During a trip to Sweden in 2010, I had the opportunity to hike, experience and photograph a variety of landscapes and cultural locations. During a drive up the coast from Gothenburg I stopped at the Bohus Fortress in Kungälv to check out this military stronghold from the 1300’s. Unfortunately the site wasn’t open when I arrived so we couldn’t visit the inside of the fortress, but I did wander around the grounds.
The map at the entry of the property showed the inside of the fortress and the areas around it that visitors could explore and enjoy. Their site said that they have guided tours that were offered throughout the day and groups could make reservations for a private tour. The site has over 700 years of history to be told and the fortress itself has been besieged 14 times but never conquered!
The fortress is situated on an island in the Fästningsholmen inlet and the estuary is an old 13th century Nordic border between Halland (Denmark), Norway and Sweden.
Over the centuries the fortress changed and was transformed many times but different rulers. It started as a simple wood building which was quickly upgraded to a stone castle. After several sieges the castle was transformed into a Renaissance castle with fortified bastions in order to defend against new forms of artillery.
After the worst siege, Bohus Fortress was almost completely destroyed but it was then rebuilt to be used as a prison by the Swedish state. 
By 1838 the king acknowledged the historical and cultural significance of the site and started the conservation process to protect the buildings. The restoration was later continued and, as of 1935, the Fortress was officially deemed a state monument.
There was a trail around the fortress that visitors could hike for free and after hours. It took me near the water and through a forest filled with wandering sheep.
The area was gated and the trail was easy to follow and it wasn’t very long, which is okay since it was raining off and on all morning.
Sweden’s Baltic Shield and landscape was reminiscent of our own Canadian Shield in northern Ontario. The weather and temperature were also similar for the time of year.
It would have been nice to take a tour of the inside of the fortress. I’ve been to many historical sites in Canada, Ireland and South Korea, and they were very fascinating both from a historical point of view and from an architectural one.
