Kalmar Slott (Kalmar Castle)
It's got the kind of realism that Disney just can't create, right down to the dank dungeon where you can still imagine the cries of the damned. There are enough secret passages here to enthrall Dracula, along with the more fairy-tale architectural adornments such as pepper pots and turrets. For romantics, there are even a moat and a drawbridge. This is Sweden's best-preserved Renaissance castle, and you might want to allow 2 hours to see it. Founded in the 12th century, the strategically situated fortress was once called the key to Sweden. It was here that the Danish Queen Margrethe of Denmark launched the Kalmar Union, uniting the crowns of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Then, in the 16th century, under order of King Gustavus Vasa and two of his sons, Erik XIV and Johan III, the medieval stronghold was transformed into a Renaissance palace. Be sure to see the restored castle chapel as well as the prison for women, which was in use in the 18th and 19th centuries. English-language tours are conducted from mid-June to mid-August daily at 11am and 3pm. To get here from the train station, turn left on Tullbron.
It's got the kind of realism that Disney just can't create, right down to the dank dungeon where you can still imagine the cries of the damned. There are enough secret passages here to enthrall Dracula, along with the more fairy-tale architectural adornments such as pepper pots and turrets. For romantics, there are even a moat and a drawbridge. This is Sweden's best-preserved Renaissance castle, and you might want to allow 2 hours to see it. Founded in the 12th century, the strategically situated fortress was once called the key to Sweden. It was here that the Danish Queen Margrethe of Denmark launched the Kalmar Union, uniting the crowns of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Then, in the 16th century, under order of King Gustavus Vasa and two of his sons, Erik XIV and Johan III, the medieval stronghold was transformed into a Renaissance palace. Be sure to see the restored castle chapel as well as the prison for women, which was in use in the 18th and 19th centuries. English-language tours are conducted from mid-June to mid-August daily at 11am and 3pm. To get here from the train station, turn left on Tullbron.
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