No philosofizing today. Just a few impressions from a visit to Bäckaskog castle this week. This place really shows its history, all mix and match and quirk of it. Mrs J likes!

Mrs J had a walk around the castle and the park. The weather was typical October for the area. Rain, wind, overcast… that’s Scandoland in the fall! But the downpour stopped long enough for a good look around.

This below is a south wall. Someone is trying to grow wine here. Apparently with some, if not complete, success.

Bäckaskog is situated in the southeast of Sweden, in the northeastern corner of the landscape of Scania.

It’s a place of some importance since the mid 13th century. The monastery that was originally founded here earlier during that century flourished through local trade.

The reformation came along and in 1537 the monks were forced to leave. In the 16th and 17th centuries the buildings were repurposed and reinforced to form a castle with some military importance by Danish nobility that took over the property.

When the area was taken over by the Swedish crown in 1678 the castle became closely connected to the Swedish military as the residence of a succession of high military commanders.

In the 19th century the development of the castle was a royal concern. Under the supervision of Oscar I of Sweden and his son Carl XV, the agriculture around Bäckaskog was transformed into a state-of-the-art operation.

Mrs J found the old jetty interesting. At some point in the 1800’s the lake was regulated and this stone jetty ended up about 100m from the water.

By the late 1950’s the agricultural operations, including lands and several outbuildings, were separated from the castle. Today the castle itself houses a museum, a restaurant and a conference centre. Parts of the building and the parkland are nevertheless open to the public free of charge.

If you’re ever in this corner of Scandoland, it’s worth a visit.