HomeAdmin2022-12-04T09:08:43+01:00

Your Guide to Castles of Sweden

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

Explore History

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.

Address Book

The quintessential online lifestyle guide for those seeking the very best of what castles of Sweden may offer

Museums

Hotels

Dine & Drink

Weddings

Sporting

Wellness

Social Feed

For all the latest updates, follow @castlesofsweden on Instagram.

castlesofsweden

#castlesofsweden 🇸🇪🏰
✉️ info@castlesofsweden.com
For more castles:
🇩🇰 @castlesofdenmark
🇫🇷 @castlesoffrance
🇮🇹 @castlesofitaly
🇬🇧 @castlesofbritain

Strömsholm is a Swedish royal palace. The baroque

Strömsholm is a Swedish royal palace. The baroque palace is built on the site of a fortress from the 1500s, located on an island in the Kolbäcksån river at the west end of Lake Mälaren. The palace has interiors from the 18th century and an important collection of Swedish paintings.⁣⁣

King Gustav Vasa had a fortress built at Strömsholm in the 1550s. From 1560 until 1621, it served as the residence of queen dowager Catherine Stenbock, and after this, it was given to a later queen dowager, Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg who, however, preferred to reside at Gripsholm Castle. Finally, in 1654, it was given by King Charles X to Queen Hedvig Eleonora.⁣⁣

The old palace of the 1550s later provided the foundation for the present Strömsholm Palace, built in 1669-1674 for Queen Hedvig Eleonora to a design by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder.⁣⁣

Since the 16th century, Strömsholm has been an equestrian center of Sweden. In the 1550s, King Gustav Vasa reinforced the importance of horses here, by raising horses for the cavalry. The Strömsholm Riding School was a part of the Swedish Army from 1868 to 1968. Today, Strömsholm is used as a hippodrome, where equestrian competitions are held each year.

📸 @hanna.c.johansson

@ridskolanstromsholm @stromsholmsdagarna #schweden #sweden⁣ #discoverearth #history #castlesofsweden #castle #slott#svenskaslott #castlehunting #castles #architecture #schloss #chateau

Which is the cutest and most picturesque castle in

Which is the cutest and most picturesque castle in Sweden? @skanelaholms_slott is one of our favourites. What do you think?

📸 @nordicspaniard

The sun is shining on Örebro Castle! ☀️🏰

The sun is shining on Örebro Castle! ☀️🏰

📸 @dharlin.jarusk

Happy 17th of May! Gratulerer med dagen! 🇳🇴

Happy 17th of May! Gratulerer med dagen! 🇳🇴

Today we celebrate the national day of Norway. Our "Brothers".

The Royal Palace is situated on a rise, the Bellevue, at one end of Oslo’s main thoroughfare, Karl Johans gate. The Royal Palace is one of the country’s most important buildings, and a concrete symbol of the course of Norwegian history since 1814.

Building activities commenced in 1824, and the foundation stone was laid by King Carl Johan on 1 October 1825. The Palace was officially taken into use on 26 July 1849 by King Oscar I.

The Royal Palace is owned by the state and placed at the disposal of the head of state. It is where the daily work of the monarchy is conducted and where the King and Queen live. It is where the King presides over the Council of State, grants audiences and holds official dinners. Foreign heads of state who visit Oslo stay at the Palace. Most of the members of the Royal Court have their workplace here.

Text from the Norwegian Royal Court.

📷: @janpetterdahl

Known since the 12th Century, Alnarp Castle was or

Known since the 12th Century, Alnarp Castle was originally Danish. It’s first owner, that we know about, was the Danish Knight Anders Pedersen. It became closely connected to the Danish King Christian III via Erik Krummedige, who was an adviser to the King.

Like many of the castles in Skåne, Alnarp came under Swedish possession after the Treaty at Roskilde in 1658. The Swedish King Charles X Gustav gave the castle and the grounds to Johan von Essen - the Commandant of Malmö. In 1660, after the rebellion on Bornholm Alnarp became one of the “vederlagsgods” (traded estates) between Denmark and Sweden. For a short period of time it also belonged to Gabriel Gabrielson Oxenstierna. In 1694, Alnarp became the first residence for the Governors-General in Skåne (Scania). When Johan Cronman became the first Governor-General of Malmöhus County in 1729 he received Alnarp as a summer residence. At the time the house was only a one story building which was knocked down in 1781.

