Trolle-Ljungby Castle stands tall in Kristianstad Municipality, Skåne County, Southern Sweden. Its origin dates back to the medieval era and it has seen its fair share of history. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Danish noble 'Bille' family owned it. Jens Holgersen Ulfstand, a Danish politician, admiral, and county governor, commissioned Glimmingehus in the 1460s. Details about the early history of the castle are scarce, but the western part is thought to be the oldest.
Large reconstruction works were carried out after 1621, during which the current Renaissance exterior was conceived. Jens Holgersen Ulfstand commissioned Glimmingehus, another well-preserved medieval manor in Scandinavia. The castle was damaged during raids by Snapphanar during the Scanian War, leaving bullet holes and cutting marks in the tower door, which are still visible today. Carl Linnaeus visited the castle park in 1749. In 1850, the house came into the possession of Hans Gabriel Trolle-Wachtmeister, the ancestor of the current owners, who initiated reconstruction works both internally and externally.
Count Hans-Gabriel Trolle-Wachtmeister is the current owner of the castle. The castle consists of three wings surrounding a courtyard, located on a small island surrounded by a moat. Internally, the castle retains few of the original furnishings but has richly decorated Rococo and Neoclassical rooms, including one of the finest private libraries in Sweden. Troll-Ljungby Castle also has a unique legend associated with it. An old legend about trolls was first recorded in 1620.
According to the legend, trolls hosted a feast under a large erratic boulder, still on the estate. A maiden saved a castle man from the trolls. The maiden warned the man not to drink. The man scorched the side of his horse. The man galloped across the fields to the castle. The man brought the horn and flute back to the castle. The trolls demanded that Sissela Ulfstand return the horn and pipe. Sissela Ulfstand refused to return the horn and pipe.
The trolls put a curse on Sissela Ulfstand and the castle. The castle burned down during Søren Norby's failed rebellion attempt. The curse warns that the castle would be burnt three times and Sissela Ulfstand's family would die out.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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