For years I have watched ‘The World from Above’ on travel channels. In the program, they show prominent cities from air. Most of it would be ancient castles and palaces. The narration and the scenes would instantly take me into the world inside the television. I can watch this program on repeat.

I have a great fascination for castles and palaces. I have been to two palaces in Sweden so far. You can read about our visit to the Kungliga Slottet and Drottningholm Slott here and here respectively. Wenngarn was the first castle we visited and boy, I have been waiting ever since to write about it! 

Wenngarn is a little village with a history that dates back to a thousand years. It is situated a few kilometers north of Sigtuna, cozily nestled amidst vast stretches of lush green meadows and woodlands!

After travelling for almost an hour and a half by train (Stockholm to Märsta by Pendeltåg) and bus 579, we were kinda dropped in the middle of no where! The bus wouldn’t go any further and it was a 30 min walk to the village!

Who would ever complain of walking through such breathtaking sights! Green fields and blue skies sandwiching bright red Swedish barns and cottages – absolute treat to the eyes!

As we stepped into the village, it felt like we were walking into the world of poets – beauty only they can aptly describe!

No matter where you go in Sweden, you will always bump on the most adorable canines!

We got to see some majestic horses that were arriving for an auction that was scheduled the next day!

As we kept getting closer and closer to the castle…

… I realized that all the scenery that we have seen until now was just the starters!

 

More awesomeness awaited us!

By the time we arrived at the entrance of the castle, we were literally starving! All the travel and walking had exhausted us and we had to refuel our systems for the walk inside the castle!

We enjoyed a delicious chicken biryani prepared by our friends. As we sat there on the picnic benches gobbling the food…

This view of the castle and its reflection was beckoning us!

Finally, we made it in!

Built in 1670, this medieval castle was soon transformed into an impressive baroque castle. The oldest surviving letter in Sweden from the 11th century was discovered here. In 1916, this castle became Sweden’s first institution to treat alcohol addiction!

As you can see, the facade of the castle was very simple and it appears quite small.

It is only when we walked into its cellars and various floors, we found it to be like a maze!

Inside the castle is this little chapel. On its bench doors and ceilings there are allegorical paintings that portrayed misery, sorrow, comfort and hope of that era.

We then went to the cellars underground!

I felt like I was walking into the sets of Game of Thrones, although I have watched just the first episode!

The bakery has freshly baked cakes, cookies and pastries. The smell of which wafts through the stone castle!

We soon arrived at the back door, which was supposedly the main entrance back in the day!

And this is the view! JAW DROPPING!

Seated on the crest of a ridge, the castle boasts of a baroque garden that dates back to the 1600 – currently one of Sweden’s best preserved!

The atmosphere and the view was so surreal that I had to sit there sometime and allow all my senses to absorb it.

As I took a walk through the garden, as always, my mind went back to the time this castle was inhabited by the royals. I couldn’t stop imagining what it might have looked and felt like for them to live there – what would they have worn, what would they have eaten, how must have they picnicked and played in these gardens, the long walks and conversations they must have had! I can got lost in my imagination!

We walked back into the castle and took a tour of each floor. By the way, Wenngarn Castle is Sweden’s most accessible castle! So we made the most of it!

While some of the olden interiors and furniture still remain…

Some rooms, like the kitchen, has an Ikea twist to it because guests use this building for stay and conferences!

Our time at the Wenngarn castle was wrapped up with an icy treat!

The Wenngarn Castle would easily top my top-fives scenic places in Sweden so far! Our time there and its visual beauty has made a permanent mark in my memory. It’s like I have brought Wenngarn virtually with me. It become one of those mind-places where I go to when I want to escape from reality for a few moments!

Walking back on that road through those meadows, I let the gentle breeze caress me. Except for birds tweeting somewhere in the distant woods, there was absolute silence – the kind of silence that calms the soul. I felt alive, refreshed and immensely blessed!

We spent the rest of the evening at Sigtuna – Sweden’s first city that dates back to 970 AD. I will share about it on a different post!