For my birthday I got surprised with a trip to Taxinge Slottscafé for fika. It’s a café people know as Kakslottet, with a large kakbuffé. I’d seen the buffet all over TikTok and Instagram, so visiting had been on my bucket list this summer. It’s a well-known place and a lot of people make the trip.
Getting There from Stockholm
We set off from Stockholm and it was about a 45-minute drive to Taxinge Slott. It’s pretty straight forward, just take the E20 south and then exit 140 towards Taxinge.
On the way we passed a brick church and an old train station, just a couple of minutes before the castle.
First impression of Taxinge Slott
We went in the late morning so we arrived just after 11:00, right when they opened. That was perfect timing since only a handful of other guests had arrived. There’s a large parking lot so parking is no problem, and it’s just a few minutes’ walk from the estate.
Once you’re there you’ll spot a handful of buildings. The main one is the castle, where the café is, and it also works as a conference venue. Right next to it there are two smaller houses with a store and an art gallery.
The castle is preserved like it was back in the day so it feels a little bit like stepping back in time.
A fika Worth the Drive
The cake table was packed with cake slices, buns and biscuits. Way more than your average bakery. It was as well-stacked as the videos I’d seen, and honestly a bit overwhelming. Hard to know what to choose.
The buffet area was pretty small and a bit cramped, so there was a lot to take in and it was kind of hard to get a good look at everything on offer.
We noticed it was the same on both sides, probably so you can pay from either side. We didn’t realize that right away, though, so we walked around more than we needed to. It was only us and one other group so it wasn’t a big deal, but I can imagine it’s a bit trickier if it’s crowded in the middle of the day.
After some back and forth I went for some sort of meringue cake flavored with punsch (a Swedish liqueur). It was kind of like a Budapest cake but without the mandarins. My girlfriend went for a sockerkringla, a version of a cinnamon bun.
It’s always difficult to know how expensive places like these are because they’re so trendy. But it wasn’t too bad. three pastries, a coffee and a soda were only 230 kr, which is pretty cheap for a fika in the Stockholm area.
There’s seating inside, but we decided to go outside and sit on the terrace behind the castle. It was a big gravel terrace and we sat on the far end with a view over the water. Since it was early only about half the tables were occupied so it was a very relaxed and nice atmosphere.
Exploring the Rest of the Estate
After the fika we decided to walk down to the water to look around a bit. The whole estate is very well preserved and on the way we passed a platform with some old cannons that used to protect it from the sea.
The trail then continued to a swimming spot and a steamboat pier. We didn’t go that far but went back to the castle instead.
At this time it was getting more crowded and a queue had started to form to get into the buffet. So if you’re heading here, do it before 12:30 to skip the crowd.
Back at the entrance we went into one of the two houses next to the main building. It was a small shop with some souvenirs and local crafts. I’m not into that sort of thing but it was kind of fun to see some old packaging of Swedish candy from the past.
The estate is well kept and there’s tourist information with brochures inside if you want to dig into its history. It’s interesting to get a glimpse into what it must have been like to live here a few hundred years ago. There are no “must see” attractions.
The estate itself is the main thing to see. It’s a nice area with some old buildings and I do recommend you take a stroll after you’ve eaten. But that’s about it.
On the way Home
On the way back we made a quick stop at the church first, and then at the train station, which is kept like it was back in the days. A nice way to end the day before heading home.
Taxinge Slott is well worth a visit if you’re in the area, especially if you’re going on a road trip around Mälaren. It’s a great place to stop by if you’re heading to Mariefred or Strängnäs. It’s a bit isolated, so you can easily see everything in a few hours.
