14 JUNE 2026
Castles, Fortifications and Ancient Fortresses in Roslagen
From a medieval castle by the old shipping route to Uppsala, via 19th-century coastal fortifications, to Iron Age strongholds on the heights — Roslagen's history of defence and nobility is still written in the landscape. Here are the castles and fortifications you can visit.
Castles, fortresses and Iron Age hill forts in Roslagen
Few landscapes bear their history as openly as Roslagen. Along the old waterways leading towards Stockholm and Uppsala, castles, fortifications and strongholds were built one after another — and on the heights inland there are even older traces. Here are some of the most worth seeing, arranged from medieval times to prehistoric times.
Penningby Castle — the medieval fortress by the waterway
The estate Penningby in Länna outside Norrtälje has been known since 1339. The well-preserved castle, with two diagonally placed round towers — the southwestern one contains a large well — was built in a strategic location beside Penningbyån, part of the medieval shipping route between the Baltic Sea and the Uppsala region. Construction began in the 1400s by Birgitta Tordsdotter (Bonde) and was rebuilt in stages; in 1831 the castle was ravaged by fire. Film enthusiasts may recognize the surroundings: director Mai Zetterling filmed Night Games (1965) and Amorosa (1985) right here.
Vaxholm Fortress — guardian of Stockholm's entrance
In the middle of the sound between Vaxön and Rindö lies Vaxholm Castle, in common parlance just "Kastellet". The first installation was built as early as 1548 to protect the entrance to Stockholm, and over the centuries it was expanded again and again. The major reconstruction that began in 1833 gave the fortress its present impressive appearance. Since 1935 it has been a state historical monument, and since 2003 Vaxholm Fortress Museum is located on the island. A short distance away, on Rindö, the sister fortress Oskar-Fredriksborg guarded the same waterway.
Rydboholm and Bogesund — the nobility's Roslagen
On Kyrkfjärden in Österåker lies Rydboholms Castle, a manor with medieval origins that passed from the Stureätten dynasty via the Vasaätten dynasty to the Braheätten dynasty. Here Gustav Vasa spent much of his childhood — the preserved Vasa Tower from the mid-1500s is named after him — and here Per Brahe the Younger was born in 1602. The castle is privately owned, but the English park from the 1700s is open to the public. The same Per Brahe had Bogesunds Castle built in Vaxholm in the 1640s; however, it only acquired its present knightly castle appearance with towers and Gothic windows in the 1860s, during the romantic nationalism's enthusiasm for the medieval period. The state acquired Bogesund through the special "Lex Bogesund" in 1946, and after extensive restoration the castle was reopened in 2012. It is now located in the middle of Bogesundslandets nature reserve.
The hill forts — the Iron Age's defences
Long before the castles, heights were fortified. Around the Vallentuna and Österåker areas there are hill forts from the Iron Age — such as Borgringen, Hersbyborg and Skansberget — where ancient inhabitants built stone walls on naturally inaccessible cliffs. Today they are quiet excursion destinations with wide views, and a reminder that people have sought shelter in this landscape for more than a thousand years.
Sources: Swedish Wikipedia (information on building history, ownership and dates).