Home | Castles of Sweden

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HomeAdmin2021-02-18T19:43:52+01:00

Welcome!

Discover Sweden’s past and present through the beauty and history of Sweden’s castles, palaces and manors.

Located deep within endless nature or in the middle of sprawling cities; castles, palaces and manors make up some of the many treasures to be found in Sweden. Each has its own exciting story to tell and gives you an insight into how Sweden has evolved over the centuries to become the place it is today.

The Fantastic Tidö

The Fantastic Tidö

Admin2021-02-12T10:48:19+01:00Tina Klingspor|

A visit to Fiholm

A visit to Fiholm

Admin2021-02-18T17:15:46+01:00Tina Klingspor|

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Admin2021-01-01T10:29:11+01:00Stories|

One of the world’s greatest baroque castles

One of the world’s greatest baroque castles

Admin2020-09-13T15:17:49+02:00Stories|

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Which city palaces do you see in this picture and

Which city palaces do you see in this picture and what are they today?

Photo: @sahand.photography

Autumn at Hjularöd Castle! Hjuldaröd is mention

Autumn at Hjularöd Castle!

Hjuldaröd is mention already in 1391 when Christine Konstantinsdatter of the Kyrning family gave the estate to the nunnery on Bos island (Bosön). The castle remained under the nunnery until the Danish Reformation in 1536 when many of the estates were taken over by the Danish crown.

After the Treaty at Roskilde in 1658, Hjularöd like all other estates of Scania became Swedish and the property of the Swedish Crown. At the time the estate was owned by the Akeleye family but it was given to Admiral Henrik Gerritsen as he was ennobled Siöhielm. After the end of Karl X Gustav’s Second Danish war the estate was given back to Akeleye’s heirs but bad fortune haunted the family when the last sons were killed in wars abroad. The youngest died at Poltava in 1709 and the family was closed on the spear-side.

In 1805 the estate was sold to Baron Carl Gustaf von Schwerin. His grandson, Hans Gustaf Toll, built the current castle between 1894-97 in a French Medieval style inspired by French Coucy-le-Château and Pierrefonds. In 1917, Toll sold the estate to a consortium which divided the estate and sold Hjularöd to Finnish nobleman Hjalmar Constantin Linder. He expanded the estate due to a planned visit by the Russian Tsar Nikolai II but due to obvious reasons he did not visit. In 1926 the estate was purchased by the Bergengren family who still own Hjularöd today. It is not open to the public but a phenomenal estate to view from afar.

Photo: @swedishnomad

#hjularod #hjularodslott #visitskåne #sweden⁣ #visitsweden #castlesofsweden #slott #svenskaslott #castlehunting #castle #castles #schloss #chateau

Tyresö castle sits beautifully on a hilltop overl

Tyresö castle sits beautifully on a hilltop overlooking Kalvfjärden just south of Stockholm. The castle was built by Baron Gabriel Oxenstierna (the brother of renowned Chancellor of State Axel Oxenstierna) in 1630-1633. Gabriel died just 7 years later and was inherited by his son Gustaf who unfortunately died at the age of 35 in 1648. His wife, the extraordinarily prominent Maria Sofia De la Gardie, daughter of Ebba Brahe and Jakob De la Gardie, took over the estate and never remarried. She became one of the first major Swedish female entrepreneurs. From Tyresö she controlled estates in Sweden, Finland, the Baltic provinces and Pomerania.

She made it her life task to excel in manor management and traveled to Holland to learn about the latest methods of keeping cattle, managing estates and gardens. As a result of her education she laid the foundations for paper mills, shipyards and timber businesses. When Scania became Swedish she seized the opportunity to buy estates. One of the estates she purchased was Krapperud. However, in the Great Reduction, she lost most of her holdings. Tyresö Castle stayed in the family until Maria’s grand-daughter Maria Gustava Gyllenstierna died in 1737.

In the 1760s, Carl Fredrik Scheffer initiated a huge refurbishment of the castle and Sweden’s first English Park was laid out by Fredrik Magnus Piper. This was celebrated by none other than King Adolf Fredrik and Lovisa Ulrika in 1770.

In 1892 the estate was purchased by Marquis Claes Lagergren (with money from his American wife). He restored the estate and made it a meeting place for the elite of the time - Verner von Heidenstam, Carl Snoilsky and the “Painting Prince” Eugen. When Claes died in 1930 his wife, Caroline Russell from New York, donated the estate to the Nordic Museum who still owns it today and maintains it beautifully. It is open to the public during the summer months.

