Camping in the shadow of Läckö Castle

We spent the last days of our holiday exploring Kållandsö and especially the surroundings of Läckö Castle. We were incredibly surprised by how much there is to see and do here. In a future post you can read more about hiking trails and fishing villages on the island, here I tell you about what is in the absolute vicinity of the castle.

Naturum Vänerskärgården

We started our trip with dinner at White deer which is located right next to the castle in Victoriahuset at Naturum Vänerskärgården. We hadn't heard much about the restaurant, nor had we seen a menu, so we didn't really know what to expect. It was really, really good. The restaurant focuses on local produce and a lot of the crops on the plate come from the castle garden. The waiter really apologised when he presented the menu and told us that the herring came all the way from Klädesholmen. We settled on a three-course meal with raw beef for starters, Vänergös for the main course and sage ice cream with blueberries for dessert. To this we drank some really good wines. We were so pleased that we would have liked to go here again on our second day, but then it was unfortunately fully booked. A real highlight then!

At Naturum there is also a nice bed and breakfast, but since we wanted to try out our new express tent, we went to the campsite which is located in a forest grove next to the castle and Naturum. We prefer smaller campsites where it is quieter and where you are not forced to pitch your tent against a large caravan. At the Läckö camping you get your own little grove to yourself and even though there were a lot of people at the campsite, it was cosy to walk along the little road where the campervans, tents and motorhomes were lined up among the trees.

Läckö Castle

At Läckö Castle we took a guided tour to get a good overview of the castle. The tour took about an hour and then you could roam freely around the castle at your own pace. The entrance ticket is valid throughout the day and you can also come back if you want to sneak out for a coffee and continue later.

We had a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide who showed us around some of the 245 rooms. Among other things, we got to see the three rooms dedicated to the Thirty Years' War. A room for the winner, a room for peace and, politely, a room for the loser.

The site of Läckö was originally a bishop's castle, dating from the late 13th century. The castle burned down in the 1470s but was rebuilt. However, it was Count Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie who gave Läckö Castle its current appearance in the mid-17th century.
It really is a magnificent castle with all its grand halls covered with paintings on the walls and ceilings. The ceiling paintings are particularly stunning, you can see pictures of some of them here.

One of the more grandiose private rooms was the princess's bedchamber, which was the bedroom of Maria Euphrosyne of the Palatinate. Perhaps Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie was particularly fond of his wife?

Also worth noting are the busts of Magnus Gabriel and Mary above. Do you see that Maria's is a little higher? The explanation is that since Maria was the sister of Charles X Gustav and thus royal, she was higher in rank, unlike Magnus Gabriel who was "only" a nobleman. Difference between people and people, then...

Our visit to Läckö ended with a tour of the beautiful castle garden and a look into the castle church. Of course, we also had a coffee break at the Confectionery Trulsson in the stables right next to the castle. All this talk of war and old kings had made us incredibly hungry for coffee.

We had a couple of really nice days on Läckö and Kållandsö, with good food, and nice experiences. In summary, one can simply exclaim, Kållandsö, what an island!