- Type
- Castle
- Origins
- 1298 · 13th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Västra Götaland, Sweden
- Style
- Baroque
- Coordinates
- 58.6750°, 13.2200°
History
The castle was founded in 1298 by Brynolf Algotsson, Bishop of Skara, as a fortified residence on the shore of Lake Vänern. It burned in the 1470s, but Bishop Brynolf Gerlachsson rebuilt and enlarged it. After the Reformation, adopted at the Diet of Västerås in 1527, Gustav Vasa took Läckö for the crown, and in 1615 it was granted to the general Jacob De la Gardie. His son Magnus Gabriel De la Gardie, chancellor and one of the richest men in Sweden, turned the medieval stronghold into a lavish Baroque residence from the mid-17th century. In 1681 Charles XI confiscated it in the Great Reduction, and it has belonged to the state ever since.
What to see
White wings and a tower rise above the water around several courtyards set at different levels. Baroque paintings survive in the rooms, and the King's Hall displays scenes of Thirty Years' War battles. The chapel is famous for its rich woodcarving, and beside the castle lie a kitchen garden and a nature centre devoted to the Vänern archipelago. In summer operas are staged in the courtyard.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q935973
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