Kungsträdgarden (Kungsan) Tours and Activities

Kungsträdgården, affectionately known as Kungsan, is a popular park in central Stockholm. It hosts open air concerts and other events in the summer and is home to an ice rink in the winter months. First of May demonstrations by Sweden’s left-wing parties also take place in the park each year. The park’s space can be divided into four distinct areas: the Square of Charles XII, Molin’s Fountain, the Square of Charles XIII and the Fountain of Wolodarski.

Kungsträdgården's name, roughly translated, means King's Garden, and its origins date back centuries. A royal kitchen garden was gradually transformed into an enclosed pleasure garden in the 17th and 18th centuries. The walls of the garden were demolished in the 19th century and, in 1821, most of the garden was replace by gravel, creating the square now named for Charles XIII. Molin’s Fountain was added in 1866, when it was the centerpiece of a Scandinavian art and industry exposition. The entire park was redesigned in 1990 to its present form and in 2004, nearly 300 new trees were planted and new pavilions and cafes were added.

The park is surrounded by notable landmarks, including the Stockholm Synagogue on the east side of the park and the Royal Swedish Opera, Saint James’ Church, the Matchstick Palace and Sverigehuset (home to the tourist information center) along the west side.