Bohus Fortress
Sweden.ru tells about the 15 most famous castles in Sweden.
BOHUS
Sweden's most impregnable castle was built by the Norwegians. For centuries, the border between the two kingdoms ran along the Nordre Älv, a branch of the Göta River. In 1308, Norwegian King Haakon V Magnusson ordered the construction of a fortress on his shore to defend against treacherous southern neighbors. Over three centuries, the Swedes besieged Bohus thirteen times but never captured it. Eventually, they obtained the castle along with the nearby town of Kungälv and the rest of Bohuslän province.
The fourteenth and most fierce assault occurred in 1678, when the Danes and Norwegians besieged the Swedish garrison. After a month and a half of continuous bombardment, the fortress was practically razed to the ground, but even then it did not surrender.
In the 18th century, the rebuilt castle mainly served as a prison. Now it is grass-covered ruins with a single surviving tower and a view of the picturesque river valley. The road to the castle takes half an hour from central Gothenburg.
More: www.bohusfastning.com
VADSTENA
The stern towers and deep moats leave no doubt – the Renaissance castle on Lake Vättern was built by the kings of the Vasa dynasty to withstand a prolonged siege and hold firm. Now Vadstena lies deep in Sweden, but in the mid-16th century Danish territories began nearby – wars followed one after another. There was not always enough time and money for furnishing: when another fire destroyed the interiors, part of the decor was not restored but simply painted on the walls – down to the folds of the curtains.
By the end of the 17th century, the defensive need for the fortress had passed – Vadstena was even converted into a granary for a time. Only in modern times were the interiors restored, the ramparts rebuilt, chamber Baroque operas are now staged in the castle theater, and concerts are held in the courtyard in summer.
More: www.vadstenaslott.com
GLIMMINGEHUS
Glimminge Castle was built in 1499–1506 and soon after completion found itself at the epicenter of the Danish-Swedish wars over the province of Scania. In 1676, Swedish King Charles XI, during a retreat, ordered the castle completely demolished so it would not fall to the enemy, but one and a half hundred men could not destroy the crenellated tower – it was built to last.
In fact, the castle's first owner, knight Jens Holgersen Ulfstand, built the fortress according to medieval plans, but to last for centuries: he hired a skilled master Adam van Düren, spared no expense on materials (during restoration, Venetian glass and Spanish ceramics were found), and even provided a heating system from the fireplace through specially laid air ducts in the walls. Glimmingehus was also prepared for a siege: a moat with a drawbridge, hidden traps, dead-end corridors, false doors, and holes in the wall from which it was convenient to pour boiling water on attackers.
Although the castle's most famous means of defense (and publicity) became the magic flute – with its help in Selma Lagerlöf's fairy tale, Nils saved Glimmingehus from an invasion of gray rats.
More: https://www.raa.se/
GRIPSHOLM
The brick walls of Gripsholm reflect in the waters of Lake Mälaren – the royal castle stands on an island near the town of Mariefred. The fortress was founded at the end of the 14th century by Chancellor Bo Jonsson Grip, extensively rebuilt in the mid-16th century by Gustav Vasa, and renovated two centuries later by Gustav III – it was he who added a court theater and a portrait gallery to the round towers and grand halls, which is still supplemented with images of prominent Swedes (the collection has over 4,000 paintings).
In the castle's interiors, the band ABBA shot the cover for their album "Waterloo." And in the last decade, unexpected attention to Gripsholm was drawn by a stuffed lion. An unfortunate 18th-century taxidermist had never seen the exotic predator and used his imagination – as it turned out centuries later, to the delight of creators of numerous internet memes. To see this funny lopsided face in person, during the summer season you can sail from the capital to Mariefred on a sightseeing boat.
More: www.kungahuset.se
KALMAR
Starting from the 12th century, the fortress opposite the island of Öland was a strategically vital fortification – in the endless Danish-Swedish wars, Kalmar Castle survived eleven sieges. In 1397, within these walls, a union was concluded that united Denmark, Norway, and Sweden under one crown. But by the mid-16th century, the rivalry between Copenhagen and Stockholm flared up again, so Swedish King Gustav Vasa and his sons Eric XIV and John III spent a lot of time in Kalmar, constantly rebuilding, strengthening, and decorating it – resulting in one of the best Renaissance castles in the kingdom.
From Eric's richly furnished bedroom, a secret passage leads to the roof – the king was paranoid about assassination (and was eventually overthrown by his brother). John's bedroom is adorned with a bed brought from Denmark, with the noses of carved figures knocked off so that the souls of the previous owners would not come for the stolen bed.
