Castles, fortresses and palaces of Sweden: touch the deep antiquity! Excursion tour “Medieval cities and castles in Sweden Castles of Sweden on the map.

The Kingdom of Sweden (Swedish Konungariket Sverige) is a state in Northern Europe on the Scandinavian Peninsula, a member of the European Union since January 1, 1995 and a country that has signed the Schengen Agreement. A constitutional monarchy. It is not included in NATO. The name of the country comes from the Scandinavian svear-rige - "Svei state". The capital is Stockholm (population 1.7 million).

By area (449,964 km²) Sweden ranks third among countries Western Europe and the fifth among the countries of all Europe.

Sweden is located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Scandinavia. Bordered by Norway to the west, Finland to the northeast and Denmark to the southwest. It is washed by the waters of the Gulf of Bothnia and the Baltic Sea. A ridge of Scandinavian mountains in the western part of the country separates Sweden from Norway. Largest cities: Gothenburg (with suburbs-800 thousand), Malmo (500 thousand).

The head of state is the king. However, Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, so the king currently has no power. The state is run by a government headed by a prime minister who is elected by parliament, the Riksdag. Parliament is re-elected by popular vote every four years.

Inimitable beauty Swedish nature sung by the ancient skald poets, and the castles of Sweden seem to be pearls scattered over its emerald hills and wooded rocks. The impregnable walls of fortresses remind of their military past, and luxurious palaces attract tourists from all over the world with rich interiors and exhibitions.

Many castles are privately owned, and some are owned by the state and even public organizations, but almost all are open to the public. There are about 20 castles in the Lake Mälaren region alone. And the royal castle of Drottningholm - "Versailles in miniature", located near Stockholm, is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Arfustens palace

Akere

Ålhult Palace

Castle Bershammars

Broborg Castle

View of the castle in 1700. 19th century engraving.

Broborg is a Renaissance castle of the kings of Sweden, destroyed during the Northern War by Russian troops and has not been restored since then.

The ruins of the Broborg royal castle are located in eastern Sweden, in the Estergötland county, on the territory of the Norrköping commune, on the shores of the Broviken bay. The total area of ​​the Broborg property is 250x190 meters, in addition to the castle ruins (32x30 m) with preserved basements, it also includes ramparts, dams and the base of the chapel. It is surrounded by protective ditches 10 to 15 meters wide and 400 meters long. The base of the chapel is triangular. The palace park, which was laid out during the Renaissance, has been partially preserved.

Bond Palace

Bohus Fortress

It is located almost on the border with Norway, in the Bohusl? N lane on the island at the point where the Gota Alv splits into two branches - Gota Alv and Nordre Alv. The fortress was built in the XIV century and played an important role during the wars between Norway, Sweden and the Danish Kingdom. It was considered the most powerful fortification of that time in Scandinavia. Over time, in connection with the appearance of firearms, bastions were added to the fortress, and after the end of the Northern Wars, the castle gradually fell into desolation and decline. Remained in the present time picturesque ruins, against the background of which the local population arranges fairs and "medieval tournaments".

The fortress was founded in 1308 by the Norwegian king Hakon V (1270-1319), as opposed to the nearby Kungelv, in which the Swedish duke Erik Magnusson settled at that time, who, together with his brother Valdemar, challenged the crown of Sweden from his third brother, Birger. The fortress was originally built of wood, but since it was located in the border area, it was soon rebuilt in stone, and it became one of the strongest fortresses in Scandinavia.

At this time, Bohuslan belonged to Norway and was one of the strategically important lines of defense against the Swedes. The fortress was sieged many times, but it was never taken. During the Northern Seven Years' War (1563-1570), the castle was seriously damaged. In 1566, 250 Swedish soldiers were able to capture the northeastern tower, and without further success, blew up one of the warehouses nearby.

The Bohus commandant ruled first the southern, and later the northern part of the province, which later received the name of Bohuslan by the name of the fortification. Bohus played an important role in the relationship between Norway and Sweden. In 1333, a herredag ​​met in Bohus, at which King Magnus Ericsson was declared an adult, and in 1344 Magnus' son Håkan was proclaimed king of Norway here. In 1389, the fortress became the place where King Albrecht of Mecklenburg was imprisoned.

Fortress plan 1786

Since the Middle Ages, Bochus has been besieged many times, but has never been taken. In 1531 it was besieged by the Danish king Christian II, during the Scandinavian Seven Years' War (1563-1570), the Swedes unsuccessfully tried to capture it five times. The most serious test for the fortress was the siege in March 1566, when Nils Boye and Nils Sture made four assault attempts. During the last of them, the Swedes managed to occupy the main tower, but were blown up along with it.

Bochus, badly damaged by the sieges, was strengthened and rebuilt several times: in 1595, in 1605 and 1645. In the middle of the 17th century, the fortress was a quadrangle with towers, the north-western of which ("Father's Hat") was quadrangular, and the other three, apparently, were round. In the western part of the fortress, there was the "Red Tower", in which the church was located. The outer fortifications formed an irregular heptagon.

Tower "Father's Hat"

The Bohus fortress is located on the "fortress island" (F? Stingsholmen), at the site of the division of the Gota Alv into two branches - Gota Alv and Nordre Alv. Initially the island was called - Bagaholmen - Baga Island. The castle received the same name and began to be called Bagahus - "House of Baga", which was later transformed into Baahus, B? Hus or Bohus - These three forms make up the modern pronunciation of the castle, the same in Swedish, Norwegian and Danish.

The castle itself was originally built from granite and stone. In 1450, the castle was already surrounded by long fortified walls of 3 meters at the base, and from 8.5 to 13.5 meters in height, depending on the terrain. The castle was rectangular. There were four towers in the corners. In the western part there was a brick tower, and in the center of the eastern part of the castle there was a gate with a swing bridge.

"Royal Hall" - this was the name of the vaulted entrance to the castle in one of the towers, there were four more floors above the vaults. Inside the fortress walls there was a castellan's residence, a chapel, guard rooms, barracks, a kitchen and other outbuildings. The approaches to the castle were very small, only 250 by 150 meters, so a large garrison was not required for defense. Only the ruins of the castle, the north tower "Fars Hatt" and the ramparts have survived to this day.

According to the Roskilde peace of 1658, Bochus departed from Denmark to Sweden. During the Danish-Swedish war of 1675-1679, the fortress was again sieged by the ten thousandth Norwegian army under the command of Gyullenlev. The siege lasted almost two months - from May 25 to July 22, 1678 - and Bochus would have been forced to surrender if G.O. Stenbock had not come to her aid.

Almost to the ground, the destroyed fortress was rebuilt according to the plan of the engineer Erik Dahlberg and until 1700 was the residence of Landshöding Bohuslän, although it had largely lost its military significance. Under Charles XII, the fortress guns were transported to Sundsborg, which, according to the king's plan, was to strengthen the border with Danish Norway. After the death of the king, the guns were returned to the fortress. In the 18th century, Bochus served mainly as a prison.

