Raseborg Castle

There is no second such as Raseborg Castle across Finland. This medieval fortress was built in a simplified form for quite a long time, but its solid and intriguing structure to this day is interesting for many visitors who go there to experience the grandeur of bygone times beyond the stone walls of Raseborg.

The castle was built low on a hill near the eponymous river, which passes through the Finnish province of Ekenäs. Raseborg Castle stands near the beautiful green area of the town, which is located in the southernmost parts of Finland. Some time ago Raseborg Castle was part of the village Snappertuna, which later enter into the composition of the larger settlement.

It is believed that Raseborg Castle was built in the 14th century by Bo Jonsson Grip, the first phase of the construction lasted from 1373 to 1378.

From 1378 the first written evidence of this fortress can be found, which suggests that it was built mainly with commercial importance. Raseborg was built to protect the Swedish business interests in southern Finland. The whole castle was built in three phases over the 14th to the 16th century.

Raseborg was situated on a small island surrounded by water that is now a dried up lake. Today the ruins of the castle surrounding the firewall can be seen, but in good condition is the preserved core of the Raseborg Castle. Gustav Vasa when in power made nearby Ekenäs the center of administration in the province of this world, however in 1528, Raseborg lost its strategic importance. The castle was abandoned in 1550, and during the next 300 years was left to the arbitrariness of fate .

The first restoration of Raseborg began in 1890, and then the castle under went several restoration processes.

Today, the National Board of Antiquities in Finland does not intend to take over repairs to the structure of Raseborg after the massive restoration in 1988, which lasted more than twelve years.

According to specialists from the National Council Raseborg can not be fully recovered in its original form from the Middle Ages , because it is not known in detail how the castle looked at that time. Today the ruins of Raseborg Castle are considered the most impressive in this part of Finland.