- Type
- Ruin
- Origins
- 1308 · 14th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Västra Götaland, Sweden
- Style
- Renaissance architecture
- Architect
- Hans van Steenwinckel the Elder
- Coordinates
- 57.8619°, 11.9994°
History
King Haakon V Magnusson of Norway began building a timber fortress in 1308 on a rock where the Göta älv divides, to guard the southern frontier of his kingdom. Over the following decades it was replaced in stone and became the key to the western coast. Late in the 16th century Christian IV had it enlarged in the Renaissance manner, with the builder Hans van Steenwinckel among those involved. Tradition holds that the Swedes besieged it fourteen times without ever taking it, yet the Treaty of Roskilde of 1658 handed Bohuslän to Sweden anyway. Its hardest siege came in 1678, when Danish-Norwegian forces attacked it. In the 18th century it lost its importance and fell into ruin.
What to see
On the rock above Kungälv rise massive walls and two round towers, known as Fars hatt and Mors mössa, "Father's Hat" and "Mother's Cap". The walls command wide views over the river valley, and in summer the ruins host shows and family events. Below lies the old wooden town of Kungälv.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q1408860
Popularity: articles about this site in 17 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).