Älvsborgs Slott

The ruins of Älvsborg Fortress lie on the south bank of the Göta älv river where it flows into the Kattegat, right on the historic boundary of the city of Gothenburg. The remains you can see today date from the Renaissance; nothing survives of the original medieval fortress from 1366. The castle's history is marked by shifting control among Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, as well as by numerous battles and fires during the era of the Kalmar Union. After King Gustav I Vasa rebuilt it, the fortress lost its strategic importance, as newer defenses were built nearby. In 1660, the Swedish king ordered it blown up, a job completed in 1673, and many furnishings were moved to the nearby new fortress of Nya Elfsborg. Today you can visit the ruins under a protective roof that shields the historic site from the elements.