By the end of the 17th century, the castle lost its military significance, was abandoned, and waited for reconstruction only in the 19th century. But the figured spires of Kalmar's towers, cutting the sky above the calm sea surface, are an iconic Swedish sight, reproduced on covers, brochures, and postcards.
More: www.kalmarslott.se
CARLSTEN FORTRESS
The powerful fortress above the town of Marstrand appeared in the second half of the 17th century. Sweden long fought its way to the North Sea and, when it recaptured the province of Bohuslän from the Danes, immediately began fortifying itself: a tower and ravelins dug into the rocks protected the approaches to the strategically important ice-free harbor. Fortification work continued until the mid-19th century, although even then the fortress was mainly used as a prison. Here, the thief and adventurer Lasse-Maja served a quarter-century sentence, famous for committing robberies disguised in women's clothing. By that time, the town at the foot of the fortress had become a popular seaside resort, and vacationers often climbed up to Carlsten to listen to the criminals' stories.
Today, the fortress is Marstrand's main attraction: stunning views of the sea and harbor, battle reenactments in the courtyard, a café with signature waffles for the hungry, and particularly enthusiastic visitors can book a room in a hotel set up in the former barracks.
More info: www.carlsten.se
LÄCKÖ
Surrounded on three sides by the waters of Lake Vänern, the castle was founded in the late 13th century as a bishop's residence, but owes its current imposing appearance to two counts De la Gardie – representatives of the most influential and wealthiest family in 17th-century Sweden. Field Marshal Jacob De la Gardie received Läckö as a fief in 1617 in gratitude for recapturing from the Moscow tsars all of Ingrian land from Ivangorod to Kexholm, and began actively rebuilding and decorating his new estate.
His work was continued by his son Magnus Gabriel, the Lord High Chancellor of the Kingdom, who added another floor to the castle. The chambers of his wife, Princess Maria Euphrosyne, turned out especially elegant. However, in 1681, the De la Gardies had to leave Läckö forever – Charles XI dismissed the Chancellor and returned the castle to the crown. Most of the luxurious furnishings were sold or moved to other crown estates, but the interiors themselves survived and were later restored.
Now, tours are held here during the season, and opera performances are staged in the courtyard in summer. A particular pleasure is the views of the lake, whose far shore disappears beyond the horizon.
More info: www.lackoslott.se
MARSVINSHOLM
A small castle with two lace-like towers, surrounded by a pond, was built in the southern province of Skåne in the 1640s, when it was still part of Denmark. On the Danish throne at that time sat Christian IV – a builder king who had been continuously founding cities, fortresses, palaces, and churches across Scandinavia for half a century, and among all architectural styles preferred the openwork red-brick Renaissance of Dutch masters.
The noble Dane Otte Marsvin built his estate according to the highest taste – like the royal Frederiksborg or Rosenborg, but on a more modest scale. And even subsequent Swedish owners tried to preserve the castle's character, hiring architects from Copenhagen for renovations.
You cannot enter the castle; it is only rented out entirely for special occasions, but walking around in the park and taking a hundred photos from different angles is not forbidden.
More info: http://www.ystad.com/
NYKÖPING
A whitewashed tower on the riverbank in the center of a provincial town an hour's drive from Stockholm is almost all that remains of a once powerful castle that defended the southern approaches to the capital. In December 1317, King Birger Magnusson held a banquet in Nyköping, invited his brothers, Dukes Erik and Valdemar, arrested them after the meal, imprisoned them in the keep, and, according to legend, threw the dungeon key into the river.
The dukes died of starvation, a civil war began in the country, the castle burned down in a fire in 1665, and the large rusty key was fished out in the 19th century – the medieval piece of iron is now displayed in the exhibition occupying the castle halls. That rare case when a beautiful legend suddenly receives tangible confirmation centuries later.
More info: www.sormlandsmuseum.se
SKARHULT
A true aristocratic nest in southern Sweden. The castle's owners – the Barons von Schwerin – still live in it and manage the estate: the Renaissance house remains inhabited, and the surrounding landscape park is in exemplary order. Visitors have only been allowed inside for five years; thematic exhibitions have been prepared not only about the castle but also about the role of women in Swedish history and the upbringing of men. After a tour of the halls and park, guests are served soup and pastries by candlelight in the basement café.