In the future, Bochus only fell into decay. In 1783, the inhabitants of Kungelv received the right to break stones out of the fortress for construction purposes. During the Danish-Swedish war of 1788-1789, it was occupied by Danish troops, and after the end of the military conflict, the Swedes decided to tear down Bohus. In this regard, the inhabitants of Kurgelv were again granted the right to use its stone, but in 1838, King Karl Johan, for cultural and historical reasons, prohibited further destruction of the Bohus Fortress.

In 1898-1904, the fortress carried out archaeological excavations and conservation work. In 1925, the ruins of the Bohus Fortress were taken over by the Construction Board, and in 1934, under the leadership of the Unemployment Commission, restoration work began, during which the main gate was restored, which is now decorated with the monogram of Gustav V.

Currently, restoration work in the fortress continues.

Strengthening Visingso

Visingso (Swedish Visingsö) is an island in the southern part of Lake Vettern, Sweden. Located 30 km north of Jönköping and 6 km west of Grena

In the XII-XIII centuries in the southern part of the island was the castle of Nes, which served as the residence of the kings of Sweden. Kings of Sweden Karl Sverkersson, Erik Knutsson, Johan Sverkersson and Magnus Ladulos died here.

In the 17th century, the Brahe noble family settled on the island, in the Vissingsborg castle. At the same time, the Swedish admiralty began to grow oak on the island for the needs of shipbuilding. Currently, oak groves have been partially cut, and most of the island is occupied by agricultural land.

During the Northern War, Russian prisoners of war were housed on the island, among whom were Generals A. M. Golovin and I. Yu. Trubetskoy. The prisoners were kept at Wiesingsborg Castle. According to legend, it was they who set fire to the castle in 1718 after learning about the death of King Charles XII. A Russian cemetery (sv: Rysskyrkogården) has been preserved on the island.

Vengarns

Vasteryas

Wrangel Palace

Another area of ​​Stockholm that cannot be ignored is the tiny Riddarholmen, or Knights' Island, which is only 300 m long and 200 m wide. The first inhabitants here were Franciscan monks, who founded in the XIII century. on the territory granted by him to the monastery of the Order of the Gray Brothers. The reformation of Gustav I Vasa did not spare the local inhabitants, and in 1527 the monks were ousted by the poor, who instantly flooded the islet.

What explains such strange name Islands - Knightly? He got such a name much later - only in the era of Great Power, when the Swedish king Gustav II Adolf, and later his daughter Queen Christina, began to donate lands to the noble men of their great kingdom, who immediately began to build luxurious palaces. It was they who immediately turned Stockholm into a capital, in no way inferior even to Paris.

The most magnificent palace of Riddarholmen belonged to the commander and general Karl Gustav Wrangel (1613-1676), who got rich in the Thirty Years War. With all his heart he longed to buy a piece of land on the Knights' Island and build a palace there, but Queen Christina was ahead of him - she was the first to acquire the territory that Wrangel liked and personally presented it to her faithful warrior!

Wrangel Palace is the largest private residence in Stockholm. Even before the appearance of the palace itself, its southern tower, like the Tower of Birger Jarl, was part of the defensive fortifications built by Gustav Vasa in 1530.

However, the nobles also had difficult times when they were unable to pay for their huge estates and left them. The majestic palaces immediately passed to various kinds of departments (among which was the oldest department in Sweden, established back in 1539), in whose hands they are to this day. Today only the names of the buildings remind of the former owners - Wrangel's Palace, Shering Rusenhanes Palace, Hessenstein's Palace, the House of the Chief Commissioner.

The palace was built in the 1630s as a residence for the nobleman Lars Sparre. Several decades later, the palace passed into the possession of Field Marshall Karl Gustav Wrangel, who hired the architect Nicodemus Tessin the Elder to rebuild the palace to his liking. The result is the largest private palace in Stockholm.

During the war, many rich commanders and generals dreamed of quiet life in future palaces. Wrangel, on the other hand, decided not to postpone the construction "for later", despite the fact that not far from Stockholm at that time the construction of his other palace, Skukloster, was in full swing.

In 1693, Wrangel lost most of his property, and four years later, when another fire destroyed the Tre Kronor castle, the royal family moved to Riddarholmen, Wrangel Palace became the royal residence and was named Kungshuset, which means "Royal House". In this palace in 1697, 15-year-old Charles XII took the oath of office after the death of his father. Gustav III was born and lived here for ten years. In 1754, the construction of the Royal Palace was completed and the royal family moved there, and the State Headquarters settled in the palace.

King Gustav 3

In those rare days when Carl Gustav still visited the Stockholm house, life in it was in full swing: the general lived on a royal scale. Apparently, therefore, the Vran-gel palace was chosen as a temporary refuge for the royal family when its own house - Tre Krunur castle - burned down in 1697.

The fact that the choice of the royal family fell on the Wrangel Palace eloquently testifies to its scope: in 1694, three years before the fire in the Royal Palace, Wrangel's palace was also on fire, as a result of which the facade of the building was badly damaged. But the destruction was not great: Nicodemus Tessin Jr. quickly gave the castle its proper look, and since then Wrangel's palace began to be called the Royal House - Kungshuset ..

Tre Krunur burned down at the very time when the embalmed body of Charles X Gustav was in it, and the young Charles XII was being prepared for the throne. Many guests were invited to the coronation, but Tessin, no matter how hard he tried, did not have time to create a new magnificent salon in the Wrangel palace, and his replacement was an impromptu outdoor hall on the terrace.

By December 13, 1697, when all the estates were to take the oath of allegiance to the new monarch, the floor was covered with expensive carpets, the outer burnt walls were hidden behind woven wallpaper, and the silver throne of Queen Christina was even erected against the wall.

King Karl 12

For several years, the lights in the windows of the palace did not go out and the music did not stop - young Karl constantly arranged balls, masquerades and party dinners, for which his friend Tessin was always responsible. But in March 1700 the fun came to an end: Charles XII left "his" home for the sake of wars with Denmark and half of Europe, and he was never destined to see these lands.

In the first years, good news appeared in the palace almost every day, but after the shocking defeat near Poltava in 1709, despair and pain settled here.

Only once, in 1710, was good news brought here again from the front: Charles XII defeated the Danes at Helsingborg. It is said that the "common courier" Henrik Hammarberg (1686-1768), who carried this message day and night from southern Sweden to Stockholm, was personally served by Queen Hedwig Eleanor (1636-1715) a glass of wine and invited to sit down, while she herself stood

Queen Hedwig-a-Eleanor

In fact, calling Henrik "a simple courier", the story-chiki are a little cunning: he traveled in a comfortable carriage and spent the night in decent inns - all this Hammarberg entered into the book of expenses, a sheet of which hangs today in a frame in one of the halls Wrangel's palace - the very one where the audience of the queen and the courier took place.

The construction of the new royal palace took 57 years - it was ready only in 1754, and therefore the whole royal generation was forced to "huddle" in the hospitable walls of the Wrangel palace.

