- Location: 442 67 Marstrand, Sweden
- Phone: + (46 303) 602 65
- Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, from 10.00 to 18.00
It would seem that today Sweden and Denmark are represented to us in the role of such twin brothers. But in fact, between these two countries, conflicts flared up and on and on. Officially wars between Sweden and Denmark over the past 300 years there are as many as 16.
Important in this conflict was the issue of access to sea routes. Although the Swedes had access to the Baltic Sea, but if they wanted to go on a long voyage, they had to ask permission from the Danes, because they controlled all important straits. And in 1658 after the conclusion of another truce in Roskilde of Sweden went the province of Bohuslen, and with it the island of Marstrandsyon. In the shortest time, the Karlsten fortress was erected here, which, in addition to a number of undeniable advantages, also acts as a way to "stake out" the territory giving access to the sea routes.
History of erection
The Karlsten fortress itself is a very interesting architectural structure, albeit with a rather gloomy atmosphere. Her erection began by Swedish soldiers, who soon got tired of such a service. As with the serfdom of the Swedes did not work out, then to the construction site began to send criminals. It was they who built in 1681 the most reliable prison for the next 200 years and the most powerful fortress in Northern Europe in one bottle.
The prison of the past
A lot of facts speak about the severity of the Karlsten fortress as places of detention. More than 200 years for the Swedes there was nothing more terrible than to get here as a prisoner. Winter here experienced no more than half of the prisoners. Those who remained alive could hardly boast better than fate - from the Karlsten Fortress there was no turning back. The executions here seemed just as commonplace as today's traffic jams in rush hour on the central streets of the capital. And the executioner, as a rule, used an ax that delayed the moment of death, allowing the prisoner to die in terrible agony.
The construction and design of the towers is thought out in such a way that almost always there is an icy wind blowing, even if the sea is calm and there are no clouds in the sky.
What is characteristic, it was the Karlsten fortress that contributed to the fact that Marstrand, the city in the vicinity of which the structure is located, became extremely interesting in terms of tourism and became a famous Swedish resort. And all because of the fact that people went to jail massly to see firsthand the legendary criminal of the XIX century - Lasse-Maya. Under the influx, so many admirers and fans flinched in the stern Karlsten Fortress, and in time it was turned into a museum .
Modernity
Today the Karlsten Fortress is like a huge attraction of the past. There are thematic halls in which an authentic look of the time is recreated. There are also artifacts. For example, some tools of the executioner have survived to this day. There are regular tours , there are several conference rooms. And for those who would like to stay in the fortress for the night, trying to see the ghosts of prisoners who died here, even several rooms are arranged in the building.
The entrance to the museum is paid. View the fortress for adults will cost € 8, children from 5 to 15 years - € 3, toddlers under 5 years - free of charge.
How to get there?
The Karlsten Fortress is 45 km from Gothenburg, on the island of Marstrandsen. You can get here by ferry from the small village of Koen. He walks at number 322 every 15 minutes during the day, and with an interval of 30 minutes at night. The ticket involves a trip there and back, and costs slightly less than € 2.