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Tureborgen in Uddevalla - an exciting ruin

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Tureborgen in Uddevalla is an exciting ruin of a castle that looked medieval, but was built at the turn of the century. Today you can discover the remains of the castle and hike in the beautiful surrounding countryside.

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Tureborgen in Uddevalla

Tureborgen in Uddevalla was built between 1899 and 1912 by Ture Malmgren, an eccentric, local politician and founder of the newspaper Bohusläningen. Ture himself had travelled in Germany and was inspired by their medieval castles. Unfortunately, the mighty castle had a short lifespan, as it suffered a violent fire in 1950.

Tureborgen i Uddevalla

Tureborgen in Uddevalla is located in the south-eastern part of the town.

The history of Tureborgen

It was a powerful castle built by Ture Malmgren. The castle had around forty different rooms, a large knight's hall as well as towers, balconies and high stone walls. There was also a Bedouin-style room, a skittle alley, a music room with three pianos and several rooms with art by artists such as Anders Zorn.

Tureborgen in its early days. Photo: Unknown photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Malmgren had a large fortune, but despite this, the construction project was very costly. Once the castle was completed, Malmgren held many guest weddings inspired by the national romanticism of the time, including whole roast pig and mead in large stalls.

When Ture Malmgren passed away in 1922, his widow Hilma stopped visiting the castle and it began to fall into disrepair. On 26 November 1950, the entire castle burned to the ground, and since then it has been an imaginative ruin.

Tureborgen i Uddevalla

Visiting Tureborgen

You can drive to Tureborgen by setting your GPS to "Tureborg". When we were here, however, the last road was closed, so we had to turn around and take another road at the end. That little "wrong turn" gave us the nice views and photos below.

Träd som speglar sig i vatten

When we drove the right way, we could park a short distance from the castle. However, you have to walk a little bit on a path, slightly uphill.

After a short walk, you arrive at the fascinating ruin. Some walls and arches remain.

Tureborgen i Uddevalla

At some point you can also step into a passageway that takes you down into underground rooms.

Tureborgen i Uddevalla

There is also a high tower, which you can both admire from below and climb.

From the top of the tower you have a great view of both the ruin and the town of Uddevalla.

Peter från FREEDOMtravel vid Tureborgen i Uddevalla

We were also able to look down on a group that was taking part in a guided tour. If we understand it correctly, this guided tour may have been organised by Villa Elfkullen.

Tureborgen i Uddevalla

Villa Elfkullen

Villa Elfkullen was built by Ture Malmgren in 1886-1887 and is perhaps Uddevalla's most original house. The house is nicely situated on a hill, not far from the Tureborg ruin and is now a listed building. Inside there are beautiful tiled stoves and fine ceiling paintings, and according to the website there are guided tours for the public on Sundays during the summer months.

Ture Malmgren's mountain hut

Right next to the ruins of Tureborgen in Uddevalla, we found 'Ture Malmgren's mountain hut' on the map. What could it be?

Yes, this was the hunting lodge that Ture Malmgren thought belonged to a real castle. Of course, there was not much game in these parts, but that was perhaps less important.

Ture Malmgrens fjällhydda

The building was used for a time as a summer residence for Ture Malmgren's father, and then as a rental property for a few different families. Fjällhyddan was probably demolished in the 1960s, and today only ruins remain. When we walked around here, there were also plenty of stinging nettles.

Ture Malmgrens fjällhydda

Where can you stay or park your motorhome?

For example, you can stay at Hafstens Resort and Camping, whether you are travelling with a motorhome/caravan or want to stay in a cabin. In Uddevalla there are also two different sites - in the centre of Uddevalla at Museigatan 2 or on Rödön, Lindesnäs.

The picture below is from the central site, which may not be charming, but offers a central location and proximity to a supermarket and electricity for a reasonable price (100 kr/day in 2022).

Ställpats i Uddevalla

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

When you visit Tureborgen, you'll want to experience the rest of the city. Uddevallaincluding beautiful surrounding natural areas. You can also head out to the coast to experience Lysekil or Skaftöor perhaps inland to visit Trollhättan or Vänersborg.

All our top tips for holidays in Bohuslän

Have you visited Tureborgen in Uddevalla?

Have you visited Tureborgen in Uddevalla? Do you like to see old castles and ruins?

Facts about Tureborgen in Uddevalla

  • Landscape: Bohuslän
  • County: Västra Götaland County
  • Municipality: Uddevalla
  • Creator: Ture Malmgren
  • Master builder: J. A. Widén. T
  • Read more: You can also read about Trail of Tears, which is a circular route past the ruins of Tureborg.

The history of Tureborg

  • 1899: Tureborgen was built by Ture Malmgren (1851-1922), an eccentric, local politician and founder of the newspaper Bohusläningen.
  • 1911: An opening ceremony of the castle was held for invited journalists.
  • 1912: The construction of Tureborgen was completed, although it may not have been fully finished.
  • 1922: Ture Malmgren passed away. His widow Hilma never visited the castle, and it slowly began to fall into disrepair.
  • 1942: The land was bought by August Löfgren, who divided it into smaller plots. However, the plant was not sold.
  • The Second World War: Called-up soldiers on standby were left in the castle.
  • 1950: Tureborgen burned down on 26 November this year.
  • 2000s: Tureborgen became an attraction in Uddevalla.
  • 2014: The Tureborgen Society began to take care of the castle.
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