Queen Ulrika Eleanor (1688-1741) and her husband Fredrik I (1676-1751) have been content with this peculiar residence all their lives; they were succeeded by Adolf Fredrik (1710-1771) and Luvis Ulrik (1720-1782), whose son, who later came to the throne as Gustav III, was also born in Wrangel's palace.

Queen Ulrika-Eleanor

It is interesting that later, in 1792, it was here that Gustav's murderer, Jacob Johan Ankarström (1762-1797), whose cell has remained intact since then, will be tried.

Two years after the pompous relocation of the royal couple back to Tre Krunur, several departments moved to Wrangel's palace, including the Supreme Court of Sweden, which today occupies the entire building.

In the Great Hall, which today is a hall of plenary sessions, there are portraits of all the presidents of the Supreme Court since 1614. This collection was started in 1717 by Anna Maria Ehrensch-trahl, who handed over to the Supreme Court several portraits painted by herself.

Vic Castle

Wik Castle is located on the shores of Lake Melaren, in the town of Melardalen, 2 km from the medieval capital of Sweden - Uppsala and 85 km. from Stockholm.

The castle was built at the end of the 15th century in imitation of the architecture of the 13th century, following the models of the castles of Normandy and with its spiers and turrets gives the impression of a real fairytale castle. The castle is surrounded by a moat with water and was not criminal when, during the internecine wars, the soldiers of Gustav Vasa besieged it for a year, but they could not take it. The thick brick walls of the castle still remember those times.

The castle was partially rebuilt several times. The first and most extensive reconstruction of the castle was carried out in 1656 - 1560s under the leadership of the castle owners at the time, Marshal Gustaf Horn and his wife. The roof and several upper floors were dismantled, the castle became lower. Vik Castle acquired its present appearance after another reconstruction, which was carried out in 1858-1860.

The castle was inherited until 1912, then it was sold. Later, Wieck was renovated and rebuilt into a hotel. The hotel has 29 fully equipped rooms, each of which has WC, telephone, radio, TV in some rooms. Horseback riding tours, wine tasting, guided tours of the castle and much more can be organized for hotel guests.

Currently, the castle also offers conference, wedding and engagement services and a restaurant.

Grønsejo Castle

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The castle was built on the shores of Lake Malaren for Chancellor Johan Skytte in 1607-1611. The building was built in the Renaissance style of gray stone and bricks. There are four square towers at the corners of the castle. Visiting the castle in 1651, Andreus Liloneus said of the castle: "There is a large brick building, beautifully shaped like a wonderful palace, and, built with great grace and style, it is especially impressive when you look at the castle through the garden and hedges."

At the end of the 17th century, the castle was taken from the Skytt family in favor of the crown and fell into disrepair. After the estate changed several owners, it was bought at the beginning of the 18th century by the wealthy Falkenberg family. The castle was rebuilt, but the four corner towers were demolished.

In 1820, the estate was acquired by Chief Justice Reinhold Fredrik Von Ehrenheim, whose descendants still own Grønseø Castle today.

It is noteworthy that the manor was never fully restored, each new owner of the castle made his own contribution, characteristic of its historical period, to the development of Grønseio.

The castle is surrounded by a park and a garden of 720 hectares, the first park was founded during the construction of the castle in 1611 under Johann Skeitt. Thanks to the gradual expansion of the park by all generations of castle residents, Grønseø Park serves as a living example of at least five periods of development of gardening art, interior design and architecture in Sweden from the 17th century to the present day. Today, Grönsøø Garden is looked after by specialists from the Swedish University. Agriculture(The Swedish University of Agriculture).

Gunnebo House

The best example of Swedish neoclassical architecture is the Gunnebo House with a garden. The house was built in the late 18th century for the wealthy entrepreneur John Hall and was used by him as a large summer residence. Contemporaries described it as the most beautiful and exquisite wooden building in the kingdom.

The name Gunnebo also bore the estate, which, prior to the acquisition by John Hall in 1778, was a church property. The construction of the residence was entrusted to the architect Karl Wilhelm Karlberg. He was responsible not only for the building, but also for decoration, decoration, furniture, gardens, and outbuildings.

Gardens were laid out on the estate under the guidance of this talented architect. There were three of them in total. The elegant French Baroque garden, where statues, decorative vases and garden furniture were placed, were complemented with exotic plants. In this garden, all vegetation was only manually pruned.

Landscape park or the English garden was created, as it should be, like a patch of wilderness. The third garden was ... a vegetable garden. It was called the kitchen garden and played a significant role in the household

After the death of his father, the estate passed to John Hall Jr., who, although gifted with artistic taste, did not inherit his father's business acumen. Hall's trading house falls into decay and the Gunnebo estate is sold under the hammer. The owners changed several times until the residence became the property of Baron and Baroness Sparre.

They treated the house with care, preserved many original details that created such a cozy and at the same time refined style of the estate. After the death of Hilda Sparro, her husband Karl sold Gunnebo to the municipality.

In the period from 1949 to 1952, the house was renovated according to the preserved original drawings and other documentation. On the basis of drawings made by Karlberg himself, the gardens and even part of the vegetable garden were restored.

Now Gunnebo bears the title of a cultural reserve, a souvenir shop is open on the territory, chamber concerts, historical evenings, a Christmas fair, and theatrical performances are held.

Gervyalns castle

Görväln castle on Görväln, bay of Lake Mälaren. The castle, which was completely renovated in 2008 and is protected as a historic building, now houses a hotel and a restaurant.

Kalmar Castle

Kalmar Castle, located on the southern coast of Sweden in a small town of the same name, has become a "hot spot" of events in the history of medieval Scandinavia. The castle often took part in battles and at the same time became one of the significant centers of political events. Its convenient location on the coast made it one of the tax collection places for the Swedish crown and, in fact, a "storeroom" for the royal court.

The area around Kalmar has been inhabited since ancient times. Excavations have shown the presence of ancient burials here. However, the first information about this place dates back to the 11th century.

According to medieval legend Norway's patron Saint Olaf (Olaf II the Saint) brought his ships to the Kalmar Strait in 1027. There are few written sources about this event, but archaeologists discovered a stone in which there is a mention of this strait.

In the Middle Ages, it was the third largest in the state and was a center of trade, mainly for the export of iron, which was carried out by traders from Germany. Located in the southeast of the country, on the shores of the Baltic Sea. The city was formed around the Kalmar Castle, which in turn was built in the XII century around a watchtower designed to protect against pirates and Danes. Other attractions include the Kalmar Cathedral, designed by Tessin.

Kalmar Castle, located near the Kalmar Medieval Pier, has played a key role in Swedish history since its construction in the 12th century. Once called "the key to Sweden", this historic castle was established for the Kalmar Union, in which Sweden, Norway and Denmark were united into one kingdom in 1397, thanks to the efforts of Queen Margaret of Denmark.

According to the most common version, Kalmar is a translation from Old Swedish - “stone banks”. However, when the Icelandic sagas writer Snorre Sturlasson visited Kalmar in 1219, he referred to it as "Kaupbaer" which means "trading city".

