Rånäs

Uppland's Southernmost Walloon Ironworks

Rånäs bruk received its privileges in 1774 and is the southernmost Walloon ironworks in Uppland. The works were founded using parts of the operations from Gimo bruk, and iron production continued for just over a century — until 1894. Walloon smithing, which Walloon smiths from Belgium brought to Sweden during the 17th century, left deep marks on the entire Roslagen mining tradition.

The Castle by the Lake

The present castle was built 1833–1844 according to designs by architect Per Axel Nyström. The style is late Empire with elements of Italian architecture, featuring a rectangular three-storey central section flanked by narrower wings. The initiative was taken by Axel Didrik Reuterskiöld, whose father-in-law Jean le Febure acquired the property in 1772. The castle is beautifully situated beside Skedviken in Fasterna parish, just under seven kilometres north-west of Rimbo.

History and Ownership

The property has a long chain of ownership. The Oxenstierna family owned the land during the 16th–17th centuries, Magnus Stenbock took over in 1704 and Count G. L. Stenbock in 1734. The works' industry and the castle's representative architecture together tell the story of a time when estates, iron and noble power were interwoven throughout the Roslagen landscape.

Rånäs bruk is one of the best-preserved examples of Walloon ironworks culture in Uppland and provides a unique insight into the history of early Swedish industrial society.