Photo: @assal_photography

Beautiful autumn photos from Sturefors Castle outs

Beautiful autumn photos from Sturefors Castle outside Linköping in Östergötland.
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The first castle was constructed by Ture Bielke (1548–1600) in the 16th century. Only the north wing remains of this building. The present castle was constructed in 1704 by Carl Piper as a dower for his spouse Christina Piper. It was designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger. After the death of Christina Piper in 1752, it was inherited by her grandson Nils Adam Bielke, and has since then belonged to the Bielke family.⁣

Photo: @bergskamera

#sturefors #östergötland #history #castlesofsweden #slott #svenskaslott #castlehunting #castle #schloss #chateau

A close up of Stora Sundby was requested by many f

A close up of Stora Sundby was requested by many following our last post. Here you are and have a lovely weekend!

Which castle are you visiting this weekend?

Photo: @maloucentaur

Dreamy picture of Stora Sundby Castle - One of the

Dreamy picture of Stora Sundby Castle - One of the most beautiful houses in Sweden.

I bet a lot of you have visited over the years. What is your favourite thing about Stora Sundby Castle?

📸 @eliabadji

Beautiful Nääs Castle in the autumn light. Have

Beautiful Nääs Castle in the autumn light. Have you been there?

Photo: @hastag.solan

Trolleholm Castle in Scania in the south of Sweden

Trolleholm Castle in Scania in the south of Sweden was built in the 1760s after drawings by Carl Hårleman and was given its romantic early renaissance appearance at the end of the 1800s.

When originally under Danish rule during the 1500s it was called Kattisnabbe and when Marshal of the Realm Tage Ottesen Thott acquired it in 1538 he built a castle in honour of his dead brother and named it Eriksholm. It stayed with the Thott family until 1680 when it was sold to Helle Rosenkrantz, the widow of Marshal of the Realm and Lord Lieutenant of Norway, Niels Trolle of Trolholm. She left the estate to Herluf Trolle but neither he nor his sons ever lived there. It was sold to Fredrik Trolle in the 1720s who in 1749 had the house surveyed in order to commission a renovation scheme. Carl Hårleman presented his plans in 1750 which meant that the castle would be rebuilt in a rococo style. When completed it was renamed Trolleholm and made an entailed estate.

When Fredrik died in 1770 it was inherited by his daughter Fredrika Vivika Trolle who was married to Gustaf Bonde. They occasionally lived at Trolleholm but also had other estates to tend to. Her grandson inherited the estate in 1806 and became a very appreciated Lord as he built schools, roads and a house for the poor. He also divided the farmland and let the peasants rent it for longer periods of time which improved their situation greatly.

The castle has since stayed with the Trolle-Bonde family. Carl Johan Trolle-Bonde had the castle rebuilt 1887-1889 which gave it its present look. It houses one of the Nordic countries ́ largest private libraries and if we might say so also one of the cosiest.

Photo: @michaelperssonse

#trolleholm #visitskane #sweden⁣ #visitsweden #history #castlesofsweden #slott #svenskaslott #vscocam #instagood #travel #castlehunting #castle #castles #schloss #chateau

The correct answer to yesterday's question is Öre

The correct answer to yesterday's question is Örebro Castle! But there are of course similarities to some other Swedish castles, not least Svaneholm which was mentioned by many.

Which castle would you like to read the full history about tomorrow?

1. Trolleholm
2. Drottningholm
3. Näsby

Have a great weekend!

Photo: @orebroslott

Guess the castle!? If you zoom in you can see old

Guess the castle!?

If you zoom in you can see older window placements.

Photo: @stefan_foerster_photography

The Tessin Palace - a true gem in the middle of Sw

The Tessin Palace - a true gem in the middle of Sweden’s capital Stockholm and its position in Swedish history is marked by its location - directly facing the Royal Palace’s south entrance.

It is, of course, named after Sweden’s star architect Nicodemus Tessin the Younger. Buildings for his private palace began in 1694 and Tessin himself made the drawings.

Tessin’s talent was apparent early and he became a court architect in 1676 at 22. When the royal castle Tre Kronor (Three Crowns) burnt to the ground in 1697 Tessin was commissioned to watch over the building of the new royal palace - Stockholm Palace. Apart from his own palace, Tessin has been part of building some of the most famous castles in Sweden like Drottningholm, Ulriksdal, Steninge, Sturefors and Rosersberg. Browse the pictures and you’ll find them.

When Tessin died in 1728 it was inherited by his son Carl Gustaf but he was forced to sell it. The Crown purchased it but later sold it to Stockholm City to become a residence for the Governor. Today, it remains the residence for Governor of Stockholm. The apartment is preserved as it was for Tessin and the magnificent baroque garden is a sight to be seen.

Photo: Åke E:son Lindman @statensfastighetsverk

We just love this picture of Uppsala Castle by @ck

We just love this picture of Uppsala Castle by @ck_the_explorer

Don't miss tonight's episode of Det sitter i vägg

Don't miss tonight's episode of Det sitter i väggarna on SvT 1 at 8pm which will feature Skebo Manor!