The same writer reports that Sigurd Jorsalafarare also sent his fleet to Småland in 1123 in an attempt to convert the local population to Christianity. This hike was named "Kalmare ledung".

During the XII century. most Swedes became Christians, and the main boundaries of the state were delineated. Each city now had its own bailiff, who collected taxes for the royal treasury.

The construction of the fortress began in the 12th century. In the 16th century, the fortress was improved under the reign of King Gustav I and was used as Royal Palace... It contains the beautiful room of the king's son Eric XIV.

It is believed that in the XIII century. the city reached its heyday, thanks in large part to the wealthy merchants from Lübeck and the Hansa. The Squid seal, which dates from 1255 to 1267, is the oldest seal in Scandinavia.

A letter from the judge of Kalmar Castle Magnus Bengtsson, addressed to the bailiff and counselor of Lübeck, has survived. In it, the judge calls himself "prefectus Kalmarnensis", and the letter itself is sealed with a seal on which you can read "Sigillum inhabitantium Kalmarniam" (seal of the inhabitants of Kalmar)

On November 10, 1276, Magnus Ladulus himself held a wedding ceremony in the castle. Helvig av Holstein became his chosen one. The rule of Ladulus is characterized by the rise in the welfare of the nation, which made it possible to implement such a large-scale project. Despite this, all work was not completed until around 1300 during the reign of Tyrgyl Knutsson.

After the completion of the construction of the fortifications, Kalmar became one of the most protected places not only in Sweden, but throughout Scandinavia.

The walls of the room are decorated with wooden paneling, above which there is a colorful border of paintings painted on plaster. The squid was captured by the Danes in 1613 and burned to the ground in 1647. Since then, the fortress has served as a distillery, granary, prison and museum.

After the Swedish border was moved to the Öresund Strait (? Resund), the star of Kalmar Castle went down. In the XVII-XVIII centuries. royals only occasionally visited the castle. The last in the castle was King Charles XI, he was on the throne from 1673 to 1692.

During the 18th century, the castle housed a prison and a grain warehouse, and during the reign of Gustav III, a distillery was set up. The latter turned out to be unprofitable and was closed in 1787.

In 1852, the city built new prison, and restoration work began in the castle, as a result of which most of the historic interiors were restored.

In the nineteenth century, the castle was in poor condition, and it was assumed that some of its historic interiors should be moved to another building. Frederic Scholandre put an end to this plan and instead began the restoration of the castle. In 1856 he presented his proposals for the restoration of the royal apartments, which came to fruition five years later. Since 1880, Helgo Zetterval continued the restoration of the castle and in 1891 the castle received the silhouette that it has today.

Today, the castle is the main attraction in this port city of Sweden, from which you can start exploring the Kingdom of the Crystal, and buy glass products for quite cheap. In addition, Kalmar Castle is the best-preserved Renaissance castle in Sweden.

(To be continued)

Ancient Swedish cities are carefully preserved rich history Middle Ages. Here you can visit ancient castles that belonged to royal families and nobles, visit ancient churches, where unique objects of the past are preserved and burials are located. famous people country. Descend into a deep mine, where in those ancient times, silver was mined - a noble metal that was valued not only for its external qualities, but also for the magical properties that medieval alchemists attributed to it. Our guided tour of Sweden's medieval castles and ancient cities will introduce you to some of the country's outstanding medieval fortifications.

Tour program:

• 1 day
• 0:30 - Departure by bus from St. Petersburg, from the station. metro station Chornaya Rechka.
• Moving towards the border.
• Passage of border formalities.
• Time for lunch at a cafe.
• Moving to Turku.
• Excursion "Medieval Obu".
  Success of Swedish crusades in the XII century, was consolidated by the creation of the Episcopal Castle on the coast. Since that time, the development of Finnish lands began. Main city Obu became cultural and administrative center Swedish Finland. Even today, you can see a reminder of the Middle Ages in the city: the Cathedral, the Old Square, the cobbled street that once led to the monastery, the old church and the site of the first episcopal castle, the famous Turku castle and even the ruins of the Old City.
  Walking tour of the Old Square, Monastyrskaya Street and excursion to AboaVetus Museum where the ruins of the Old City were preserved after the fire.
• Free time.
• Boarding the ferry.
  Those interested can dine on the ferry *
• 2nd day
• For those wishing to have breakfast on the ferry *
• Arrival in Stockholm.
• Moving to Uppsala
• Great Mounds of Old Uppsala
  The great royal mounds keep the memory of the greatness of the ancient kings of Scandinavia. It was here that the capital and the main pagan sanctuary were once located with the idols of the most revered gods, to whom abundant bloody sacrifices were made. The largest ting in the country gathered here - the people's assembly, where the most important state issues were resolved. And with the advent of Christianity, the first church in Sweden appeared here, which has survived to this day.
• Sightseeing tour of New Uppsala.
  The small Swedish town is still one of the most important cultural centers country, thanks to its University, the oldest in Scandinavia. Since the 12th century, Uppsala has been the ecclesiastical center of Sweden, where the Swedish archbishop was located. You will see Uppsala Cathedral, one of the palaces of Gustav Vasa, ancient runes and other sights of the city.
• Excursion to the silver mines of Sala.
  Since the 13th century, the mining of this noble metal begins in Sweden, and for 400 years, from the 150-meter depth of the local bowels, silver flowed in an inexhaustible stream into the royal treasury, and a clean coin was minted in neighboring Westeros. Now the mining has stopped, but the grandiose underground halls are not empty: they conduct excursions, and even an elite hotel is arranged! And after the cold mine, everyone can warm up with a delicious Swedish lunch in a cozy cafe.
• Return to Uppsala.
• Hotel accommodation. Free time.
• Day 3
• Breakfast in the hotel.
• Moving to .
  Excursion "The first capital of Sweden".
  We will get to know the city founded in 980! He was the largest political, spiritual and shopping center country, with the first seat of the bishop and the settlement of Novgorod merchants. Today it is a small town with a huge history, unique sights, beautiful views and Scandinavian charm. You will see the street, which is considered the oldest in Sweden and the Town Hall, which is called "the smallest". Visit a 13th century temple and 12th century church ruins. This town has the largest number of runestones. On cozy streets cities meet houses with over 300 years of history.
• Moving to Gripsholm
• Inspection of the expositions of the Gripsholm castle.
  The grandiose castle of the XIV century is located on one of the islands of the lake. It was the prison of one of the Swedish kings and his family. It was rebuilt several times, but later it was decided to return it to its original appearance. Now it is a huge and very interesting historical museum.
• Moving to Stockholm
• Boarding the ferry. For those wishing to have dinner on the ferry *.
• 4th day
• Breakfast on the ferry for those who wish *.
• Excursion "Medieval motives in the architecture of Helsinki".
  At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, a new direction in architecture appeared, called "Northern Art Nouveau". This style also came to Finland. It arose out of an increased interest in national roots, traditions, and folklore. And in Finland, whose history has been connected for 700 years with Sweden, there are curious decorative elements and planning features that reflect medieval motives.
• Moving towards the border.
• 23:00 - approximate time arrival in St. Petersburg.

