Visingsö

Sweden / Jonkoping /
 island, place with historical importance
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An island in the southern half of the lake Vättern in Sweden. During the summer they rent bikes at the ferry port on the eastern side of the island. Exploring this islands treasures by bike is a cool way to check it out. There is old castle ruin called Visingsborg right by the ferry port. It used to be one of the most impressive buildings in Sweden. The southern tip of the island holds the the Ruin of Näs. This castle was built in the 12th century when the Royal Families of Sverker and Erik ruled the country. Later, the kings of the Folkunga family occupied the castle. It is known as the first royal castle of Sweden and is described in the Icelandic Sagas as an enormous castle with a huge treasury. Many kings lost their lives here in battles. In 1318 the castle was burnt down during a fight for the throne. Most of the castle is submerged in the lake, but what remains on land is definitely worth a visit

Other sites worth visiting are the Iron Age burial grounds in the forest just south of the port and the Kumlaby Church (a few kilometers north of the ferry port) built in the 12th century has a bell tower you can climb to an observation platform.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visings%C3%B6
www.visingso.net/turokul/engelska.html
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   58°3'9"N   14°20'43"E

Comments

  • Realy interesting history.
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This article was last modified 14 years ago