Official Opening Ceremony and Reception The Opening Ceremony will start at 5.30 pm August 2 in Room ABC - Folkets Hus followed, by a Reception in the City Hall of Stockholm. The Reception will be hosted by the City of Stockholm. Access to the Fortress will be by boat, leaving from Nybrokajen in the City s center at 6 pm for a one-hour cruise through the Stockholm Archipelago. A traditional Nordic Dinner will be served in ancient, historic surroundings. Return to Stockholm will again be by boat, departing between 10 pm and midnight.
Informal dress is recommended.
Please register early, as space is limited. Swedish king Gustav Vasa decided that the Fortress should be built and the work began on the original structure in 1548, but there were many alterations over the centuries. The present-day fortifications date back to 1863, and the mighty walls are built from 30,000 solid granite blocks. The fortress has been attacked twice, by the Danish navy in 1612 and by the Russian navy in 1719. The courtyard, originally used for military drilling, is now a place for events, theatre and music.