Attention:

• For participation in this tour you must have a valid visa and medical insurance.
• To participate in tours to the Republic of Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, Uzbekistan and Turkey, a visa is not required.
• The tour does not include visits to water parks, shopping malls and fish shops.
• In late autumn, winter, early spring, due to the short daylight hours, a visit to some of the objects declared in the program may take place in the dark.
• The organizer is not responsible for queues at border points, delays on the way due to customs, border and other official formalities, weather conditions, as well as traffic jams.
• If weather on the route may threaten the safety of tourists (heavy snowfalls, low / high air temperatures, mudflows, showers, floods, forest fires, smog, etc.), the organizer reserves the right to unilaterally change the tour program: replace some objects with others, and if replacement is impossible, exclude objects from the program.
• Seats on the bus are allocated by the organizer as the group recruits.

Gavnø castle

Gavne Castle is one of the most famous buildings in Denmark, located on a small island (about five and a half square meters) south of the town of Nestved, near the coast of Zealand. Despite the ear-cutting name, the Gavne castle is a great cultural value of the Danes.

Gavnø is a Rococo castle. This castle was first mentioned during the reign of King Valdemar. It was a large, fairly fortified structure that protected from pirates. South coast Denmark.

The chapel in the south wing has survived to this day. This chapel houses a chapel, where you can see the genealogical tree of the owners of the castle.

Count Otto Tott bought the castle in 1737, and thanks to his efforts and investments, the castle was renovated, expanded, and a huge library was built, which contains a collection of one hundred and twenty thousand books. In addition, Count Otto Tott founded the park, which is home to a variety of trees and flowers, including rare species.

Lovely owners of the castle, descendants of Count Otto, very hospitable and positive couple

Helle Zøfting and Baron Otto Reedtz-Thott

Baroness Reeds-Tott

The current castle was built in 1755-1758 ...

A stone bridge across the Suso River to access the castle was built after the flood of 1872, which destroyed the old wooden bridge Built in 1766.

The inhabitants of Gavnø also fought against the lucrative piracy at the time.

Queen Margaret 1

From the early 1400s to 1536, Queen Margaret I founded the monastery of St. Agnes in the castle. There is still a chapel in the southern wing of the castle, although since then it has been significantly expanded.

The Gavne castle has three wings, which are open to the public for tourists. The walls are painted bright yellow. Gavne Castle is famous for its park, built in the middle of the 18th century. This park is planted with numerous trees and lawns. Thanks to these features, the park looks harmonious and free.

Especially striking is the tulip garden, which was created by the owners a hundred years ago ...

And here is the Danish princess Marie attending the presentation of a new rare tulip variety named after her in the castle park ..
Named after the Danish princess, the tulips are white in color and have graceful green leaves.

A beautiful girl Marie, isn't it ... worthy of the most beautiful tulips ...

And now lawns, alleys and tulips delight the eyes of many visitors to the park. The entrance to the park is paid.

The interiors amaze with exquisite luxury and an abundance of paintings, rare furniture, cute things of the times ...

In 1755, a separate street was laid in Gavne Park called Linden Avenue. This place is famous for its trees, which the Danish king Frederic the fifth gave to Otto Tott. An alley of Japanese cherries was also created on the way to the castle. The Otto-Ritz family planted 200 Japanese cherries in tribute to the memory of their Japanese friend Mr. Takkeki.

The Gavne castle, in addition to the park and alleys, is famous for the museum of Danish firefighters. It contains the entire history of Danish firefighters.
Today, the palace is home to the Baron and Baroness Ridz-Tott, but some of the castle's premises are available for public viewing.

The castle was one of only two Dominican convents in Denmark. The North Wing was built around 1650. The construction of the east and south wings, as it turned out recently, was completed in about 1750. From April to September, public access is allowed in some parts of the palace and the palace chapel.

The castle park was built in the 1750s. It was originally a garden with French charm, with quaint alleys and baroque flower beds. Around 1850, the style of the garden was transformed into an English landscape style, now there was more grass in the park, which made the park look more harmonious and seemed more open and free. It was this style, with freestanding landscaped trees and large lawns, that, 100 years later, proved to be ideal for creating a tulip park.

The park is open to the public for a fee.

To be continued...

Some photos from off-site castles and Wikimedia.

Sweden as a kingdom began to form only in the 12th century when the era of warlike Vikings ended. The monarch gradually concentrated power in his hands.

Fornborg - simple fortification towers with moats- no longer seemed to be a reliable defense against external enemies, so more powerful buildings began to be erected - fortresses and castles.

When wars turned Sweden into a strong power, significantly expanding its borders, the nobles also began to build stone palaces... At first, the architecture of these palaces was copied from European ones, but over time, their own, Swedish architecture appeared.

Now there are more than 200 castles and palaces in Sweden, which have preserved their architecture in its original form.

Royal Palace - Tre Kronor

In the 13th century, a defensive tower was erected on the island of Stadholmen, from which Lake Mälaren was constantly monitored so that the population would not miss the enemy's attack.

For two and a half centuries, the tower was used only for military purposes. But immediately after Gustav 1 Vasa came to power, a small fortress was destroyed in a fire.

After the fire, the fortress was rebuilt, now it has acquired the appearance of a palace worthy of the ruler of Sweden. Three crowns shone on the main tower, which is why the palace received such a name - Tre Krunur.

In the 17th century, the Renaissance style became obsolete, a new style came into fashion - the baroque. But Charles 11, who had become monarch by that time, refused to rebuild the palace, because the money went to military expenses. Charles died in 1697, and a month later a violent fire destroyed the royal residence.

His grandson Charles the 12th believed that all European monarchs should envy the royal castle. Work began, but the monarch's irrepressible craving for wars left Sweden almost ruined - there was no money.

Work resumed only in the 18th century. Construction dragged on until 1754, and the interior work was completed only in 1770.

The Royal Palace boasts luxurious museums: the Armory and the Royal Treasury, the Bernadotte Library, the Antique Museum of Gustav III and the Tre Krunur Museum.

The museum works:

• February 1-May 14: daily (except Monday), 12.00 - 15.00;
• May 15 - May 31: daily, 10.00 - 16.00;
• June 1-August 31: daily, 10.00 - 17.00;
• September 1-14: daily, 10.00 - 16.00;
• September 15-December 30: Tuesday-Sunday, 12.00 - 15.00.

Ticket price:

• children: up to 7 years old - without a ticket, from 7 to 18 years old - 35 kroons;
• adults: 90 CZK.

These tickets allow you to visit the Tru Krunar Museum, the Museum of Antiquity and the Royal Treasury.

Gripsholms slott

If we go from Stockholm to the south-west, then in 60 kilometers we will see Lake Malaren... On the island of this lake, Gripsholm Castle is located, a fortress with 3 round towers in the corners.

The construction was completed in 1383, the castle was named after the owner - Grip, a very influential man, chancellor of the king and his creditor.

