Sofiero Palace Gardens

Sofiero was built in 1864 and given to Gustaf Adolf and Margaret as a wedding present in 1905; he was a serious gardener and spent decades planting the ravine that runs down to the sound, above all with rhododendrons - there are now something like ten thousand plants of several hundred varieties, and their flowering in late May and early June is what the place is known for. Margaret laid out the flower gardens near the house before her early death in 1920. The king left the estate to Helsingborg in 1973. Beyond the ravine there are formal gardens, a kitchen garden, changing show gardens and a view across to Denmark.

What you actually see

• A rhododendron ravine - about ten thousand plants down to the sound.
• Margaret's flower gardens - laid out before 1920.
• Show and kitchen gardens - changing each season.
• A view across to Denmark - the sound below the slope.

When to go

Late May to early June for the rhododendrons. Two to three hours.

Honest expectations

The main flowering is a two or three week window. It closes for winter. The ravine involves steep paths and steps. Concert evenings restrict the grounds.

Nearby

Helsingborg and Karnan are south; Fredriksdal is inland.