Tidö Castle, Västerås, Sweden

Tidö is one of Sweden's best preserved Baroque palaces, built in the Dutch Renaissance style. The first building on the site was a medieval house built by the Gren family in the 15th century. In 1537, the Gren family sold the castle to the Queen consort, Margaret Leijonhufvud. In 1540, her husband, king Gustav Vasa, traded the castle to Ekolsund Castle and Tidö came to the Tott family. Today, minor ruins of the former house can be found next to the present building.

The present castle at Tidö was built by the Lord High Chancellor of Sweden Axel Oxenstierna in 1625–1645. The castle was built around a rectangular courtyard with the main building to the north and the three linked wings to the east, west and south. The main entrance is through a vault in the south wing. In 1889, the von Schinkel family bought Tidö and they still own it today. Today visitors may see the Toy Museum.

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User Reviews

Hans Södervall (8 months ago)
17th century castle well worth a visit! Beautiful surroundings!

Esther Emmanuella Spio (9 months ago)
Got here later hours of the day but was able to get a good view of the surroundings although I didn’t enter or have an assisted tour. Will recommend for anyone around Västerås.

Oksana Valetska (11 months ago)
Good place to visit, but do not expect a lot of "glamor" from this castle. It's another style. To visit the third floor you need to buy a ticket, but it is worth it.

Eric A.L. Axner (4 years ago)
I was here a few times as a child, from which I have no memory. Visiting it now however, I can say for certainty that it is a fabulous castle, sterdy and rustic, much like its original owner Axel Oxenstierna, the creator (for good and bad) of the Swedish bureaucracy. I can definitely see myself visiting again.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Mark1792

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Rosenborg Castle

Rosenborg Palace was built in the period 1606-34 as Christian IV’s summerhouse just outside the ramparts of Copenhagen. Christian IV was very fond of the palace and often stayed at the castle when he resided in Copenhagen, and it was here that he died in 1648. After his death, the palace passed to his son King Frederik III, who together with his queen, Sophie Amalie, carried out several types of modernisation.

The last king who used the place as a residence was Frederik IV, and around 1720, Rosenborg was abandoned in favor of Frederiksborg Palace.Through the 1700s, considerable art treasures were collected at Rosenborg Castle, among other things items from the estates of deceased royalty and from Christiansborg after the fire there in 1794.

Soon the idea of a museum arose, and that was realised in 1833, which is The Royal Danish Collection’s official year of establishment.

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