After the death of the owner, the castle fell into disrepair and was handed over to the monks who founded the monastery. Later Gustav I returned the castle to the crown and began to rebuild it, planning to make it a defensive structure against Denmark.

But the rebuilt castle was not destined to become a fortress, it became a place of imprisonment for monarchs. The fact is that both sons of Gustav 1 wanted to rule, therefore, as a result of several palace coups, both one and the other had to be guests of Gripsholm.

The patronage of these walls was also enjoyed by the Swedish widow queens. who, due to circumstances, could not return to the capital.

Gripsholm experienced its heyday in the 18th century, when Gustav III turned it into a brilliant palace; the castle even acquired its own theater and portrait gallery.

Currently Gripsholm- a royal residence with open access.

The museum works:

• May-August: daily, 10-00 - 16.00;
• September: daily (except Monday), 10.00 - 15.00;
• October-April: Saturday and Sunday, 12.00 - 15.00;
• closed on holidays: December 24, 25, 31 and January 1.

Ticket price:

• for an adult - 120 CZK;
• for a child - 60 CZK.

Kalmar slott

415 kilometers from Stockholm to the south-west, on the Baltic coast, there is a small town of Kalmar, in its vicinity is the castle of the same name. It is located on an island separated from the coast by a canal.

Kalmar Castle leads its history from the only tower that was built here in the 12th century as a defense of the city from pirates. A hundred years later, King Magnus ordered the construction of a full-fledged castle on this site, which could become an outpost on the border with Denmark.

In the 16th century, Kalmar was rebuilt according to the latest military science and still looks like a powerful quadrangular fortification with towers at the corners.

The squid survived 22 sieges, but was never captured by the enemy. At the end of the 17th century, Sweden shifted its borders to the south; the castle was no longer used for military purposes.

In the years of oblivion The squid was either a food warehouse, a brewery, or a prison... Only at the end of the 19th century, it was restored and turned into a museum.

Restored the King's Tower with the chambers of Eric the 14th, many carved wood panels, ceiling frescoes with hunting scenes, carved ceilings.

17th century chapel with white vaulted ceiling and benches returned to its original form for the king and queen.

Tours are conducted on English language.

The museum works:

• October-April: Saturday and Sunday, 10.00 - 16.00;
• May, June, September: all week 10.00 - 16.00 (Thursday 10.00 - 20.00);
• July and August: all week 10.00 - 18.00.

Ticket price:

• November-March:
• children under 17 - 25 CZK;
• students - 60 CZK;
• adults - 100 CZK.
• March-June, August-October:
• children under 17 - 25 CZK;
• students - 60 CZK;
• adults - 120 CZK.
• June August:
• children under 17 years old - 100 CZK;
• adults - 120 CZK.

Örebro slott

196 kilometers west of Stockholm, on the shores of Lake Elmaren, is the seventh largest city in Sweden, Örebro. Downtown, on the island of Swarten, the castle of the same name is located.

The castle is a powerful fortress with round corner towers, a tiled roof and narrow loopholes. The inner courtyard is lined with paving stones, which have hardly suffered during the centuries-old history of the castle. There is only one way to the fortress - across the bridge over the river.

Presumably the castle was founded at the beginning of the 13th century, and in the middle of the 14th it was completed and fortified by King Magnus Eriksson. The Swarton River was an important trade route, so the castle served as a defensive fortification.

During the fighting, the castle was badly damaged. It was restored by Duke Charles (future King Charles 9). Örebro acquired its present form in 1625.

After accession to the throne, Charles 9 called Örebro his residence and lived there for a long time.

Over time, the castle ceased to be used for military purposes, but was not completely abandoned. At different times, a prison, a grain store and weapons depots were set up there.

Now Örebro - national monument and is open to the public. The castle houses a museum of local lore, cafes and restaurants, offices and conference rooms, classes for schoolchildren, and a hotel.

Tours are conducted at 3 pm in English and only in summer.

Working hours:

• June-August: daily 10.00 - 17.00;
• other months: only on Saturday and Sunday.

Ticket prices:

• children - 30 CZK;
• adults - 60 CZK.

Vadstena palace (Vadstena slott)

In 1545, the construction of the castle began on the shores of Lake Vettern.

The decision to build the castle was made by Gustav I Vasa... The king saw in it the center of the defensive system from the Danes, and therefore ordered to make the structure impregnable.

For this, the castle was surrounded by a deep moat with water, towers were erected that could withstand cannon strikes. In addition, three residential buildings and outbuildings were built.

But after 5 years, Gustav 1 decided to turn the fortress into a palace for his son., Duke Magnus. The first step was to tear down the fortifications, and soon the castle began to resemble a magnificent palace.

At the beginning of the 18th century. the royal family changed their residence, and the once lush palace became a warehouse for grain and weapons. Then alcohol was made in the premises of the castle, later a weaving factory was located within its walls.

In the 19th century, the castle began to collapse. Only in the 20th century, they remembered the fortress and began to restore it: towers that had once been demolished were erected, embankments were restored, a fortress wall was erected.

Now Vadstena Castle is one of the main attractions and a wonderful museum. The first floor is given over to an art gallery, on the upper floors there are antique furniture, sculptures, hunting trophies.

Free visit to the castle since 1988.

Uppsala Slott

70 kilometers north of Stockholm is located old town Uppsala, on the hill of which there is an ancient castle.

Construction began in 1547, and the bastions have been built since 1545. King Gustav 1 conceived the palace as a symbol of the supremacy of royalty after the break with the Vatican.

In 1572, the building was badly damaged by fire.... The restoration was undertaken by the sons of Gustav 1. The construction was completed only a hundred years later.

In 1702 the castle burned again... Reconstruction was declared impossible, and the palace lay in ruins for a long time. Restoration work either started or stopped due to lack of money throughout the middle of the 18th century.

And only in 1820 the restoration was completed. At the beginning of our century, the facades were put in order, the huge building was returned to its original color.

The history of the palace keeps many important events: coronations and abdications took place here, it was in the halls of this palace that the transition from Catholicism to Lutheranism was announced, here Sweden announced its entry into the Thirty Years War.

Uppsala Castle is now open to tourists: the former State Hall became a conference venue; expositions of the Museum of Wax Figures, the Museum of Arts, the House of Peace have been opened, there is a functioning church.

Museums work:

• Museum of Art: daily, 12.00-16.00 (except Monday), Wednesdays 12.00-20.00;
• House of Peace: daily 15.00-18.00 (except Monday); Saturday and Sunday 12.00-16.00;
• Wax Museum: daily June 30-August 11, 10.00-16.00.

The entrance to the museums is free.

Läckö slott

Leko Castle was built on the island of Lake Venern. In 1298 it was founded by the bishop of Skara... It was a fort, consisting of several houses surrounded by a wall.

After the fire, the new bishop began to rebuild the destroyed fort, but already as a fortress. But as a result of the Reformation (after the break of Gustav 1 with the Vatican), the king took the castle.

For more than half a century, the fortress passed from one hand to another, until Field Marshal De la Gardie received it. As a result of the reconstruction he initiated, the fortress acquired a third floor and an inner courtyard.

