Älvsborg Castle

Gothenburg, Sweden

Älvsborg, also Elfsborg Fortress, is a sea fortress situated on the mouth of the Göta Älv river. It served to protect Sweden's access to the Atlantic Ocean and the nearby settlement of today's Gothenburg and its four predecessors. The fortress was relocated in the 17th century, this New Älvsborg Fortress is still maintained. Of the Old Älvsborg Fortress, only few ruins are visible today in the vicinity of the Carnegie-pier. The new fortress was founded in 1621 by Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden.

In 1643, a settlement in New Sweden, North America, was named Fort Nya Elfsborg, after the Swedish fortress. This settlement was however abandoned in 1655.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 1621
Category: Castles and fortifications in Sweden
Historical period: Swedish Empire (Sweden)

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Igor Fabjan (3 years ago)
Great day trip to the fortified island. The trip itself on an old ship is worth to go. There are some personnel dressed like in the times when fortress was active but unfortunately acting only in Swedish.
Michael Kusk Christensen (4 years ago)
Beautiful castle on a beautiful island with a great theatrical tour of the history of the place.
Jonas Pannee (4 years ago)
Very engaging and entertaining guides, interesting views but nothing spectacular.
Just Websites (4 years ago)
This was great fun with dramatisations of life on the island in days gone by. All done by two wonderful actors. Loved it but my God it was windy that day.
Sameer Al-Jishi (4 years ago)
Nice trip by boat to the castle
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone theatre structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens. It was built in 161 AD by the Athenian magnate Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla. It was originally a steep-sloped theater with a three-story stone front wall and a wooden roof made of expensive cedar of Lebanon timber. It was used as a venue for music concerts with a capacity of 5,000. It lasted intact until it was destroyed and left in ruins by the Heruli in 267 AD.

The audience stands and the orchestra (stage) were restored using Pentelic marble in the 1950s. Since then it has been the main venue of the Athens Festival, which runs from May through October each year, featuring a variety of acclaimed Greek as well as International performances.