In 1857 the Swedish government decided that a new agricultural institute should be established at Alnarp and Danish star architect Ferdinand Meldahl was commissioned to build a completely new castle between 1859-1862. He built an impressive castle of four floors in the now famous Alnarp Park. The park is mentioned by Carl Linné in connection to his journey to Skåne and it is believed it was the only elm forest in Sweden. Most of it was later chopped down but today the old forest houses an English park containing some 2000 different species of trees, bushes and plants. It is a true gem and well worth a visit.

Today Alnarp is a part of Sweden’s Agricultural University and horticulturalists, landscape architects, landscape engineers and agronomists are educated here.

Photo: @veva.co

#castlesofsweden #slott #svenskaslott #herrgård

Finally spring in Sweden!! Wanås Castle - one of

Finally spring in Sweden!!

Wanås Castle - one of our favourite gems in northern Scania. The first known owner of what was then known as Watnaas (the ridge by the water) was Eskild Aagesen in 1440. At the time it was merely a house surrounded by a defensive moat and at the end of the century the famous Brahe family became its owner.

By 1511, Niels Nielsen Brahe was the lord of Wanås. He also owned the castle Vittskövle. He was one of the trusted men surrounding king Christian II. In 1525 Niels was sentenced to lose his life and estates due to his allegiance to the king but managed to escape his executioners. He was captured in 1529 and brought to Copenhagen where he was finally executed by the sharp end of a sword after refusing to pledge his allegiance to the new king.

After the sentence in 1525 Wanås fell to the new Danish King Fredrik I and his closest friend Claus Bille. Besides Wanås he also possessed Råbelövs Castle. His son Sten took over the estate in 1553 and during his time it was ruined and destroyed in connection to the Northern Seven Years’ War. Sten rebuilt the castle but the Bille family sold it to Anne Ramel in 1649, the widow of Malte Juel to Maltesholm. When Scania became Swedish in 1658 Wanås was one of the few castles that did not become a property of the Swedish king. In 1691 Lena Sofia von Putbus inherited the estate. The von Putbus stayed at Wanås until it was sold to Carl Axel Hugo Hamilton in 1756. Carl was married to the rich heiress Betty Jennings who stayed at Wanås until 1801 even though Carl died in 1763. She made substantial changes to Wanås and is the one responsible for making Wanås into the great estate it is today.

The year before she died she made Wanås an entailed estate for the benefit of her daughter’s son Carl Axel Wachtmeister af Johannishus who at the time was only five years old. Until this day, Wanås is still cared for by the Wachtmeister family.

Photo: @fruvintage

#wanås #visitskåne #sweden⁣ #visitsweden#passionpassport #travelinggram #travelphotography #goexplore #discoverglobe #discoverearth #roamtheplanet #history #castlesofsweden #castle #slott #svenskaslott #castlehunting

Today, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden celebrates h

Today, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden celebrates his 77th birthday!

This year is also a double jubilee, marking 500 years since Gustav Vasa was elected king in 1523 – ushering in a new era that shaped modern Sweden – as well as King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 50th jubilee as Sweden's head of state. The King ascended the throne on 15 September 1973. He is Sweden's longest-reigning monarch of all time.

📸 Thron Ullberg / Kungl. Hovstaterna

The beautiful cherry blossom 🌸 in Kungsträdgå

The beautiful cherry blossom 🌸 in Kungsträdgården with the Royal Palace of Stockholm in the background.

Wishing you all a fantastic weekend!

📸 @assal.fotograf

One of our favourite gems on the Swedish west coas

One of our favourite gems on the Swedish west coast, Gunnebo.

📸 @gunneboslott

Happy Easter from @tjoloholm! 🐣 📸 @kajsasjo

Happy Easter from @tjoloholm! 🐣

📸 @kajsasjolander

The Royal Palace of Stockholm is His Majesty The K

The Royal Palace of Stockholm is His Majesty The King's official residence and also one of the largest palaces in Europe.

📸 @tomagarnier

Thank you all who sent us amazing photos of castle

Thank you all who sent us amazing photos of castles with northern lights this week!

Here is beautiful shot of @tidoslott, captured by @eryttinge. 🤩

Did you see any? The northern lights made a rare a

Did you see any? The northern lights made a rare appearance in the south of Sweden this week, pictured here over Ekenäs Castle. 🤩

📸 @lindstenfoto

Lejondal offers a new weekend package with British

Lejondal offers a new weekend package with British sparkling wine! This will be tested! See more on their page @lejondalsslott

Lejondal Castle is one of Sweden’s youngest castles – completed in 1892. It is together with Thorskog, Tjolöholm, Bjertorp and Teleborg among the last castles built in Sweden.

