Standing proudly above a plateau-like hill in Upplands-Bro Municipality, Stockholm County, Almarestäket's castle (or Sankt Eriks borg) is named after Eric IX of Sweden. It served as a strategic defense facility for nearby cities like Sigtuna and Uppsala. The complex was first mentioned in the Swedish rhyming chronicle Karlskrönikan in the late 14th century.
The castle was burned down in 1434 following a power struggle between the king and the church, and was rebuilt about ten years later. During the domestic political strife of the 1510s, the castle was again besieged and ultimately demolished by Sten Sture the Younger in 1519. Records indicate that the brick had been transported from Almarestäket to Stockholm to be reused during this demolition.
Today, the castle ruin covers an area of 125 x 80 meters and stands 3 - 4 meters high, with traces of foundations and house foundations visible in the northwestern part. Below the hill, a five-meter high obelisk in red granite, erected in 1804, looms, as well as the remnants of the adjacent bridge over Almarestäket.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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