Skebo Manor in Norrtälje municipality north of Stockholm is a magnificent example of a Swedish manor house from the 1700s. The estate was known as an ironworks already during the 1400s but it was not until 200 years later that production really took off and gave the owner a good financial platform to develop the estate.

Dutchman Jakob Grill built the present main house in 1767-1770. There was an older manor house in Skebo but there are unfortunately no remaining paintings. During the 1800s the iron works flourished and due to the influx of money the house was filled with art, sculptures and money was also invested in the gardens - the best bragging project of the time!

The last of the iron works squires, Knut Michaelson, sold the estate in 1903 and by 1924 the entire business went bankrupt. The times had changed. It was taken over by Church trust and it was transformed into a sort of luxury retirement home for gentlemen. In 1974 it became a health resort but also this venture went bankrupt.

The Björklund family turned it into a conference and weekend hotel operation around 2003 which continued until 2013 when they tried to sell the estate. During the hotel years it was widely known for having excellent food. It was actually sold in 2013 but the deal was withdrawn. In 2019 it was listed with @skandiamaklarna with an asking price of 27 Million SEK.

Today's owners, the Dexner family, have set out on an ambitious restoration project that can be followed at @skeboherrgard

Tyresö castle sits beautifully on a hilltop overl

Tyresö castle sits beautifully on a hilltop overlooking Kalvfjärden just south of Stockholm. The castle was built by Baron Gabriel Oxenstierna (the brother of renowned Chancellor of State Axel Oxenstierna) in 1630-1633. Gabriel died just 7 years later and was inherited by his son Gustaf who unfortunately died at the age of 35 in 1648. His wife, the extraordinarily prominent Maria Sofia De la Gardie, daughter of Ebba Brahe and Jakob De la Gardie, took over the estate and never remarried. She became one of the first major Swedish female entrepreneurs. From Tyresö she controlled estates in Sweden, Finland, the Baltic provinces and Pomerania. She made it her life task to excel in manor management and traveled to Holland to learn about the latest methods of keeping cattle, managing estates and gardens. As a result of her education she laid the foundations for paper mills, shipyards and timber businesses. When Scania became Swedish she seized the opportunity to buy estates. One of the estates she purchased was Krapperud. However, in the Great Reduction, she lost most of her holdings. Tyresö Castle stayed in the family until Maria’s grand-daughter Maria Gustava Gyllenstierna died in 1737.

In the 1760s, Carl Fredrik Scheffer initiated a huge refurbishment of the castle and Sweden’s first English Park was laid out by Fredrik Magnus Piper. This was celebrated by none other than King Adolf Fredrik and Lovisa Ulrika in 1770.

In 1892 the estate was purchased by Marquis Claes Lagergren (with money from his American wife). He restored the estate and made it a meeting place for the elite of the time - Verner von Heidenstam, Carl Snoilsky and the “Painting Prince” Eugen. When Claes died in 1930 his wife, Caroline Russell from New York, donated the estate to the Nordic Museum who still owns it today and maintains it beautifully. It is open to the public during the summer months.

Photo: @valdemar_photography

Autumns at Bjärsjölagård are the best! The est

Autumns at Bjärsjölagård are the best!

The estate carries a proud and long history. It is believed that we can trace its roots to 700 AD when Harald Hildetand owned the grounds. This was of course well before today’s castle was built. The sources prove that the famous Danish King Valdemar Atterdag purchased the estate in 1363. It then remained under the Danish Crown for some time until it was stormed by dissatisfied peasants and eventually torn down in 1526. It had since Medieval times been known as a fortified castle named Beritzholm (Beritsholm) due to it being surrounded by a moat.

Bertisholm Castle was sorted under Lindholmens County and the County Lord Mourids Jepsen Sparre used material from Beritsholm to build the grand Svaneholm Castle. In connection to this a larger barn was built which became the foundation for its present name.

In 1720, Peter Julius Coyet purchased the estate from the Crown. The present building was built in Rococo style in 1766 and 1777. The southern wing was added in 1812 which explains its Empire style.

In 1958 the entire estate was purchased by Hushållningssällskapet (a joint name for freestanding organisations working for the development of the countryside). Today the castle functions as a successful conference and hotel facility. Due to its romantic appearance it is also a sought after venue for weddings.

Photo: @bjarsjolagardsslott

New Älvsborg Fortress was part of a series of def

New Älvsborg Fortress was part of a series of defence installations that had protected the inlet to Gothenburg since Medieval times. Buildings began in 1653 with one single purpose - protect Gothenburg from the Danes!

It saw action in the Scanian War 1675-1679 as it defended the city and again during the Great Northern War 1717-1719. As military technology developed Älvsborg’s importance became less relevant and was replaced by new installations.

