Bonde Palace, Stockholm, Guia do visitante e o que fazer por perto

Bonde Palace (Bondeska palatset) is a 17th century baroque palace on Riddarhustorget in Stockholm's Old Town, today the seat of Sweden's Supreme Court. It was built as the private residence of Lord High Treasurer Gustav Bonde and is often named among the finest buildings of Sweden's age as a great power. Many people know it for a darker reason: the 1810 killing of Count Axel von Fersen on the square in front of it.

The story behind it

Gustav Bonde had the palace built as his own town house in the 1600s, when Sweden was at the height of its power. Its restrained, symmetrical design is regarded as a fine example of Swedish baroque architecture. Over the centuries it changed purpose, and it now houses the country's highest court.

The building's most famous story belongs to June 1810. Axel von Fersen was a leading statesman and a close confidant of Marie Antoinette. When the Swedish crown prince died suddenly, rumours spread that he had been poisoned, and suspicion fell on Fersen. As he escorted the prince's funeral procession, an angry mob pulled him from his carriage and beat him to death near Bonde Palace. Soldiers nearby did not stop it. Fersen was later cleared of any blame. Local ghost lore says his spirit still lingers around the square and the surrounding lanes, though that is legend, not history.

What to look for

• The strict, symmetrical baroque facade of the palace, which shows the confident style of Sweden's 17th century building boom.
• The open space of Riddarhustorget itself, where you can picture the funeral procession and the mob in 1810.
• The neighbouring Riddarhuset, the House of Nobility, which stands on the same square and gives a sense of the elite world Bonde and Fersen moved in.
• The narrow lanes leading off the square, where the ghost stories about Fersen are said to be set.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 10 to 15 minutes for the palace and the square, longer if you combine it with the rest of the Old Town.
• The palace is a working court, so plan to admire it from outside and check current access before hoping to go in.
• Early morning or evening is quieter, and the lower light suits the dark story told here.
• Riddarholmen, with its church and waterfront views, and the rest of Gamla Stan are both a short walk away.

See it on a quest

Ghosts of Stockholm: Secrets of the Haunted Streets brings you to Bonde Palace on foot as one stop on a longer route through the Old Town. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you, so the story of Fersen comes alive where it happened. One ticket covers the whole group, and you can start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join.