4 Slott i Strängnäs - och en borg

Writer: Helena Bergström

We checked out a bunch of castles in Strängnäs during our castle tour by campervan. Some castles are grand and others are smaller - but all have an exciting history. We share our castle experiences in Strängnäs and, of course, tell you about our overnight stop.

Table of contents

What exactly is a castle?

So, what exactly is a castle? The need for castles arose when royalty no longer needed castles for defence. According to Nordic family book is a castle in Sweden:

A royal or state building, in older times usually fortified, intended for the residence of a royal person or his deputy.

It is often considered that a building can only be called a castle if it has been the residence of a royal person, but of course what counts as a "royal person" can be a bit fluid ...

Castles can be fortified or unfortified, grand or much smaller, well-maintained or dilapidated, private or state-owned and open to the public or equipped with locked gates. Some offer guided tours, some are run as hotels and some are private residences. There really are all kinds of castles! We're on a "castle tour" with the motorhome, and now we've checked out a bunch of castles in Strängnäs!

Four castles in Strängnäs

Stängnäs is a city with a lot of history! We have checked out four castles in the municipality of Strängnäs, and one so-called fortress. On the map you can see where they are located.

1. Tynnelsö - a pink five-storey house on an island

Tynnelsö Castle on the island of Tynnelsö in Lake Mälaren is an astonishing building. Why is a rose-coloured, five-storey building alone on an island that can only be reached by boat?

We drove the campervan on Selaön, right up to the crossing to Tynnelsö, but without a boat you can't get across. You have to make do with scouting over the water and reading the small information sign at the crossing.

The castle has a 700-year history. It served for a long time as a bishop's residence, but in 1522 it was taken by Gustav Vasa, who annexed it to the crown and used it as a summer resort. Later, Duke Charles took over, and it was he who created the Renaissance palace you can see today.

The castle had many different owners and residents over the years, but eventually it was left to decay. Today, the castle is managed by the National Property Board, which works on restoration and conservation. An impressive building that would be interesting to see up close! On the way to Tynnelsö Castle is the Åsa burial ground, which is the most famous, with thousands of prehistoric graves.

2. Mälsåker Castle - bankruptcy, resistance and fire

Mälsåker Castle is located on Selaön, the largest island in Lake Mälaren. This castle is both magnificent and beautiful, but also quite worn. Perhaps this is not so strange if you consider the castle's rather tough history!

Målsåker Castle was built in the 17th century by the Soop family with the help of the famous architect Nicodemus Tessin the Elder. During the 18th century, the castle was owned by the von Fersen family, and at the end of the 19th century it was bought by the Sjögren family, who were forced to abandon it after a bankruptcy.

During the Second World War, the castle was owned by the Norwegian government, which used it to train would-be resistance fighters. On a cold night in 1945, the castle was set on fire, causing the roof to catch fire and burn. The castle was severely water-damaged and took some time to be properly repaired. In 2015, the State Property Agency took over the castle.

Peter vid Mälsåker slott i Strängnäs kommun

The castle has a beautiful waterfront location and a small English park. At the moment all activities are cancelled, but under normal circumstances there are exhibitions, events and "cuddles and shivers". The Viking town of Birka is just two kilometres from Selaön.

3. Hässelbyholm Castle - private 1660s castle

Hässelbyholm Castle, on the Fogdön peninsula, was built in the 1660s. The castle has been owned by, among others, Grand Admiral Count Gustaf Otto Stenbock. The castle is now a private residence and cannot be visited, although there are signs in the vicinity advertising the sale of fish, game and honey.

4. Gripsholm Castle - Royal Palace on Lake Mälaren

Construction of Gripsholm Castle began in 1537, on the initiative of Gustav Vasa. There are several rooms from the 16th century and one of Europe's most well-preserved 18th century theatres. Here you can also see the cannons Galten and Sugga and stroll around the beautiful castle park, with its plantings, statues and 'love island'.

We've already written about Gripsholm Castle, but it has to be mentioned again because this post is about castles in Strängnäs municipality. Gripsholm Castle is of course the most impressive!

READ MORE: Gripsholm Castle - a royal castle on Lake Mälaren

Bonus: Rye castle - perhaps the place where Gustav Vasa was elected king.

As a little bonus, we have to mention Roggeborgen, which is located in the centre of Strängnäs, right next to the cathedral. The building was built at the end of the 15th century as a bishop's palace, and the name comes from Kort Rogge, who was bishop of Strängnäs from 1479 to 1501.

In 1523, Gustav Vasa was elected king in Strängnäs, and according to some sources this took place in the Rikssalen in Roggeborgen. After the Reformation, the building belonged to the Crown and was subsequently donated to Strängnäs Gymnasium. Roggeborgen was the school's main building until 1935, and the building has since been adapted for library use.

Berth in Strängnäs harbour

Strängnäs is a both charming and historically interesting city and we took the opportunity to see a little more, but we will tell you about it another time! Where did we stay with the motorhome then? Well, at the parking space in Strängnäs harbour. This is a really good and nice site, with electricity, service house and grey water drainage. If you want, you can book a place in advance at campingspot.com.

READ MORE: Things to do in Strängnäs - 12 sights and experiences
READ MORE: Castles in Sweden - 30 very beautiful Swedish castles
READ MORE: Things to do in Södermanland - sights and experiences
READ MORE: Holidays in Sweden - your guide to Sweden's best destinations

3 Comments

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Ama de casa says:

What beautiful castles in beautiful surroundings! The castle was also beautiful. I don't think I've ever visited a castle? Probably have to do it sometime when you can start travelling a little more freely... 😉.

Have a happy Easter weekend!

03 April 2021 - 9:02

Lena+i+Wales+och+Spanien says:

Nice castle reports.
Tynnelsö, exciting what will happen to the castle.
Mälsåker, seems to have been through quite a lot.
Hässelbyholm, not easy to finance a private castle.
All these unknown to me.
Roggeborgen, have read about this building somewhere, but can't remember what it looked like.
Happy Easter!

03 April 2021 - 14:34

BP says:

I've been to Strängnäs a few times, but never even considered that there are so many castles in this small town. Now I know.

03 April 2021 - 19:15

4 Castles in Strängnäs - and a fortress

Writer: Helena Bergström

What exactly is a castle?

Four castles in Strängnäs

1. Tynnelsö - a pink five-storey house on an island

2. Mälsåker Castle - bankruptcy, resistance and fire

3. Hässelbyholm Castle - private 1660s castle

4. Gripsholm Castle - Royal Palace on Lake Mälaren

Bonus: Rye castle - perhaps the place where Gustav Vasa was elected king.

Berth in Strängnäs harbour

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3 Comments

Ama de casa says:

Lena+i+Wales+och+Spanien says:

BP says:

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