Grönsöö slott i Uppland - och en mysig fricampingplats

Writer: Helena Bergström

Grönsöö Castle is a fine 17th century castle on the island of Grönsö in Lake Mälaren, Uppland. In the summer, the castle is shown inside, but the castle park is open to visitors all year round. We were here with our motorhome last spring, and after the visit we found a cosy free camping site.

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Grönsöö Castle

Grönsöö Castle is a private castle owned and operated by the von Ehrenheim family and the Grönsööö Cultural History Foundation. It is used for agriculture, forestry, orchards and heritage conservation. The castle park is open to visitors, and during the summer months guided tours of the castle are organised. The café, shop and exhibitions are also open.

Grönsöö Castle is located at Grönsösundet on the island of Grönsö in Lake Mälaren, about 20 kilometres south of Enköping.

17th century castle

Grönsöö Castle was built in 1607-1611, by Councillor Johan Skytte. The castle was one of the few built during the poor era between Vasa Castle and the grandiose palaces of the Great Power era. When completed, the castle was a medieval-style building with four rectangular corner towers.

The Skytte family owned Grönsöö throughout the 17th century, after which it was reduced to the Crown and began to fall into disrepair. In the 18th century, the castle had various owners and was finally renovated by the wealthy Falkenberg family. It was during this renovation that the castle lost its towers in 1738.

The doctor David von Schultzenheim became the owner of Grönsööö in the second half of the 18th century. He decorated the upper floor of the castle in Gustavian and late Gustavian style and spent a lot of money on creating a park in the Romantic style. In 1786, he built a Chinese pavilion on the waterfront, whose interior is decorated with shells and minerals from Asia.

In 1820, Court Marshal Reinhold Fredrik von Ehrenheim moved to Grönsööö, bringing with him a large collection of valuable furniture, books and artefacts. To this day, Ehrenheim's descendants live in the castle and the collections of artefacts still exist.

Visiting Grönsöö castle and park

We visited Grönsöö Castle in April 2021, before it actually opened for the season. Of course, it can be more fun to come here during the summer months, when you can also enjoy the exhibitions, shop, café and guided tours.

But what do you do in those spring and autumn months when you really want to be on the road with your camper, but nothing has really opened yet? Grönsöö Castle Park is open to visitors all year round, between 08:00 and 20:00, so we thought it would be a good idea to have a look around.

Grönsöö Castle Park received a third prize in 2005 in the competition "Sweden's most beautiful park", and the park is beautiful even though the trees were bare when we were here on this chilly April day.

We saw Queen Kristina's lime tree, which was planted in 1623 during Gustav II Adolf's mother's visit to Grönsööö. The linden is one of the ten oldest park lindens in Europe. There are also plenty of apple trees, and during the summer you can buy the home-made Grönsöömust in the small shop.

For those who want to experience nature, there is a nature trail that runs along the water. South of Grönsöö, there are also 17 small islands that make up the Grönsöö nature reserve.

If you visit the castle during the summer months, you can book a tour and see the castle's grand rooms. We missed it, but show a press photo below.

Cosy place for free camping nearby

When we felt done with our visit to Grönsööö Castle, it was time to find a place for the night. Shortly after leaving the island of Grönsö, via the fixed little land connection, we found a nice spot overlooking the water.

This is how we love to stay with the motorhome overnight.

More to see and do near Grönsöö Castle

From Grönsöö Castle it takes just over half an hour by car to Enköping. You can also continue to Västerås with our 17 experiences that you can take part in, where you can experience Kyrkbacken, Mälarpromenaden, Djäkneberget and Vallby Open Air Museum. It is about the same distance to Sigtuna, Sweden's oldest town, Wenngarn Castle and beautiful castle park and magnificent Skokloster Castle.

Have you visited Grönsöö Castle? Have you even seen the inside of the castle? Please tell us!

Facts about Grönsöö Castle

Landscape: Uppland
Municipality: Enköping municipality
Name: Grönsö castle, or Grönsöö castle (older spelling)
Owners: The von Ehrenheim family together with the Grönsööö Cultural-Historical Foundation.
Read more: You can find more information at the castle's website.

Tours and activities

Guidance: During the summer months the castle is shown on guided tours. See the castle's website for current times.
Exhibitions: During the summer months, exhibitions are held in the carriage house and warehouse.
Experiencing nature: Nature trail available.
Events: In 2021, an apple market was organised at the end of the season in September.

Services and practical information

Opening hours: The castle park is always open 8-20. Exhibitions, café and shop are open during the summer months. See the castle's website for current opening hours.
Prices: On days when the exhibition, shop and café are open, an entrance fee is charged in the park. Adults pay SEK 40 (2021) and children under 16 have free entry. Guided tours cost SEK 160 per adult including the entrance fee to the park (2021).
Service: During the summer months there is a shop (with gifts and Grönsöömust) and a café (Bränneriet).
Accessibility: The carriage house, store, shop, café, toilets and most of the gravel paths are accessible to people with disabilities. The castle itself cannot be visited with a walker, wheelchair or pram.
Dog: Dogs are welcome in the castle park but must be kept on a lead. Dogs are not welcome indoors.

History at Grönsööö Castle

15th century: Grönsö was a village with five farms at Grönsösundet.
1457: Two farms were inherited by Magnus Gren, who exchanged the estate for Kristiern Bengtsson Oxenstierna the Elder.
1486: Hans Kristiernsson Kröpelin the younger (Oxenstierna) sold a farm at Grönsö to the knight and counsellor Nils Fadersson. As a reward for his services to the Crown, Johan Skytte received, among other things, one of the farms on Grönsö.

17th to 18th century

Early 17th century: When Johan Skytte married Maria Näf, Utö House was united with Grönsö.
1607-1611: Grönsös corps de logi was built, with Johan Skytte as the builder.
Early 18th century: The estate was reduced to the Crown and leased to a relative of the Skytte family. There were then a number of changes of ownership, and the estate came to be owned by the Falkenberg family.
1738: The castle underwent major repairs, lost its towers and acquired its current appearance.
1786: The Stockholm doctor David von Schulzenhelm, who was the owner in the second half of the 18th century, had a Chinese pavilion (Snäckpavilion) built on a jetty by the strait.

19th century to present

1820: Grönsö was taken over by Court Marshal Reinhold Fredrik von Ehrenheim. He had valuable furniture, books and art objects moved to the castle.
1937: Utö House was donated to the Academy of Sciences.
1964: The main building, the pavilion and the site became a legally protected building.
2012: For his efforts to preserve Grönsö for future generations, Carl Gustaf von Ehrenheim was awarded the Royal Patriotic Society's Cultural Heritage Medal in gold.