Raasepori Castle, Raasepori, Finland

The Raseborg or Raasepori Castle is one the five remaining medieval castles in Finland. It was founded by Bo Jonsson Grip and it is thought that the castle's first phase was completed sometime between 1373 and 1378. The first written data about the castle is from 1378. Its main purpose was to protect Sweden's interests in southern Finland against the Hanseatic city of Tallinn. The castle was originally built on a small island in the north end of a sea bay. The historians think that the castle was built in 3 different stages over time from the 14th to the 16th century.

The ruins of the outer wall of the castle do still exist. According to the historians the outer wall was built to protect the foundations of the castle itself. When the use of the artillery got more common, it was vital to protect the basic walls of the castle. There was also one more protection outside the castle. That was a wooden barrier, which surrounded the castle and it prevented any foreign ships to approach the castle harbour. There still exists some small parts of that barrier. The barriers are today on the mainland, but in the 15th century they were located on a peninsula by the sea. The sea level became lower over time due to postglacial rebound, and it became increasingly difficult to approach the castle by boat. This is one of the main reasons why the castle lost its importance.

Battles were fought between Swedish and Danish forces and even pirates over control of the castle in the Middle Ages. The castle was abandoned in 1553, three years after Helsinki was founded in 1550 and Helsinki became strategically more important. Restoration work began in the 1890s and in these days the castle ruins are open to the public.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Tatiana Minav (19 months ago)
It was wonderful place to visit even during winter! We were lucky it was open( 7 euros for adults ticket). Recommend to visit!

Roosa Emilia (2 years ago)
Beautiful ruins. You can see the castle without paying the entrance fee. There's a short walk from the parking place (about 500 meters to the reception where the sell the tickets). The parking place is really small, though. There'a a cafe close by too. The actual ruins are about 500 meters from the reception building.

Shane Kleinpeter (2 years ago)
It's a very nice place to visit and the grounds are well kept. The walk from the parking lot is not too long, maybe 3-5 minutes. We used our Museum Card to enter. The castle is in great shape and has had some renovation work. Its smaller inside than it looks but is well worth the visit.

Gabrielė Šegždė (2 years ago)
Ruins are surrounded by the beautiful Finnish forest. We haven't entered the castle because it seemed too expensive to just have a look inside the ruins, but path leading to museum (600m) is lovely. Also the place itself is very peaceful is bright.

Martin Vyšný (2 years ago)
Excellent for family with kids since you can explore freely. The staff is super friendly too. The surroundings are very well maintained too. I really enjoyed our stay.

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Broch of Gurness

The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.

The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick. The tower was likely inhabited by the principal family or clan of the area but also served as a last resort for the village in case of an attack.

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In the 9th century, a Norse woman was buried at the site in a stone-lined grave with two bronze brooches and a sickle and knife made from iron. Other finds suggest that Norse men were buried here too.

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