After the death of De la Gardie, his son had already rebuilt the castle in the Baroque style. The final version of the alteration can be seen today.

Lekyo now belongs to the state... The castle is open to tourists. Within its walls there is an exhibition of paintings and medieval weapons. In summer, guided tours, exhibitions and even opera performances are held in the castle courtyard.

Tours are conducted in different languages.

Drottningholm

In the 16th century, near Stockholm, on an island in the middle of Lake Mälaren, King Johan III built a palace for his wife. He stood for 80 years and died in a fire. A year later, the Queen Regent under the minor Charles 11 began the construction of a new palace.

Sweden after the Thirty Years' War became a powerful state, the monarch needed a residence corresponding to the position. Versailles served as a model... For the first time, a palace ensemble was erected without ditches, towers and ramparts.

The Drottningholm Palace experienced its rebirth in the 18th century, when belonged to the Prussian princess Lovisa Ulrike, who became the wife of the Swedish heir to the throne. The halls are being finished again, the theater is opening.

The entire 19th century, the palace was abandoned., a global restoration was carried out only at the beginning of the 20th century.

Now the palace is open to the public and can amaze anyone with its newly recreated interiors and beautiful park.

Working hours:

• in summer: daily, 10.00 - 16.30;
• other months: Saturday and Sunday, 12.00 - 15.30.

The park is available around the clock.

Ticket price:

• children under 17: no tickets;
• adults: palace - 120 CZK;
• the palace and the Chinese pavilion - 180 CZK;
• theater is paid separately.

Chuleholm (Tjolöholms slott)

Manor house stylized as the Tudor era, located in Halland.

Built by Chuleholm in 1904. This is the last large building of this type in Sweden. Curious as a wonderful example of arts and crafts. In 1991 it became an architectural monument.

Broborg

Castle ruins are located on the shores of the Broviken Bay.

The castle was built by order of Queen Gunilla Belke, where she wanted to live after the death of her husband. Until his death, her son, Duke Johan, also lived here.

The basements, ramparts and partly the palace park have been preserved. In 1669 Broborg was nearly destroyed by fire and in 1719, in the Northern War, it was finally destroyed by Russian troops.

Palaces and castles of Sweden, once the personification of the power and greatness of the state, today have become protected monuments. All of them are open to the public, although they are owned by private individuals.

Most impregnable castle Sweden was built by the Norwegians. For centuries, the border between the two kingdoms passed along the Nurdre Elv, a branch of the Iota Elv River. In 1308, the Norwegian king Haakon V Magnusson ordered to lay a fortress on his bank to defend himself from treacherous southern neighbors. For three centuries, the Swedes besieged Bohus thirteen times, but they could not take it. In the end, they received the castle along with the neighboring town of Kungelv and the rest of the province of Bohuslan. The fourteenth and most fierce assault took place in 1678, when the Danes and Norwegians laid siege to the Swedish garrison. For a month and a half of continuous bombing, the fortress was practically wiped off the face of the earth, but this time it did not surrender either. In the 18th century, the rebuilt castle mainly served as a prison. And now these are ruins overgrown with grass with the only surviving tower and a view of the picturesque river valley. The road is half an hour from the center.

Vadstena

The rugged towers and deep moats leave no doubt - the Renaissance castle on Lake Vattern was built by the kings of the Vasa dynasty so that it could withstand a long siege and withstand. It is now Vadstena lies in the depths of Sweden, and in the middle of the 16th century Danish possessions began nearby - wars continued in succession. There was not always enough time and money for the arrangement: when the next fire destroyed the interiors, they did not restore part of the furnishings, but simply painted on the walls - right down to the folds of the curtains. By the end of the 17th century, the defensive need for a fortress disappeared - Vadstena was even converted into a granary for some time. Only in our time the interiors have been restored, the ramparts have been restored, in the castle theater baroque chamber operas are now staged, and concerts are held in the courtyard in the summer.

Gripsholm

The brick walls of Gripsholm are reflected in the waters of Lake Mälaren - the royal castle sits on an island near the town of Mariefred. The fortress was founded at the end of the 14th century by Chancellor Bu Jonsson Grip, overhauled in the middle of the 16th century by Gustav Vasa, and two centuries later by Gustav III, who added a court theater and a portrait gallery to the pot-bellied towers and state halls, which are still replenished with images of outstanding Swedes (in the collection - more than 4,000 paintings). In the interiors of the castle, ABBA shot the cover for their album "Waterloo". And in the last decade, a stuffed lion has drawn unexpected attention to Gripsholm. The unlucky taxidermist of the 18th century never saw an exotic predator and turned on his imagination - as it turned out centuries later, to the delight of the creators of numerous Internet memes. To see this funny twisted face with your own eyes, in the summer season you can swim from the capital to Mariefred on an excursion boat.

Squid

Since the 12th century, the fortress opposite the island of Öland was a strategically important fortification - in the endless Danish-Swedish wars, Kalmar Castle survived eleven sieges. In 1397, a union was concluded within these walls, uniting Denmark, Norway and Sweden under one crown. But by the middle of the 16th century, the rivalry between Copenhagen and Stockholm flared up again, so that the Swedish king Gustav Vasa and his sons Eric XIV and Johan III spent a lot of time in Kalmar, constantly rebuilding, strengthening and decorating it - it turned out to be 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 an attempt on his life (and was eventually overthrown by his brother). Johan's bedroom is decorated with a bed brought out of Denmark, with the noses knocked off from the carvings so that the souls of the previous owners do not come for the stolen bed. By the end of the 17th century, the castle lost its military significance, was abandoned and was rebuilt only in the 19th century. But the curly spiers of the squid towers, cutting the sky above the calm surface of the sea, are an iconic Swedish look, replicated on covers, booklets and postcards.

Karlsten Fortress

A powerful fort over the city of Marstrand appeared in the second half of the 17th century. Sweden fought its way to the North Sea for a long time, and when it recaptured the province of Bohuslain from the Danes, it immediately began to dig in: the tower and ravelins, which had gnawed into the rocks, protected the approaches to the strategically important ice-free harbor. Fortification works continued until the middle of the 19th century, although even then the fortress was mainly used as a prison. Here for a quarter of a century the thief and adventurer Lasse-Maya served his sentence, famous for committing robberies, dressing up in a woman's dress. The city at the foot of the fortress had by that time turned into a popular seaside resort, and vacationers often climbed to Karlsten to listen to the stories of criminals. Today the fortress is the main attraction of Marstrand: stunning views of the sea and the harbor, reenactments of battles in the courtyard, a cafe with branded waffles for the hungry, and those who are especially keen can book a hotel room in the former barracks.

