The ruins of Brahehus Castle are located 3 km north of Gränna on the east shore of Lake Vättern. The ruins sit 270 m above sea level and 180 m above the lake, providing a panoramic view of the lake and the island of Visingsö. The castle was built for Count Per Brahe the Younger* in the 1640s, but abandoned by the 1680s and suffered a fire in 1708. The castle ruin is near the modern E4 highway and is a popular tourist destination.
*Count Per Brahe the Younger (1602 – 1680) was a Swedish soldier, statesman, and author. He was a Privy Councillor from 1630 and ~ Lord High Steward from 1640 (the most important member of the privy council, also acting as regent during a minority or absence of the king/queen).
▲Brahehus as it would have looked back in the mid 1600s▼
The views are still fantastic, and we were there on a beautiful morning.
Ferries to and from the island Vingsö in the lake.
There is another castle ruin on the island, but we did not go out there on this trip.
Geographically and chronologically, this post should come before yesterday’s…
I decided to shift them around for “thematic” reasons,
as I wanted to link these views to
11 comments:
This is awesome!! The views are so gorgeous!! And your first two pictures...on one side of the castle is a major highway, and on the other side a lake. So you can drive right past it, so close!! So often, castles were built very inaccessible, way up on hills and mountains etc. And for good reason. How I would love to go here! And SO much to see. The ruins itself, plus the amazing views. Do you know what is planted in those fields? Going to your link now!!
I think I prefer the ruins and how it looks now. so beautiful, I love all the stone and arches.
Interesting and beautiful! Seems funny to see such old ruins along a new, modern highway!
Beautiful setting, I'm surprised no one else has built there.
Beautiful ruins with a great view!
Sorry Ginny, agriculture not my field (ha) of expertise... I have no idea what they're growing in the various fields. A bit of "this and that" would be my guess, judging by the variety in colour! ;)
I've always been fascinated by old ruins myself, Sandra.
There has probably been a road along that lake for a very long time. The area is crammed with historic places.
There is a modern rest stop / service area with tourist info centre and toilets and shop etc on the other side of the road. Walkpath from there to the ruin through an underpass under the motorway.
Wow! Love the photos. It must have felt amazing to stand and touch a building so old while watching modern traffic on the road. Like being in two lifetimes.
Another schoolday. The difference being that I enjoyed this one! I had to enlarge the island photo because initially I thought the light strips were huge buildings and I wondered what they are - fields.
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