There is something really special about staying somewhere where you can feel centuries of history all around you.
Earlier this August, my youngest son and I spent a night at Wiks Slott, just outside Uppsala in Sweden. The whole place is surrounded by woodland, gardens, meadows and the beautiful waters of Lake Mälaren, and it felt a bit like stepping into another time.
For us, it was exactly what we needed – a little fairytale escape and a slow summer getaway together. And a magical and a little spooky castle as backdrop. 🏰✨
A night beside one of Sweden’s best-preserved medieval castles
Wiks Slott is one of Sweden’s best-preserved medieval castles, with roots going all the way back to the Middle Ages. The estate has a long and fascinating ownership history, beginning with Israel Andersson And, who lived in the 13th century and is the earliest known owner of the property. During the 1300s, the estate was associated with Ramborg Israelsdotter, and later in the 1380s with Margareta Arnvidsdotter.
In the 1400s, it came into the hands of Katarina Stensdotter to Wik, who is believed -together with her husband, the Danish knight Klaus Nilsson, or possibly their son Nils Klausson to have been involved in the development of the estate. Remarkably, several of these early owners were women, which is unusual for castles of this period. The current castle was built during the late Middle Ages, reflecting the status and influence of these noble families, who all belonged to the highest levels of society.
You don’t actually sleep inside the castle itself, but in one of the surrounding buildings on the estate. We stayed in Ramborg, a small side building just a short walk from the castle. Our room was a simple double room with two single beds, which worked perfectly for the two of us. The rooms are simple in their interior but tidy and nice with light colours. After a full day of exploring the grounds, we slept really well and just enjoyed how peaceful everything felt.
There is something quite lovely about waking up and knowing that a medieval castle is just a few steps away!
Exploring the castle grounds
One of my favourite parts of the stay was just walking around the estate.
The grounds around Wiks Slott are huge, with woodland, open landscapes, gardens and little paths that invite you to just wander. Along the way, we came across information signs about the park, the landscape and the work being done to preserve the nature around the estate.
We also saw cows grazing in the fields and walked past beautiful apple orchards, which made it feel much more like we were staying on a countryside estate than at a traditional hotel.
For families, this is something I really loved – there is so much space for children to just explore freely and at their own pace.
One of the biggest surprises for my son was finding “Kojbyggarland”, which is basically a little “den-building land”. It’s an area where children (and adults!) have built small shelters and dens using fallen branches from the forest. There was even a sign marking it as Kojbyggarland, which made it feel like we had stumbled into a little hidden world.
My son absolutely loved it. And I think it was such a nice reminder that some of the best travel moments for children don’t need to be organised at all. Sometimes all they need is a forest, a few branches and the freedom to just create. 🌿
We also spent some time walking through the castle gardens, where vegetables and other produce are grown for the food served at Wiks Slott.
I really liked this detail – knowing that what ends up on the plate is actually grown right there on the estate makes everything feel more connected. It ties the food, the land and the history of the place together in a really beautiful way.
Of course, we couldn’t resist having a little picnic outside the castle. We brought some homemade buns with us and found a nice spot where we could just sit, relax and take in the view of Wiks Slott. It ended up being one of our favourite moments from the whole stay. Just the two of us, some fika and a medieval castle in the background.
Exploring inside Wiks Slott + guided tours
We also had the chance to step inside the castle and get a glimpse of its historic interiors. Not all of the rooms were open during our visit, as more of the castle can be explored through guided tours which wasn’t available when we stayed there. (Make sure to check out the timings for guided yours before you visit if you like to do those)
I would honestly have loved to see more of the inside, especially knowing how much history the castle holds, so a guided tour is definitely something I would come back for next time. Even from the parts we did see, it was easy to imagine all the stories these walls must have witnessed over the centuries.
Breakfast inside the castle
We visited in mid-August, just before the property switched into its conference season. The restaurant and the café Sjöstugan down by the water were closed during our stay, as the following week marked the start of the conference period.
But we actually ended up with a really lovely surprise! Instead of having breakfast in the restaurant, we got to have breakfast inside the castle itself. There was something quite magical about sitting inside a medieval castle in the morning light, especially knowing that this isn’t always where breakfast is served! 🥐☕🏰
A slow mother-and-son escape – and a ghost
What I loved most about our stay at Wiks Slott wasn’t any single activity. It was simply the feeling of having a beautiful place to explore together, without needing a packed schedule. We walked through the woods, discovered Kojbyggarland, watched the cows, wandered through the gardens, explored the castle grounds, had fika outside and just spent time together. And of course took pictures and so much fun filming the property and made a reel from it as well.
Watch our Wiks Slott Reel here
And I think that’s really what makes Wiks Slott so special for a family stay. It doesn’t try to entertain you every minute, the surroundings do that for you. There is history, nature, space to explore and so many small details to notice along the way.
We also loved the little touch of storytelling that brings the castle to life for children. Wiks Slott is said to have its very own friendly ghost, and there is even a children’s book you can buy about the castle, the ghost and a little bat who lives there. We read the book in the evening together. It adds a playful layer of imagination to the experience, especially for younger visitors, and makes wandering the castle grounds feel just a little more special and spooky. We where actually wondering about how the castle would look during autumn when it’s much darker!
Would we stay at Wiks Slott again?
Absolutely. For families looking for something a little different from a standard hotel stay, Wiks Slott is such a beautiful mix of history, nature and a fairytale feeling. I would especially recommend giving yourself time to actually explore the grounds, rather than just seeing it as a place to sleep. And if you’re travelling with children, don’t miss Kojbyggarland as it was definitely one of our favourite discoveries!
I would also love to come back when more of the castle interiors are open and join a guided tour to learn even more about its history.
For us, it was a really lovely mother-and-son escape – slow, peaceful, interesting and little bit magical. ✨
📍 Wiks Slott
Viks Mur, 755 91 Uppsala, Sweden
If you’re looking for a medieval castle experience in Sweden, Wiks Slott is definitely one to add to your list.
📸 Visited and photographed by Seashell Travels Family © Copyright Protected
Slow family travel, hidden gems & meaningful destinations in Sweden and beyond.
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