In 1995, a nature reserve was created in the middle of the built-up area to protect the flora and fauna from urban pollution. The royal parks of Djurgården, Ulriksdal and Haga are part of this. The Haga Park is an English style park extending 2 km along the banks of the little BrunnskiFri Bay.
The park was laid out for King Gustav III, with royal pavilions, greenhouses and copper tents (1778) dotted along the winding paths that follow the banks of the Brunnsvikenn. The park's masterpiece is Gustav III's Summer Palace, (1792) decorated by the French architect Maresliez. TheEcho Temple was used in summer as a dining room. The more recent Queen's Pavillion (1804), that Bernadotte appreciated, is used today to host official guests. The Bird and Butterfly House has more than three hundred different species of butterfly and about 130 exotic birds. Visitors can also walk around the newly installed Asiatic garden. Gustav VI Adolph, the father of the present king, chose to be buried in the Haga Park, going against the tradition of burying monarchs in Riddarholmskyrkan.