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Almare-Stäkets borg today

Sweden · Ruin

Almare-Stäkets borg

Almarestäket's castle (Sankt Erik's castle) is a medieval castle ruin on a low plateau in Upplands-Bro municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden. It stood at the strategic Almarestäket strait at the inlet to Lake Mälaren and is listed as an ancient monument by the Swedish National Heritage Board.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1510

Today

Ruin

As it stood in 1510

What Almare-Stäkets borg looked like in its prime.

A compact stone-and-brick fortress occupying a plateau roughly 125 × 80 metres and 3–4 metres high, its built area concentrated toward the northwestern quarter where house foundations cluster. A continuous curtain of masonry ran along the western slope, now visible as a string of fallen blocks. The summit held courtyards and ranges of stone-built domestic buildings; the hilltop commanded direct views over the Almarestäket strait and the approaches to Görväln.

Its story

The story of Almare-Stäkets borg.

Almarestäket's castle, also called Sankt Erik's castle, after Eric IX of Sweden, was once counted among Sweden's strongest and most famous castles. It commanded the choke point of Almarestäket, the strait at the inlet to Lake Mälaren, from a low plateau in what is now Upplands-Bro municipality in Stockholm County.

During the domestic political strife of the 1510s the castle was held by Bishop Gustav Trolle, whose main opponent, Sten Sture the Younger, besieged it in 1516–17. The castle was subsequently demolished, and the ruin is listed as an ancient monument by the Swedish National Heritage Board.

Step inside

6 places to explore in 1510.

The record describes 6 distinct spots at Almare-Stäkets borg, including the full exterior approach. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach across the southern slopeSummit plateau overlooking the straitNorthwestern domestic foundations and rangesWestern slope and outer wallBridge and foot of the hillShoreline and control of the strait

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Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Almare-Stäkets borg.

Strawberry Arena, SwedenStadiumStrawberry Arena16 km awayDrottningholm Palace, SwedenPalaceDrottningholm Palace17 km awayStockholm Telephone tower, SwedenTowerStockholm Telephone tower22 km away

Questions about Almare-Stäkets borg

What is the history of Almare-Stäkets borg?

Almare-Stäkets borg began as a 12th-century castle on Stäketsholmen, built as a defence facility for Sigtuna and Uppsala. It controlled an important waterway between Stockholm and Uppsala, making it a focus of conflict between the king and the church. Gustav Trolle held it during the political strife of the 1510s, before Sten Sture the Younger besieged it in 1516–17 and it was demolished in 1519.

Why was Almare-Stäkets borg built, and what was it used for?

Almare-Stäkets borg was built to defend Sigtuna and Uppsala and to control the important waterway between Stockholm and Uppsala. Its position at the Almarestäket strait gave whoever controlled it command of the waterways and influence over the kingdom. During the Middle Ages, the king and the church contested control of the castle.

Where is Almare-Stäkets borg?

Almare-Stäkets borg is in Upplands-Bro Municipality, in Stockholm County. The ruin stands on the former Stäketsholmen, at the Almarestäket strait and the inlet to Lake Mälaren. It overlooks the strait and the approaches to Görväln.

When was Almare-Stäkets borg built?

Almare-Stäkets borg was first built in the 12th century. The original building date is not recorded as a specific year, and the castle was later rebuilt: Archbishop Nils Ragvaldsson received permission to construct a new castle in 1440, completed about ten years later.

Was Almare-Stäkets borg ever attacked or besieged?

Almare-Stäkets borg was besieged by Sten Sture the Younger in 1516–17 while Bishop Gustav Trolle held it. In 1517, Sten Sture enforced a decision that the castle should be demolished, and the demolition was carried out in 1519. The material does not state that the castle fell during the siege itself.

What did Almare-Stäkets borg look like in its prime?

In its prime, Almare-Stäkets borg was a compact stone-and-brick fortress on a plateau about 125 by 80 metres and 3–4 metres high. Its buildings were concentrated in the north-western quarter, where house foundations and domestic ranges clustered. A continuous masonry curtain ran along the western slope, while courtyards and stone-built buildings occupied the summit.

Is Almare-Stäkets borg still standing or is it a ruin?

Almare-Stäkets borg is now a medieval castle ruin. The surviving site is a plateau-like hill measuring about 125 by 80 metres and 3–4 metres high, with foundations and house foundations visible in the north-western part. Fallen blocks along the western slope may come from a collapsed wall, while the castle itself was demolished in 1519.

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