Visingso

Visingso is about fourteen kilometres long and three wide, sitting in the middle of Vattern, and it was the seat of the Brahe family, who ran it as a county in the seventeenth century - Visingsborg's ruined castle from that period stands near the harbour, and Nas, the older royal castle at the southern tip, is a fragment on the shore. The oak forest in the middle was planted from 1831 for naval timber, by which time the navy had moved to iron, so a hundred and fifty years of oaks stand there with no purpose but themselves. Most people cycle or take one of the horse-drawn carts that meet the ferry.

Background

Visingsö lies in the southern half of Lake Vättern, 30 kilometres north of Jönköping and 6 kilometres west of Gränna, where two car ferries leave for the island. It is 14 kilometres long and 3 kilometres across at its widest, with an area of about 24 square kilometres. Jönköping municipality counted 684 residents in 2023, slightly fewer than in 2019. Legend says a giant named Vist made the island when he tossed a clod of earth into Vättern to give his wife a stepping stone across the water.

Source: Wikipedia, "Visingsö"

What you'll find

• Visingsborg castle ruin - the Brahe seat, near the harbour.
• Nas castle fragment - the older royal site at the south end.
• An oak forest planted for the navy - from 1831, never used.
• Bicycles and horse carts - how the island is crossed.

When to go

May to September. A full day.

What to expect

The ferry queues in July with cars. The island is long - walking it is a serious day. Facilities are seasonal. The castle ruins are fragmentary.

Nearby

Granna is on the mainland; Jonkoping is south.

Key facts