Visingsö
| Visingsö | ||
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| Waters | Vättern | |
| Geographical location | 58 ° 3 ' N , 14 ° 20' E | |
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| length | 14 km | |
| width | 3 km | |
| surface | 25.04 km² | |
| Residents | 800 32 inhabitants / km² |
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| main place | Visingsö | |
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With 25 km² Visingsö is the largest island in the Swedish lake Vättern . It is located in its southern part about 30 kilometers north of Jönköping and six kilometers west of Gränna . Visingsö is 14 km long and 3 km at the widest point from bank to bank. In 2011 the island had 736 inhabitants.
Visingsö can be reached from Gränna by ferry in around 25 minutes. Three ferries operate between 5am and around 1am; During the day - especially in the main season - there is an almost 30-minute cycle between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The island is known for its Remmalagsvagnar (a type of carriage ), for its prehistoric sites and for two castles that played an important role in Swedish history . The rune stones Sm 124 and 125 can be found in the church of Kumlaby . There are large stone boxes on the island .
Visingsö was the center of the royal rulers between the 12th and 13th centuries. Due to the defensible position of the island, a castle, Näs slott , was built at the southern end , which was also used by Magnus Ladulås as a place of residence. In the 17th century, the Counts of the Brahe established their center of power with the Visingsborg Castle on the eastern shore of the island. Today there are only ruins of both buildings.
According to a legend, the island was created by the giant Vist . He is said to have thrown a tuft of grass into the lake so that his wife had something to climb on when she crossed the lake.