Lekko

Surrounded on three sides by the waters of Lake Vänern, the castle was founded at the end of the 13th century as an episcopal residence, but owes its current imposing appearance to the two Counts of De la Gardie - representatives of the most influential and richest family in Sweden in the 17th century. Field Marshal Jacob De la Gardie received Lekko in possession in 1617 in gratitude for having won the entire Izhora land from the Moscow tsars from Ivangorod to Korela, and began to actively rebuild and decorate the new estate. His business was continued by his son Magnus Gabriel, the rickskanzler of the kingdom, who added another floor to the castle. The chambers of his wife, Princess Maria Euphrosinia, turned out to be especially elegant. However, in 1681, De la Gardie had to leave Lecco forever - Charles XI dismissed the Chancellor and returned the castle to the treasury. Most of the opulent furnishings were sold out or moved to other Crown domains, but the interiors themselves survived and were later restored. Now, excursions are held here during the season, and opera performances are staged in the courtyard in the summer. A separate pleasure is the views of the lake, the distant shore of which is hidden behind the horizon.

Marswinsholm

A small castle with two lace towers, surrounded by a pond, was built in southern province Skane in the 1640s, when it was still part of Denmark. On the Danish throne then for half a century already sat Christian IV - the king-builder, continuously laying cities, fortresses, palaces and temples throughout Scandinavia, and of all architectural styles preferred the openwork red brick Renaissance of the Dutch masters. The noble Dane Otte Marsvin rebuilt his estate according to the highest taste - like the royal Frederiksborg or Rosenborg, but only on a more modest scale. And even subsequent Swedish owners tried to preserve the character of the castle by hiring architects in Copenhagen for the reconstruction. It is impossible to get inside the castle, it is rented out only in its entirety for special occasions, but it is not forbidden to walk around in the park and take a hundred photographs from different angles.

Nykoping

A whitewashed tower on the banks of a river in the center of a provincial town an hour's drive away is almost all that remains of the once mighty castle that defended the southern approaches to the capital. In December 1317, King Birger Magnusson held a banquet in Nyköping, invited his brothers, the dukes Eric and Valdemar, to it, arrested them after the meal, imprisoned them in the dungeon and, according to legend, threw the key to the dungeon into the river. The dukes died of hunger, a civil war broke out in the country, the castle burned down in a fire in 1665, and a large rusted key was caught in the 19th century - a medieval piece of iron is now on display in the halls of the castle. That rare case when a beautiful legend, centuries later, suddenly receives substantive confirmation.

Skarhult. Photo: Ralph Thurander / Skarhult

Skarhult

A real aristocratic nest in southern Sweden. The owners of the castle - the barons von Schwerin - still live in it and manage the estate: the Renaissance house is still inhabited, and the landscape park around is in exemplary order. Visitors began to be allowed inside only five years ago, they prepared thematic exhibitions not only about the castle, but also about the role of women in the history of Sweden and the upbringing of men. After a tour of the halls and the park, they are fed soup and pastries by candlelight in the basement cafe. By prior arrangement, the tour is conducted by Baroness Alexandra herself, talks about herself, explains how she works on the estate, so that later each guest can independently answer the question "Is it a privilege or hard work to be an aristocrat today?"

Skukloster. Photo: Jens Mohr / Skokloster

Scooter

A baroque castle with a regular park on the shores of Lake Mälaren was built (1654–1676) for Field Marshal Karl Gustav Wrangel, who commanded the Swedish army at the end of the Thirty Years War. The commander furnished his new residence on a grand scale - paintings, carpets, tapestries, furniture, dishes, the library and the armory are especially impressive - but he didn't really have time to live in it: the old wounds and gluttony brought the old soldier to the grave. After his death, work stopped. The new owners, the Brahe family, preserved the furnishings of the 17th century, and in 1967 they sold the castle to the government, which turned it into a museum of that glorious era when the Swedish crown owned almost all of the Baltic. The road from Stockholm takes about an hour, and from nearby Uppsala in summer you can get to the castle by boat - the most picturesque option.

Sofier

The most idyllic castle in Sweden, which has absorbed the love and care of several generations of Swedish kings. In 1864, Crown Prince Oskar bought a farm by the sea in Skåne near Helsingborg and built himself a romantic cottage with towers and spiers, where he began to spend every summer with his wife Sofia and children. In 1905, the king presented his beloved residence for the wedding to his grandson Gustav Adolf and his Danish bride Margaret. The Crown Princess has laid out beautiful gardens around the palace, in which five hundred species of rhododendrons now bloom. For their flowering in late May - early June, tourists come to Skane specially. According to the will of Gustav Adolphus, in 1973 the castle was transferred to the ownership of the city, but the royal family continues to finance the work of gardeners - for example, for the 150th anniversary of Sophier, the current King Carl XVI Gustav and Queen Sylvia ordered to equip a new geometric Jubilee Garden.

Chuleholm

James Fredrik Dixon, a wealthy entrepreneur and passionate Anglophile, conceived the idea of ​​building a neo-Tudor-style mansion on the shore of a sea bay in western Sweden. In 1898, he entrusted the project to the young architect Lars Israel Walman, who carried out all the work according to the precepts of the then fashionable British Arts and Crafts movement - as a single ensemble, where every detail of the facade, every object in the interior and even every tree in the park obey the general idea ... James Fredrick died shortly after construction began, and his widow Blanche carried out the project in memory of his late husband. Most of the materials for the construction of the castle were brought from England. Half a century ago, the mayor's office - the estate is located half an hour from the city - bought Chuleholm and turned it into a museum. Fancy-dress excursions are conducted through the preserved rooms. They became especially popular after the release of the film Melancholy by Danish director Lars von Trier - it is here, in the castle park overlooking the Kattegat Strait, that Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg spend their time in anticipation of the approaching end of the world.

Örebro

Sweden's most impressive city castle sits on an island in the middle of the Swarton River in the center of Örebro. The first mention of it dates back to the XIII century, and the current appearance - with four massive towers at the corners - the castle acquired under the kings of the Vasa dynasty at the beginning of the XVII century. Within these walls have happened more than once important events Swedish history: Gustav Vasa in 1540 here announced the creation of a hereditary monarchy (he himself was elected king), and Charles XIII in 1810 - that he would transfer the throne to Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, Napoleonic Marshal, the founder of the current ruling dynasty. However, strategic importanceÖrebro lost another three and a half centuries ago, and since then it has been used as a prison, then as a warehouse, or as a governor's residence. The historical interiors have not survived inside, and the guides mainly entertain tourists with legends of ghosts that roam the castle. In the former prison cells on the top floor, there are graffiti that were scraped up on the plaster by Russian prisoners three centuries ago. Whoever can figure it out is a fine fellow.

Yulared

Do not believe your eyes! The most seemingly medieval, the most postcard, the most fairytale castle in southern Sweden - with a round keep, with battlements, pointed arches, high chimneys, and even a defensive moat - it was actually built entirely from scratch a little over a century ago, in the 1890s. Such was the whim of the owner of the estate, the chamberlain of the royal court, Hans Gustave Tull - so as in the Loire Valley, but only of red brick and the size of a small mansion. Until now, this is a private property, so they will not be allowed inside, but everyone who passes by is free to stop, walk along the path among the trimmed lawns, admire the toy stronghold and quietly indignant: "What a swindle!"