By prior arrangement, the tour is conducted by Baroness Alexandra herself, who talks about herself and explains how the estate works, so that each guest can later independently answer the question: "Is being an aristocrat today a privilege or hard work?"
More info: www.skarhult.se
SKOKLOSTER
A Baroque castle with a formal park on the shores of Lake Mälaren was built (1654–1676) for Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Wrangel, who commanded the Swedish army at the end of the Thirty Years' War. The commander furnished his new residence lavishly – paintings, carpets, tapestries, furniture, tableware, with the library and armory particularly impressive – but he did not have time to live in it properly: old wounds and gluttony brought the old warrior to the grave. After his death, work stopped.
The new owners, the Bielke family, preserved the 17th-century furnishings, and in 1967 sold the castle to the government, which turned it into a museum of that glorious era when the Swedish crown ruled almost the entire Baltic. The road from Stockholm takes about an hour, and from nearby Uppsala, in summer you can reach the castle by boat – the most picturesque option.
More info: www.skoklostersslott.se
SOFIERO
The most idyllic castle in Sweden, imbued with the love and care of several generations of Swedish kings. In 1864, Crown Prince Oscar bought a farm on the seashore in Skåne near Helsingborg and built himself a romantic cottage with towers and spires, where he spent every summer with his wife Sofia and children. In 1905, the king gave the beloved residence as a wedding gift to his grandson Gustav Adolf and his Danish bride Margareta. The crown princess laid out beautiful gardens around the palace, where five hundred varieties of rhododendrons now bloom. Tourists come to Skåne specifically to see them in bloom from late May to early June.
By Gustav Adolf's will in 1973, the castle was transferred to the city's ownership, but the royal family continues to fund the gardeners' work – for example, for the 150th anniversary of Sofiero, the current king Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia ordered the construction of a new geometric Jubilee Garden.
More: www.sofiero.se
TJOLÖHOLM
James Fredrik Dickson, a wealthy entrepreneur and passionate Anglophile, conceived the idea of building a mansion in the neo-Tudor style on the shore of a sea bay in western Sweden. In 1898, he commissioned the project from the young architect Lars Israel Wahlman, who carried out all the work according to the tenets of the then-fashionable British Arts and Crafts movement – as a single ensemble where every detail of the facade, every item in the interior, and even every tree in the park is subordinate to the overall design. James Fredrik died shortly after construction began; his widow Blanche carried out the project in memory of her late husband. Most of the materials for the castle's construction were brought from England.
Half a century ago, the Gothenburg city council (the estate is half an hour's drive from the city) bought Tjolöholm and turned it into a museum. Costumed tours are conducted through the preserved rooms. They became especially popular after the release of the film "Melancholia" by Danish director Lars von Trier – it is here, in the castle park with a view of the Kattegat Strait, that Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg spend time awaiting the approaching end of the world.
More: www.tjoloholm.se
ÖREBRO
The most impressive urban castle in Sweden stands on an island in the middle of the Svartån River in the center of Örebro. The first mention of it dates back to the 13th century, and its current appearance – with four massive towers at the corners – was acquired under the kings of the Vasa dynasty in the early 17th century. Important events in Swedish history have taken place within these walls: in 1540, Gustav Vasa announced here the establishment of a hereditary monarchy (he himself was elected king), and in 1810, Charles XIII announced that he would pass the throne to Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, Napoleon's marshal and founder of the current ruling dynasty.
However, Örebro lost its strategic importance three and a half centuries ago, and since then it has been used as a prison, a warehouse, and a governor's residence. The historical interiors have not been preserved, and guides mainly entertain visitors with legends about ghosts roaming the castle. For tourists from Russia, there is a special attraction: in the former prison cells on the top floor, graffiti scratched into the plaster three centuries ago by Russian prisoners has been preserved. Whoever can decipher it is a clever one.
More: www.visitorebro.se
HJULARÖD
Don't believe your eyes! The most medieval-looking, most picture-perfect, most fairytale castle in southern Sweden – with a round keep, crenellated walls, pointed arches, tall chimney stacks, and even a moat – was actually built entirely from scratch just over a century ago, in the 1890s. Such was the whim of the estate's owner, chamberlain of the royal court Hans Gustaf Tull – to be like in the Loire Valley, but only in red brick and the size of a small mansion.
It is still a private residence, so you won't be allowed inside, but anyone passing by is free to stop, walk along the path among the manicured lawns, admire the toy-like fortress, and quietly grumble: "What a deception!"
More: www.hjularod.se