The most important part of the new installations was Oscar II’s Fort which was blown into the mountain itself on the southern side of the inlet. Buildings were actually initiated by the King himself in 1899 and used by the military from 1907 until 1955. It consists of several hundred meters of underground corridors and rooms intended for 300 soldiers.

Photo: @scutaru_alexandru

Örebro Castle is a medieval castle strategically

Örebro Castle is a medieval castle strategically located on an island in the river Svartån. It was expanded during the reign of the Vasa family and finally rebuilt around 1900.

For over 700 years, Örebro Castle has kept a watchful eye on anyone crossing the bridge. The oldest part, a defence tower, was erected in the latter half of the 1300s.

This tower was extended not long after, and towards the end of the 16th century most of the impressive castle we see today was built by the then Duke but later King Charles IX of Sweden.
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The name of Örebro comes from the small stones, called "ör" in Swedish, that a river transports. The second part of the word comes from the bridge ("bro") that was built over the river. Important roads passed by this strategic place because from here one could control the traffic and the trade in the inner parts of Sweden.⁣⁣⁣

Photo: @scutaru_alexandru

#sweden⁣ #visitsweden #history #castlesofsweden #castle #slott #svenskaslott #castlehunting #schloss #chateau

The beauty of Kalmar Castle! Name a more beautiful

The beauty of Kalmar Castle! Name a more beautiful castle if you can! 👌

Photo: @swedishnomad

Kronovall, Sweden’s only wine palace! Today, thi

Kronovall, Sweden’s only wine palace! Today, this magnificent French baroque palace houses tens of thousands of bottles of Swedish sparkling wine in its large basement eight meter below ground.

Like all estates in Scania, also Kronovall was Danish when it was first mentioned as being owned by Anders Sinclair, Danish Counsellor of the State, who also laid the foundations for the castle Sinclairsholm in the early 1600s. He was preceded by another famous Dane, Falk Lykke, who also owned Bollerup and Gärsnäs. When Scania became Swedish in 1658 Kronovall was owned by his wife Kirsten Rantzau. Between 1668 and 1896 it was owned by Banér, Palmcreutz, von Essen af Zellie and Hamilton.

When the buildings of today’s castle began in 1896 Count Carl Gustaf Sparre was its Lord. Naturally, he commissioned one of the greatest architects of the time, Isak Gustaf Clason, who was the mastermind behind famous Swedish buildings like the Nordic Museum and the Hallwyl palace in central Stockholm.

The old house was transformed into a magnificent French baroque palace and still today Kronovall stands out among fellow palaces and manor houses in Sweden with its French architecture.

In 1991, the prominent Sparre family donated the palace and 1 500 hectares to a foundation tied to the House of Nobility. It is today rented by the wine producing Åkesson family and also serves as a hotel and restaurant. The Sparre family still keep a wing for themselves.

@enstudiophotography

@kronovallsvinslott #kronovall #kronovallsvinslott #kronovallsslott #sweden⁣ #visitsweden #history#castlesofsweden #slott #svenskaslott #castlehunting #castle #schloss#chateau

The medieval castle Ekenäs is located outside Lin

The medieval castle Ekenäs is located outside Linköping in Östergötland. Although never a royal castle its owners have belonged to the very highest aristocracy for the past 500 years. Today’s castle is built on the foundation of a medieval fortress overlooking the surrounding landscape.

We can trace the ownership of Ekenäs to Svante Sture. When Erik XIV, the son of Gustav I (Vasa), became King of Sweden in Uppsala 1561 he set out to secure his power by winning the favor of the very top of Swedish aristocracy. One of the main strategies was to bestow three of the most powerful noblemen the title of Count. These three, Svante Sture, Per Brahe and Gustaf Johansson (Tre Rosor, became the first Swedish Counts. One of the first things Svante Sture did to show his new status was to build a stone house on the site of Ekenäs Castle.

Between 1630-1640 the castle, as we see it today, was built by Peder Banér and his son Claes Banér. In 1675, Gustaf Banér was heavily affected by the Great Reduction and forced to sell it. The two wings that we see today were added by Mauritz Vellingk who owned the estate between 1687-1727. It was returned to the Banér family when Mauritz’s daughter married Johan Banér and stayed in the family until 1879 when it was acquired by Count Philip Otto Leonard Klingspor. Philip’s daughter lived in the castle until 1934 after which it was uninhabited for some time.

In 1939 it was purchased by the industrialist Bergengren family who renovated the castle and still own it today.

Photo: @j_gustafsson

#ekenäs #östergötland #sweden⁣ #visitsweden #castlesofsweden #slott #svenskaslott #castlehunting #castle #schloss #chateau

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