Borgholm Castle
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Borgholm Castle is located near the town of Borgholm on the west side of the Swedish island of Öland . After a fire in the 19th century, it is now only preserved as a ruin , but it is still one of Sweden's most important sights.
From the castle to the ruin
The Borgholm Castle emerged from a defense tower from the 12th century and its strategic importance was constantly expanded in the wars of the Swedes against the Danes.
From the original castle developed under Johann III. a well-fortified castle with several wings in the Renaissance . In the 17th century, the builder Nicodemus Tessin the Elder designed Ä. On behalf of Karl X. Gustav, the palace was converted into an important baroque complex . The parts of the building, some of which had stood alone, were expanded to form four large wings and placed under a common, mighty roof; the corner towers were covered with dome-like domes. However, these extensions were not fully completed, the east and south wings were covered, but not expanded. The defense tower was removed in the course of the renovation work, and its floor plan is embedded in the interior of the castle courtyard.
Since the beginning of the 18th century the castle lost its importance. The border with Denmark, which formerly ran through southern Sweden, was relocated to the south coast of the Scandinavian peninsula and the fortress no longer had any strategic use. In addition, new, more modern castles were built around and in Stockholm and the old Borgholm Castle lost its appeal for the royal family. The castle fell into disrepair after only one guards left the building. The last service in the castle chapel was held in 1772. In 1803 a clothing manufacturer and his company moved into the unused halls. On October 14, 1806 a fire broke out and completely destroyed the castle, only the mighty walls survived the fire.
The ruin has been preserved to this day and is accessible to visitors on various levels. In the interior of the palace, the location of the former ballroom can still be seen today, the enfilades still structure earlier suites of rooms and the mighty stairwell has been preserved and can be used. A museum dedicated to the history of the building is housed in the remains of the castle. Concerts, theater performances and similar events are also held in the inner courtyard, for example the Swedish pop group Roxette shot six live video clips during a concert here in 1989: Dance Away , Dangerous , Cry , Paint , Listen to Your Heart and Silver Blue . Since 2018 the band In Flames has been organizing the Borgholm Brinner Festival in the castle .
The environment
The gardens of Solliden Castle are very close to the ruins . This villa , designed according to Italian models, was built in 1906 at the request of Queen Victoria . The building now serves as the summer residence of the Swedish royal family, but the gardens are open to visitors. The park with its water features offers a charming contrast to the neighboring ruins, surrounded by the Öland steppe. In front of the castle ruins, there is also the hunting stone built in memory of royal hunts .
Web links
- Borgholm Castle (Swedish)
Coordinates: 56 ° 52 ′ 15 ″ N , 16 ° 38 ′ 39 ″ E