Vaxholm Castle

Stockholm, Sweden

Vaxholm Castle was originally constructed by Gustav Vasa in 1544 to defend Stockholm against shipborne attacks from the east, but most of the current structure dates from 1833-1863. The stretch of water below the building was formerly the main sea route to Stockholm. Thus, the fortress was strategically situated to defend the city from naval attacks. The castle was attacked by the Danes in 1612 and the Russian navy in 1719. Since the mid 19th century, its military importance has ceased. Today, it is home to the Swedish National Museum of Coastal Defence.

In 1970, it was used as a movie location for the pirate stronghold in Pippi Longstocking in Taka Tuka land. A scenic view of the castle may be seen from the car ferry which plies the short distance between Vaxholm and Rindö.

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Address

Vaxholm, Stockholm, Sweden
See all sites in Stockholm

Details

Founded: 1544, 1833-1863
Category: Castles and fortifications in Sweden
Historical period: Early Vasa Era (Sweden)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Febrina Maharani (7 months ago)
Absolutely loved it here. The Vaxholm fortress itself is impressive with a large courtyard and lots of roses (we visited in July). It has a restaurant (with limited fika options during lunchtime) and a nice museum. The entrance fee to the museum was 100kr for adults, sadly there was no student discount. I found the basement level which tells how people used to live in Vaxholm particularly interesting and the stories were told very well with a lot of multimedia experience. The very short cable ferry trip to reach it was kinda expensive though (100kr for a runaround trip)
Veronika Wilčkova (7 months ago)
We were very excited to visit this fortress however it was big disappoinment for us. It is changed into a hotel ( it can be nice to stay over night at this place - but nothing else to do) and except for the tower, where there is a nice view, there is nothing to see. Admission is free. Only the ferry is paid. Definitely not worth a visit for me. Very small town to walk through, you're going to be done in less than 10 - 15 min. If you really plan to visit this place go by public transport - from Stockholm you are here by bus in 34-45min and it costs a few crowns. Cruises are very expensive to get here and the result is not really worth it. Sweden has beautiful nature and it is worth paying for a cruise or other sightseeing tour of smaller islands and surroundings. We would rather skip this island next time
Tomas “Lapp3n” Lindqvist (8 months ago)
It's an old fortress that was defending Stockholm from the bad guys. It has a bed and breakfast, cafe museum and a small souvenir shop. The ferry to the fortress cost 100Skr for a return ticket and then the museum cost the same to enter. But it was a nice tripp if you are interested in some history and a very nice fortress indeed.
Yishen Zhou (2 years ago)
A lot of fun to run around the island exploring, evening during the cold winter weather. But don't come alone, otherwise you might not be brave enough to go down some of the dark passages on the island. If the passage doors close on you and you are by yourself, there is no one on the island to free you :(
Ademar Albertin (2 years ago)
I visited the fortress with my work colleagues. We had a blast over there. At first we were greatly welcomed with tea, coffee and pastries, followed by loads of team building activities that challenged us in many different ways, leadership, strategy, strength, logic and also music. Later we had a super lunch served by the chefs of the fortress, which I super recommended as well (including veggie and vegan options), the staff were great with us at all the time. We left the place with loads of great and fun memories. Super recommended for both, personal visitors and business activities.
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