Vaxholm Fortress

Vaxholm Fortress is the guardian of Stockholm — a Renaissance sea fortress on its own island in the inner Stockholm Archipelago, commanding the main waterway between the Baltic and the Swedish capital. Founded by King Gustav Vasa in 1548, the fortress was continuously expanded and reinforced for 350 years as Sweden's primary coastal defence against seaborne attack. It was never taken by force: a Russian fleet turned back from its walls in 1719 during the Great Northern War, one of the most significant moments in the fortress's long history. Today it is home to the National Coastal Defence Museum, with collections spanning Swedish naval and coastal military history. The fortress is only accessible by boat — a 10-minute crossing from Vaxholm town, itself a charming wooden-housed island community 35 km from Stockholm, making the whole excursion one of the finest summer day trips from the Swedish capital.