The estate traces its roots to the early 1400s when it was owned by Swedish Queen Filippa of England, the wife of Eric of Pomerania. It was originally known as Bro-Lövsta and renamed Lejondal during the 1600s after its owner Erik Abraham Leijonhuvud. During the 1700s it was owned by the Funck- and Gripenstedt families.

Governor and Count Eric Samuel Sparre purchased the estate in 1810 and in 1843 it was inherited by his son Erik Josias Sparre who also owned neighbouring Brogård. When Erik died in 1886 it passed to his daughter Louise Ulrika Sparre who was also married to Louis De Geer av Leufsta. After Louis died in 1887, Countess Louise Ulrika decided to build the present house while the lands had been divided between Louise Ulrika and her brother Johan Sparre who became the owner of Brogård. Lejondal was built by Isak Gustaf Clason between 1889-1891 and while Louise Ulrika established herself in the new house in 1892 it was not completely decorated until the turn of the century. Her new husband, Fredrik Rappe, never liked the castle so it became their summer residence instead. After mentioned Rappe managed to peculate his wife’s money they were forced to sell the place in 1914 to Norwegian Aal who, unfortunately, was more interested in the surrounding woodland than the castle.

When Axel Robert Bildt acquired the estate in 1918 he renovated the and modernised the main building and turned the estate into an exemplary estate. He lived there until his death in 1944. For the past 50 years the castle has functioned as a conference facility and is currently owned by Excellence hotels.

Photo: @lejondalsslott

The beautiful Porcelain Room at Drottningholm Pala

The beautiful Porcelain Room at Drottningholm Palace, the residence of the King and Queen of Sweden.

📸 @jepsolell

Magical Trollenäs Castle is a very impressive cas

Magical Trollenäs Castle is a very impressive castle with its 96 rooms and over 2000 square meters! Known as Näs since the 1380s it belonged to the Danish Thott family for 300 years until Knut Thott in 1682 traded the estate to Helle Trolle, widow to the Councillor of State, Admiral and vice-roy of Norway Nils Trolle and owner of Gavnø castle in Denmark. Gavnø is also the estate that Thott received in the trade.

The Trolle family belongs to Sweden’s ancient nobility and traces its roots to the province of Småland in southern Sweden. Around the year 1500 the family was one of the largest landowners in all of Scandinavia and they established their seat at Bergkvara.

When Helle died, the estate passed to her son Arvid who’s son Fredrik Trolle took over the estate in 1720 and made it an entailed estate for the benefit of his grandson Fredrik Trolle. The former Fredrik renamed the estate Trollenäs. Although he made Trollenäs an entail estate he did not forget his daughters who received vast estates and capital with the promise that the name Trolle should be remembered. This is how beautiful estates like Trolle-Ljungby, Trolleholm, Trolleberg and Trollesund came to bear the name Trolle. And of course this also followed through marriage with other families and the names Trolle-Bonde, Trolle-Wachtmeister and others were formed.

In 1890 Nils Trolle inherited the estate and he commissioned a substantial transformation of the then white castle between 1891-1893 by the famous Danish architect Ferdinand Meldahl. The result was a not only beautiful but also an impressive castle complex in a Mediaeval renaissance style - in brick.

Nils and his wife, Anna Lejonhufvud, were the socialites of their time, regularly hosting lavish parties attended by Kings and Queens. Both King Oscar II and Gustav V are said to have had their own permanent suites!

This remarkable estate is still privately owned by the Trolle family. Since 2010, Nils great grandson Ulf is the family's guardian of Trollenäs. The castle is open to the public and if you are lucky you may get a glimpse of its owner when you visit!

Photo: @draganpavlov_photo

@trollenasslott #trollenäs #skåne

We are back in Östergötland and the medieval cas

We are back in Östergötland and the medieval castle Ekenäs!

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.

📸 @coloursthrumylens

Trolleholm Castle, not far from Malmö in southern

Trolleholm Castle, not far from Malmö in southern Sweden.

📸 @svenskadestinationer

Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred is known as Gustav V

Gripsholm Castle in Mariefred is known as Gustav Vasa's castle, as it was he who built the castle here in 1537.

Today the castle is home to the Swedish State's collection of portraits. The collection features portraits of prominent Swedes from Gustav Vasa's time to present day.

In summertime we recommend taking the historic steam engine boat S/S Mariefred from Stockholm to Mariefred for a scenic journey.

📸 @photobyrassmus

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.

📸 @thiagowithadrone

Load More… Follow on Instagram