# Bråborg Castle

- **Country:** Sweden
- **Coordinates:** 58.616111, 16.341111
- **Condition:** Ruin
- **Year Built:** 1590
- **Location Text:** Östergötland

Bråborg Castle was a former royal residence located at Bråviken in Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland, Sweden. Constructed between 1588 and 1590, the estate was built in the Renaissance style by Queen Dowager Gunilla Bielke. She lived there following the death of her husband, King John III of Sweden, until her own passing at the castle in 1597. The property subsequently passed to her son, Duke John of Östergötland, and his wife, Princess Maria Elisabeth. Tragically, both the Duke and Princess died at Bråborg in 1618, marking a somber chapter in the site's early history as a prominent royal dwelling.

The castle suffered significant destruction over the following centuries, beginning with a partial fire in 1669. Its ultimate demise occurred in 1719 when a Russian army burned the structure down during the Russian Pillage. In the aftermath, local inhabitants scavenged stone from the ruins to help rebuild the nearby town of Norrköping. A new manor house was eventually constructed approximately one thousand meters away from the original burnt site, leaving the historic location abandoned.

Today, only ruins remain of the once-grand estate, which originally covered an area of roughly 240 by 190 meters. Visitors to the site can still observe visible foundations, cellars, moats, and parts of the original gardens. These remnants serve as a tangible link to Sweden's sixteenth-century royal heritage and the turbulent conflicts of the early eighteenth century. While no standing walls survive, the archaeological features provide insight into the layout and scale of this significant historical landmark in Östergötland County.

![Photo of Bråborg Castle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Br%C3%A5borgs_slottsruin%2C_den_23_april_2009.JPG)

**Source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bråborg_Castle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)