Carlsten

Marstrand, Sweden

Carlsten is a stone fortress built on the orders of King Carl X of Sweden following the Treaty of Roskilde, 1658 to protect the newly acquired province of Bohuslän from hostile attacks. The site of Marstrand was chosen because of its location and its access to an ice free port. Initially a square stone tower was constructed, but by 1680 it was reconstructed and replaced by a round shaped tower. Successive additions to the fortress were carried out, by the inmates sentenced to hard labour, until 1860 when it was reported finished. The fortress was decommissioned as a permanent defense installation in 1882, but remained in military use until the early 1990s.

The fortress was attacked and sieged twice falling into enemy hands. In 1677 it was conquered by Ulrik Frederick Gyldenløve, the Danish military commander in Norway and in 1719 by the Norwegian Vice-Admiral Tordenskjold. At both occasions the fortress was returned to Swedish control through negotiations and treaties.

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Address

Carlstens Fästning 1 Ög, Marstrand, Sweden
See all sites in Marstrand

Details

Founded: 1658
Category: Castles and fortifications in Sweden
Historical period: Swedish Empire (Sweden)

More Information

www.vastsverige.com
en.wikipedia.org
www.carlsten.se

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

Anders Nilsson (2 years ago)
Really nice for Christmas parties (julbord). Like 7+ dishes for vegetarians.
Bauer (2 years ago)
Perfect place for a Christmas getaway! Lovely surroundings!
Lise Galuga (2 years ago)
A windy visit to a lovely fortress. We did some geocaching along the outer walls... You can find this cache without having to pay the admission fee. The visit was self guided and inexpensive. They offer a discount for military members, but you must ask for it and show identification. The views of the archipelago from the top are worth the climb! There is also a waffle cafe here which offers light salads and sandwiches.
Goran Nidogon (2 years ago)
Nice place to spent Weekend in peace. Great wiew, excellent for a walking & riding bike.
A Marco (2 years ago)
We ended up at this place almost accidentally, but it was the most amazing part of the trip. The island is beautiful and quaint, but the fortress is something to behold. Staying overnight at the Soldat Inn gives you a kind of back stage pass to explore on your own. We easily explored rooms and tunnels for two hours. Plus the surrounding town and trails have beautiful vistas in every direction. This is great for families or couples. Something for everyone. Affordable rooms. Don't miss it.
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Klis Fortress

From its origin as a small stronghold built by the ancient Illyrian tribe Dalmatae, becoming a royal castle that was the seat of many Croatian kings, to its final development as a large fortress during the Ottoman wars in Europe, Klis Fortress has guarded the frontier, being lost and re-conquered several times. Due to its location on a pass that separates the mountains Mosor and Kozjak, the fortress served as a major source of defense in Dalmatia, especially against the Ottoman advance, and has been a key crossroad between the Mediterranean belt and the Balkan rear.

Since Duke Mislav of the Duchy of Croatia made Klis Fortress the seat of his throne in the middle of the 9th century, the fortress served as the seat of many Croatia"s rulers. The reign of his successor, Duke Trpimir I, the founder of the Croatian royal House of Trpimirović, is significant for spreading Christianity in the Duchy of Croatia. He largely expanded the Klis Fortress, and in Rižinice, in the valley under the fortress, he built a church and the first Benedictine monastery in Croatia. During the reign of the first Croatian king, Tomislav, Klis and Biograd na Moru were his chief residences.

In March 1242 at Klis Fortress, Tatars who were a constituent segment of the Mongol army under the leadership of Kadan suffered a major defeat while in pursuit of the Hungarian army led by King Béla IV. After their defeat by Croatian forces, the Mongols retreated, and Béla IV rewarded many Croatian towns and nobles with 'substantial riches'. During the Late Middle Ages, the fortress was governed by Croatian nobility, amongst whom Paul I Šubić of Bribir was the most significant. During his reign, the House of Šubić controlled most of modern-day Croatia and Bosnia. Excluding the brief possession by the forces of Bosnian King, Tvrtko I, the fortress remained in Hungaro-Croatian hands for the next several hundred years, until the 16th century.

Klis Fortress is probably best known for its defense against the Ottoman invasion of Europe in the early 16th century. Croatian captain Petar Kružić led the defense of the fortress against a Turkish invasion and siege that lasted for more than two and a half decades. During this defense, as Kružić and his soldiers fought without allies against the Turks, the military faction of Uskoks was formed, which later became famous as an elite Croatian militant sect. Ultimately, the defenders were defeated and the fortress was occupied by the Ottomans in 1537. After more than a century under Ottoman rule, in 1669, Klis Fortress was besieged and seized by the Republic of Venice, thus moving the border between Christian and Muslim Europe further east and helping to contribute to the decline of the Ottoman Empire. The Venetians restored and enlarged the fortress, but it was taken by the Austrians after Napoleon extinguished the republic itself in 1797. Today, Klis Fortress contains a museum where visitors to this historic military structure can see an array of arms, armor, and traditional uniforms.

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