Castles of Sweden - Trolleholm Slott

Trolleholms Slott is one of my personal favorite area castles. There are over 200 in Skane (the southern region of Sweden) and more than 30 of them are within 50 kilometers of my house. One source states that there are closer to 350 castles in the region. No matter the true figure, I have spent a great deal of time exploring as many as possible. You see, I have had a love affair with castles since I was a wee lass. Some castles I have visited around the world have been big disappointments. Trolleholms Slott is not one of them. Oh no. I have stood in awe of this castle many a time, and visit it as often as possible. Just for the record, Slott is the word for Castle in Swedish, so do use that word when searching the Internet for more information.

In Sweden we have regions, much likes states in America. I live in Skane. We also have Kommuns, which are much like counties in the United states. I live in Svalov Kommun. Trolleholms Slott was the first building ever erected in Svalov Kommun, and the town of Trolleholm has been built up around it. There is also town called Svalov, and it is the seat of Svalov Kommun. Confused yet? I was at first. Just suffice it to say that Trolleholms Slott has a very long history. I love that a castle was the first building in my kommun. Seems only fitting, no?

Built in 1424 by architects Carl Harlemon and Carl Georg Brunius, Trolleholms Slott has changed hands a few times. It was originally called Eriksholm for Erik Neilson, and was used as a stronghold during the Danish-Swedish wars. The war was over ownership of Skane. Sweden won, obviously. Around the early 1500s the name was changed to Trolleholms. Being the site of historical battles, there are a lot of places in the general vicinity of this castle that you may also want to take a peek at if Medieval warfare interests you at all. (I must interject here that being American by birth, my Swedish is not yet up to par. I have translated as best as I could, so I can only hope it is accurate...)

Today, Trolleholms is mostly a private hotel. It is not a tourist hotel though, mind you, but used for conferences. Your group has to do a mass booking of the castle in order to stay there. Additionally, the old peasant quarters buildings have been converted and now are host to a myriad of events during the year. During Jul (Christmas) this is where we go to buy our tree, and purchase lots of cool handmade crafts, including freshly made jellies and jams. Other times they hold shows for area artists. If you plan to move to Sweden rather than just visit, you can join this castle so you can be kept up to date on what is happening when. I hope to show my own art work at Trolleholms in the near future. I don't even care if I sell any paintings, I just want the bragging rights of having my art work hanging in a cool castle!

If you are not a member of the castle or attending a conference, you can still come ogle to your heart's content. There is free public parking right across the road from the castle. That is an excellent place for pictures, by the way. That lot is probably the best angle of the castle... although the side entrance makes for a stunning long-shot too. They will not run you off if you pull into the private drive just long enough to snap a few photos. They never ran me off, at any rate...

So, if you are planning a Castle tour of Sweden, then Trolleholms Slott is one you will not want to miss. You may not be able to get inside the main castle itself, but you can get some great shots of the place, and go onto the grounds for some local flavor. It is worth the side trip just see the place.