The castles and palaces each represent their own era, ranging from the 1500s to the 1900s. The oldest of the group is Vadstena Castle in Östergötland, the construction of which started around 1550 and architecturally is Sweden’s most renaissance castle. The history of Läckö Castle in Västergötland reaches back into the Middle Ages. It was renovated in the mid-1600s by one of Queen Kristina’s favorites to the baroque style that visitors see today.

Up until 1973, Sofiero Palace, which is located by the Öresund Sound in Skåne and was constructed in 1860s, was a royal out-of-town residence. At the beginning of the 1900s, the royal couple Prince Gustaf Adolf and Princess Margareta moved in and began to cultivate the famous rhododendrons that are depicted on the stamp.

Ulriksdal Palace just north of Stockholm became a royal palace in 1669 and was rebuilt and expanded at the end of the century under the careful eye of architects Nicodemus Tessin the Elder and Younger. The youngest of the castles depicted in the Swedish Castles & Palaces booklet, Tjolöholm Castle, was built during the years 1898-1904 in the English Tudor style by a businessman from Gothenburg.

“The buildings are magnificent and as a contrast to this I have chosen to highlight the details. For example, there is a small salamander crawling along the frame of the stamp depicting Ulriksdal Palace,” says designer Eva Wilsson.

The Swedish Castles & Palaces booklet marks the premier of recessed stamps on self-adhesive paper.

published February 26th, 2010