# Skokloster Castle

- **Country:** Sweden
- **Coordinates:** 59.703800, 17.619410
- **Condition:** Museum
- **Year Built:** 1676
- **Location Text:** Uppland

Skokloster Castle is a magnificent Swedish Baroque structure situated on a peninsula of Lake Mälaren, strategically located between Stockholm and Uppsala in Håbo Municipality. Construction commenced in 1654 under the commission of the wealthy military commander Count Carl Gustaf Wrangel, who intended the edifice to serve as a monument to the Swedish Age of Greatness. The design is attributed primarily to architect Casper Vogell, with contributions from Jean de la Vallée and Nicodemus Tessin the Elder, and it likely drew inspiration from Ujazdów Castle in Warsaw. Although building activities continued until 1676, the project was never fully completed following Wrangel's death that same year.

The castle holds unique historical significance as the only building in Europe preserving a complete seventeenth-century construction site with authentic integrity. Because Wrangel's successor, Nils Brahe the Younger, chose not to finish the interiors, a large banqueting space known as the Unfinished Hall remains exactly as builders left it in the summer of 1676. This area, along with hundreds of original tools and construction books from the period, offers an unparalleled glimpse into historical building practices. Following the extinction of the Brahe line, the von Essen family inherited the property and later converted part of the ground floor into a modern residence after the Second World War, while preserving the upper levels.

In 1967, the von Essen family sold the castle and its vast contents to the Swedish government, transforming it into a state museum. Today, the site operates as a government agency alongside the Royal Armoury, displaying an impressive collection of approximately 20,000 items. Visitors can explore extensive holdings of paintings, furniture, textiles, tableware, books, and weapons that reflect the opulence of the era. The castle stands as a well-preserved testament to seventeenth-century aristocratic life and architectural ambition, maintaining its status as a premier cultural destination in Sweden.

![Photo of Skokloster Castle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Skoklosterslott666.JPG)

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