Sofiero was the summer residence of Swedish royalty for over a century, and King Gustav VI Adolf — an accomplished botanist — spent decades building its gardens into one of the finest collections in Scandinavia. The rhododendron collection alone numbers around 500 varieties, and in late May and early June the hillside below the palace ignites in every shade from white through salmon to deep magenta. The king, who died in 1973, is said to have called Sofiero "my paradise on earth."
The palace itself, a brick-and-timber building from 1864 rebuilt in 1905, is modest by royal standards but charming in its setting above a sloping landscape designed to frame views down to the Øresund. The estate is about five kilometres north of central Helsingborg and easily reachable by bus or a pleasant cycle along the coast road.