the pinnace is a light boat, propelled by sails or oars, formerly used as a "tender" for guiding merchant and war vessels. In modern parlance, pinnace has come to mean a boat associated with some kind of larger vessel, that doesn't fit under the launch or lifeboat definitions...

s, built in the strait between Djurgården and Beckholmen

Beckholmen

Beckholmen is a small island in central Stockholm, Sweden.Having served the city's shipping industry for centuries, Beckholmen is now regarded as a historical monument of national interest, and, by its location just south of Djurgården in the vicinity of other similar localities it also...

in 1868, is still in operation.

The southern portion of the area hosted the Stockholm International Exhibition (1930)

Stockholm International Exhibition (1930)

The Stockholm Exhibition was an exhibition held in 1930 in Stockholm, Sweden, that had a great impact on the architectural styles known as Functionalism and International Style....

Sights and monuments

Besides the list below, a big portion of Djurgården consists of green areas offering footpath

Footpath

A Footpath is a thoroughfare intended for by pedestrians but not by motorized vehicles. The term is often for paths within an urban area that offer shorter quieter routes for pedestrians, they may also provide access to the surrounding countryside or parks...

s and water front promenades among present or historical upper class residences and old institutional buildings, many of which are regarded as historical monuments of national interest.

Aquaria Water Museum - A small museum displaying a salmon ladder, an artificial rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...

and Nordic environments.
Beckholmen
Beckholmen
Beckholmen is a small island in central Stockholm, Sweden.Having served the city's shipping industry for centuries, Beckholmen is now regarded as a historical monument of national interest, and, by its location just south of Djurgården in the vicinity of other similar localities it also...

- historical maritime environment including several dry dock
Dry dock
A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform...

s and historical buildings.
Biological Museum - Built in 1893, displaying stuffed animals in artificial environments representing various typical Swedish landscapes.
Cirkus
Cirkus (Stockholm)
Cirkus is an arena in Djurgården, Stockholm, that holds 1,650 people. It was built in 1892 and originally used as a circus , but is today mostly used for concerts and musical shows.-External links:*...

- Originally a circus, it today offers concerts and musical comedies.
Djurgården line
Djurgården line
Djurgårdslinjen is a heritage tramway with line number 7, running between Norrmalmstorg and Waldemarsudde in Stockholm, Sweden.-History:The line, along with almost every other tram line in Stockholm, was withdrawn in conjunction to the switch to right-hand side traffic in 1967, but was restored as...

- heritage tramway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...

operating since 1991.
Djurgårdsstaden - a neighbourhood of preserved wooden buildings from the 18th century.
Galärvarvet - Formerly a naval dockyard, today transformed into a popular park area including the Vasa Museum and Junibacken.
Gröna Lund
Gröna Lund
Tivoli Gröna Lund or Grönan is an amusement park in Stockholm, Sweden. It is located on the seaward side of the Djurgården island and is relatively small compared to other amusement parks, mainly due to its central location, which limits expansion. Gröna Lund is a popular venue for concerts during...

- A relatively small amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...

founded in 1883, besides the typical merry-go-rounds and roller coasters, it also offers concerts featuring international stars such as Miyavi
Miyavi
, better known by his stage name , is a Japanese visual kei musician. His work as guitarist for Dué le Quartz and his successful solo career have established him as an accomplished musician in the Japanese music scene.- Early life :...

, Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...

, and Damian Marley
Damian Marley
Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley is a Jamaican reggae artist who has won three Grammy awards. Damian is the youngest son of Bob Marley....

.
Isbladskärret
Isbladskärret
Isbladskärret is a small lake on Djurgården, an island in central Stockholm, Sweden. The lake is much appreciated among bird-watchers, and, being part of the National park in central Stockholm, Ekoparken, also carefully monitored by several organizations, including the World Wide Fund for Nature...

- a scenic lake popular among bird-watchers.
Junibacken
Junibacken
Junibacken is a children’s museum situated on the island of Djurgården in the centre of Stockholm, Sweden. The museum was officially opened by the Swedish Royal Family on June 8, 1996. The museum is Stockholm’s 5th most-visited tourist attraction. The museum is devoted to Swedish children’s...

