Orebro Castle
A Four Towered Castle On A River Island In The Middle Of Orebro, Begun In The 13th Century And Rebuilt By The Vasa Kings, With The Old Wooden Houses Of Wadkoping Nearby · Orebro, Orebro County
Orebro Castle stands on a small island in the Svartan river in the middle of Orebro, a square, four-towered stone castle that looks almost too neat to be real. It began in the 13th century as a defensive tower guarding the river crossing on the road through central Sweden, and was rebuilt in the late 1500s by the Vasa kings, above all Duke Charles, later Charles IX, into the Renaissance shape it keeps today. Riksdag meetings were held in Orebro over the centuries, including the one of 1810 that chose the French marshal Bernadotte as crown prince. Later it served as a granary and prison before a restoration around 1900. Today it is said to house the county governor's residence and offices, with exhibitions and guided tours for visitors. People come for the tours, for the walk along the river to the free wooden houses of Wadkoping and for the city park. The honest caveat: it is a pleasant stop for people passing on the E18 or E20 or by train, not a trip on its own.
Orebro Castle on its island in the Svartan river, central Orebro, with the Wadkoping open-air quarter a short walk east, Orebro, Orebro County, Sweden
The castle courtyard and the riverside around it can be visited freely at most times. Exhibitions and guided tours run on a seasonal pattern: most days in summer, roughly late June to mid-August, with more tours and longer hours, and on fewer days or by booking only in winter - check the current schedule, and expect closures around Midsummer Eve and Christmas and when official events take over the castle. Parts of the building are working offices and, it is said, the county governor's residence, so they are never open. Getting there: the castle is about 10 minutes' walk from Orebro C. SJ trains reach Orebro in roughly 2 hours from Stockholm and about 3 hours from Goteborg - confirm the timetable. By car, the E18 and E20 meet just outside town, with pay parking in central garages. Book English tours and group visits ahead in summer.