Stone towers
With tiled roofs.
Håkan Skogsjö — CC BY-SA 4.0 · J Hokkanen — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Helgi Þorsteinsson — CC BY 2.5 dk · Mona-Mia — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Håkan Skogsjö — CC BY-SA 4.0
Kastelholm Castle is a medieval castle built by the Swedes in the late 14th century in the municipality of Sund in Finland's Åland Islands. It overlooks a narrow inlet near the village of Kastelholm, about 17 km in a straight line from Mariehamn. Work on the castle began in the 1380s, and it was first mentioned in 1388. It is one of five surviving medieval castles in Finland considered architecturally significant. It was first built on a small island ringed by water-filled moats, served as a military and administrative seat, and reached its peak in the 15th and 16th centuries. Damaged in 1599 and gutted by fire in 1745, it fell into ruin, was partly restored in the 20th century and has been a museum since the 1990s. Tall grey stone towers and walls with dark tiled roofs rise above the grass, mirrored in the calm water of the inlet between the trees. A small harbour nearby fills with boats. The castle sits beside an open-air village museum, so the two pair easily. The museum opens mainly in the summer season, so check times before going.
With tiled roofs.
The castle's reflection.
Boats nearby.
Near Road 2, Sund municipality, Åland Islands, Finland
Mainly in summer; check times.
By car from Mariehamn on Road 2.