- A small fairy-tale world based mostly on the novels of Astrid Lindgren
Astrid Lindgren
Astrid Anna Emilia Lindgren , 14 November 1907 – 28 January 2002) was a Swedish author and screenwriter who is the world's 25th most translated author and has sold roughly 145 million copies worldwide...
Liljevalchs konsthall
Liljevalchs konsthall
Liljevalchs konsthall is an art gallery located on the Djurgården island in Stockholm, Sweden. Designed by architect Carl Bergsten and inaugurated in March 1916, it is today owned by the City of Stockholm....

- An art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...

built in 1916, well known for its spring exposition Vårsalongen in January-March, and its café Blå Porten.
Nordic Museum
Nordic Museum
The Nordic Museum is a museum located on Djurgården, an island in central Stockholm, Sweden, dedicated to the cultural history and ethnography of Sweden from the Early Modern age until the contemporary period...

- Displaying the largest collection of social history items in Sweden, ranging from doll's houses to fire engines.
Rosendal Palace
Rosendal Palace
Rosendal Palace is a Swedish royal pavilion located at the Djurgården, an island in central Stockholm. It was built between 1823 and 1827 for King Karl XIV Johan, the first Bernadotte King of Sweden...

- Built in 1823-27 by Charles XIV John
Charles XIV John of Sweden
Charles XIV & III John, also Carl John, Swedish and Norwegian: Karl Johan was King of Sweden and King of Norway from 1818 until his death...

, renowned for its park.
Skansen
Skansen
Skansen is the first open air museum and zoo in Sweden and is located on the island Djurgården in Stockholm, Sweden. It was founded in 1891 by Artur Hazelius to show the way of life in the different parts of Sweden before the industrial era....

- World's oldest open air museum
Open air museum
An open-air museum is a distinct type of museum exhibiting its collections out-of-doors. The first open-air museums were established in Scandinavia towards the end of the nineteenth century, and the concept soon spread throughout Europe and North America. Open-air museums are variously known as...

displaying traditional Swedish architecture, and also the only zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....

in Stockholm containing wolves, lynx
Lynx
A lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...

es, elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...

s, polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...

s, and many other wild animals. Its traditional Christmas market attracts tens of thousands of people annually.
Thielska galleriet
Thielska Galleriet
Thielska Galleriet is an art museum in the Djurgården park area of Stockholm, Sweden. The museum originates as the private residence and art gallery of the banker and collector Ernest Thiel who acquired art by his contemporaries among Scandinavian artists, such as Bruno Liljefors, Eugène Jansson...

- a museum displaying the collection of late 19th century and early 20th century art and crafts, originally collected by the banker Ernest Thiel.
Waldemarsudde
Waldemarsudde
Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde , the scenic former home of the Swedish Prince Eugen, is a museum located on Djurgården in central Stockholm. The name is derived from a historical name of the island Djurgården, Valmundsö The painter prince discovered the place in 1892, when he rented a house there for...

- Former mansion of Prince Eugen, transformed into a museum displaying Swedish 19th and early 20th century paintings and sculptures.
Vasa Museum
Vasa Museum
The Vasa Museum is a maritime museum in Stockholm, Sweden. Located on the island of Djurgården, the museum displays the only almost fully intact 17th century ship that has ever been salvaged, the 64-gun warship Vasa that sank on her maiden voyage in 1628. The Vasa Museum opened in 1990 and,...

- A maritime museum displaying the only intact 17th century ship. One of the most visited museums in Scandinavia.

Transport

Ways to get there include by foot, by tram

Tram

A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...

from Sergels Torg

Sergels Torg

Sergels torg is the most central public square in Stockholm, Sweden, named after 18th century sculptor Johan Tobias Sergel, whose workshop was once located north of the square.- Overview :...

or by boat from Nybroplan

Nybroplan

Nybroplan is a public space in central Stockholm, Sweden. Located on the border between the city districts Norrmalm and Östermalm, Nybroplan connects a number of major streets, including Birger Jarlsgatan, Strandvägen, Hamngatan, and Nybrogatan...

, Skeppsholmen

Skeppsholmen

Skeppsholmen is one of the islands of Stockholm. It is connected with Blasieholmen and Kastellholmen by bridges. Positioned strategically at the Baltic Sea entrance to Stockholm, it has traditionally been the location of several military buildings...

or Slussen

Slussen

Slussen is an area of central Stockholm, connecting Södermalm and Gamla stan. The area is named after the locks between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The locks themselves allow passage between these two bodies of water...

History

Sights and monuments

Transport

See also