Rörstrand Castle in Stockholm - the castle you never knew existed

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: October 2026 | Rörstrand Castle is located in the center of Stockholm, but is still easy to miss. Next to the Filadelfia Church at Sankt Eriksplan, there is a building with a history that includes both royalty and porcelain manufacturing. We visited the castle on a guided tour in 2018 and still often pass the traces of the factory on our walks from Pampas marina.

Rörstrand Castle – a hidden castle in Vasastan

A castle on Rörstrandsgatan? When we told friends and colleagues that we were going to visit Rörstrand Castle, we were met with surprised looks. Many had passed the building without thinking about what it was.

The castle is located on the corner of Rörstrandsgatan and Bråvallagatan, near Sankt Eriksplan. It is built together with the Filadelfia Church, whose significantly larger building means that the castle does not really get the attention it might otherwise receive.

It is not a castle complex with large parks and grand entrances. Instead, history lies amidst the city's streets and houses. That is what we think makes Rörstrand Castle extra interesting.

Can you visit Rörstrand Castle today?

Since 2020, Kaggeholms Folkhögskola has been located in Rörstrands Slott. Teaching is provided here in areas such as media, music and general courses.

The castle thus functions as school premises. The café and conference facilities that existed when we visited the building are no longer the starting point for a visit, and you should not expect to be able to go in and look around on your own.

However, you can see the building from the outside and discover several traces of the porcelain factory in the area. Our story from inside the castle and the interior pictures are from the 2018 viewing.

Our guided tour 2018

When we became curious about the castle, we called to ask about a guided tour. It was possible to arrange it, but we soon realized that we had contacted the business at the last minute. The guide Agneta told us that the castle café and the previous business would close for a renovation and the move of the folk high school. When we visited, there were only a few weeks left.

It gave the tour a special feeling. We got to see rooms and environments that would soon be put to a different use, and it felt valuable to document them. We started down in the basement, where we settled down and let Agneta tell us about the long history of the place.

From older property to castle

The history of the Rörstrand area stretches back to the Middle Ages, long before the porcelain factory was established. The castle building itself dates from the 1630s and is associated with the wealthy Mårten Rosenstierna, who gave it as a wedding gift to his wife in 1635.

Later, the property became associated with Queen Christina and a knight's academy, where young noblemen were trained in skills such as riding, fencing, dancing and languages.

During the tour, Agneta also told us that prisoners of war had been kept here during the Great Northern War in the early 18th century. As we walked through the cellar vaults, it was easy to let our imagination wander to the people who had once been in the building. It was fascinating to think about how many different functions the same house had had over the centuries.

Tiled stoves and porcelain in the castle rooms

When we came up from the basement, the tour continued through the rooms of the castle. What particularly caught our attention were the beautiful tiled stoves. They had different shapes and decorations and were sights in themselves. In one room we could see a tiled stove that, according to the information on site, had been designed by Hugo Tryggelin.

There was also porcelain on display in the premises. Given the building's connection to Rörstrand, it felt completely natural.

For us, the visit was a way to connect the castle with all the shards we had already seen down at Karlberg. Here was both the story behind the manufacturing and examples of things that had left the factory in significantly better condition.

The Rörstrand porcelain factory was founded here in 1726.

Rörstrand was founded in 1726 on the estate in Stockholm. This means that the brand will celebrate its 300th anniversary in 2026. The early production was led by the German faience maker Johann Wolff. The initial production was faience, a tin-glazed earthenware that imitated porcelain. The blue and white decorations were often inspired by Chinese porcelain.

Over time, both the materials and the design developed. In the 19th century, the factory grew into a large industry, and Rörstrand became a well-known name far beyond Sweden.

It's hard to imagine the extensive factory area when walking among today's residential buildings, but the castle and the porcelain waste help make history visible.

From Stockholm to Gothenburg and Lidköping

Production in Stockholm ceased in 1926 and was moved to Gothenburg. In the 1930s, the move continued to Lidköping, where production continued until 2005.

During the 20th century, many of the tableware designs that are still associated with Rörstrand were created, including Swedish Grace, Ostindia, Mon Amie and Picknick. Perhaps you have one of these designs in your own kitchen cabinets?

Today Rörstrand is part of Fiskars and still sells porcelain under its own name. Those who want to delve deeper into the manufacturing and design can visit the Rörstrand Museum in Lidköping. In Stockholm, you can instead look for traces in the cityscape.

Philadelphia Church and Folk High School

When the factory left Stockholm, the area was given new uses. The Philadelphia congregation took over the castle, and the Philadelphia Church was built in 1929–1930 next to the older building.

Today, the church and the castle are built together. It is a rather unusual combination of buildings from completely different eras. The connection of the folk high school to the castle is also older than we had first understood. Kaggeholm folk high school started here in 1942, then moved to Kaggeholm Castle on Ekerö and returned to Rörstrand Castle in 2020.

The Porcelain Mountain at Karlberg

One of the clearest traces of the factory is the pile of porcelain waste at the pedestrian and bicycle connection between Rörstrandsgatan and Karlberg. If you stop and look closer, you will discover a lot of shards. Many are white and blue, and it is easy to start wondering what they once might have been. A plate? A cup? Something completely different?

We live in Pampas Marina and walk here every other day when we are home in Stockholm. Porslinsberget is therefore part of our usual local environment, but it is no less interesting for that.

On the contrary, we like that this industrial remnant is still there. It reminds us that the area looked completely different and that many people once worked in porcelain manufacturing right here. The shards are part of the history of the place, so let them remain and be content to look and take pictures.

Rörstrand pattern in the Karlberg Tunnel

Another track is in the Karlberg Tunnel, along the pedestrian and cycle path that we often use when walking between Karlberg and Vasastan. Here are plate-shaped lamps with the well-known Rörstrand pattern. They were installed in 2014, when the tunnel received new lighting and was refurbished.

It actually took us a while to notice the decorations ourselves, even though we walked here so often. Once we discovered them, the tunnel immediately became a little more interesting! It's a great idea to let the history of porcelain live on in something as everyday as the lighting along a walkway. Next time you walk here: look up and take a look at the patterns.

A walk in Rörstrand's footsteps

If you want to discover the area, you can start at Sankt Eriksplan and walk along Rörstrandsgatan to the castle, which is located next to the Filadelfia Church on Bråvallagatan.

Then continue along Rörstrandsgatan towards Karlberg. At the pedestrian and bicycle connection you will find the porcelain mountain, and in the tunnel you can see the lamps with the Rörstrand pattern. The walk can be combined nicely with Karlberg Castle and Castle Park on the other side. There we often walk further along the water or through the park.

READ MORE: Karlberg Castle and Castle Park – attractions and walks

More porcelain history in Gustavsberg

If you find the story of Rörstrand interesting, we can also recommend Gustavsberg on Värmdö. There is another important part of Swedish porcelain history, with an old factory area, harbor environment and porcelain museum. We have visited Gustavsberg and think it is a nice place to discover how industry has left its mark on a society.

Rörstrand and Gustavsberg have different stories, but both show how much can be contained behind a plate or coffee cup.

READ MORE: Gustavsberg in Värmdö - in the footsteps of the porcelain factory

More castles and attractions in Stockholm

• Royal palaces in Sweden
• Ulrikdal Castle and Castle Park
• Rydboholm Castle and the English Park
• Things to do in Stockholm