Aranäs castle ruins
The Aranäs castle ruins are located on the banks of the Vänern about 15 kilometers west of the Swedish city of Mariestad .
Aranäs Castle was built on a promontory in Vänern at the end of the 13th century. Imperial Marshal Tyrgils Knutsson , who was also King Birger Magnusson's guardian , resided in Aranäs until 1306 when he was captured and executed. The castle and the property belonging to it then passed into different hands. What happened to the castle is unclear, but Olaus Magnus reports in his work on the history of the Nordic peoples in 1555 that the ruins of a former royal castle lie near Årnäs. The castle ruins were then used as a quarry, so that very little is left today. However, archaeological excavations that took place between 1916 and 1925 and 1999 and 2001 give a good picture of the castle complex.
The castle was protected from the mainland by three moats as well as ramparts, circular walls and towers. One of the moats separated the outer bailey from the main bailey. The stone-paved courtyard was several hundred meters long. The foundations of the buildings in the courtyard indicate an extensive castle complex. Numerous finds also suggest the existence of a royal palace.
Aranäs Castle was one of the largest Swedish castles of the Middle Ages.
Coordinates: 58 ° 40 ′ 28 " N , 13 ° 35 ′ 15" E