I really enjoy visiting the Grand Pelouse (French for “great lawn in a Park”) in Hagaparken. You might wonder why a specific place has a name in French and the answer is quite intriguing. The cultural-loving, and above all France-loving Swedish King Gustav III who lived at the end of the 18th Century admired Versailles in Paris so much that he wanted to build a copy of it in Haga park.

The Grand Pelouse should emphasize the greatness of the new castle. When the King was murdered his plans came to an abrupt halt and the castle was far from finished. Instead, the Grand Pelouse is the highlight today, surrounded by interesting buildings like the huge copper tents and the relatively small Haga castle which is today the private residence of the Swedish crown princess. In the direction of the city from the Grand Pelouse is the beautiful bay of Brunnsviken. Many locals visit the beautifully located place in the winter and have a Christmas buffet at the Coppertents restaurant.

Personally, I prefer visiting the lawn in the spring, summer or autumn. The spring offers singing birds and crisp greens. In the summer the Pelouse is a popular place to play the traditional lawn game Kubb, and in autumn it is quite amazing with all the leafy trees turning yellow, orange and red. It is also a perfect spot to bring your date.