This was my absolute favorite castle of the trip. Forget the more modern castles like the royal…read moreSwedish Castle in Stockholm or Christiansborg in Copenhagen, give me a really old, oozing in preserved originality, complete with moat and a turkey haunch castle and I'm sold. On our visit here, the husband and I were so smitten we decided it would do quite nicely as a meager residence and started picking out rooms for our cats.
Kalmar Castle is the best preserved oldest Nordic Renaissance Castle. The first castle tower was constructed in 1180 but was mostly a fort until the 16th century when it was turned into a summer palace by Johan III. Kalmar Castle has been the site of many important historical events including the location where the Kalmar Union was signed in 1397, was constantly fought over as a key defensive point for Sweden, and was a sanctuary for the Swedish royal family (Johan III) during the plague.
This history makes Kalmar truly unique. It is a strategic defensive fortress poised over the harbor complete with a moat, canon towers, multiple layers of formidable walls and bottleneck passageways to withstand a siege, and even a female prison and male dungeon chamber. Yet when it became the ideal location to hide away from the invisible invader of the bubonic plague, it took on a new face of royal apartments, gardens and pavilions, and complete with a royal chapel.
The unique qualities of this castle combined with the strength of a war fortress made our visit so worthwhile. I loved learning about the secret passageways around the castle to assist in getting royalty evacuated if the need arose. The view from the entertainment room with the large windows facing the harbor was incredible. We also loved the interactive historical videos and displays that relayed information easily without the need for a guide. After we had fully explored the castle, we also took a quick walk down to the nearby cemetery to see the old gravestones and their dates which was really incredible.
If you're driving through Kalmar I wouldn't miss this incredible experience.
