- Type
- Ruin
- Origins
- 1373 · 14th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Coordinates
- 59.9917°, 23.6511°
History
The Swedes probably built the castle in the 1370s on a rocky islet in an inlet of the Gulf of Finland; the first reliable mention dates from 1378. It was the seat of power in the western part of Uusimaa and guarded the trade routes along the coast. In the 15th century it was enlarged and strengthened, and for a time it was held as a fief by Karl Knutsson Bonde, three times king of Sweden. As the land rose, the water around the castle gradually grew shallower, and after Helsinki was founded in 1550 its importance declined; the stronghold was abandoned around 1558. The ruins were secured and partly rebuilt in the 19th and 20th centuries.
What to see
Massive, partly reconstructed walls and towers of fieldstone rise on a rocky hill, now surrounded by meadows where the bay once was. Visitors can enter the courtyards and explore the castle interior, and in summer the valley below hosts open-air theatre and concerts. The ruins lie a few kilometres from Ekenäs, in the municipality that took its name from them.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q1013619
Popularity: articles about this site in 19 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).