Kastellet (The Citadel) is a small citadel built of bricks located on the islet of Kastellholmen in Stockholm, Sweden. In the history it has been used as gun powder storage and ammo factory by the military.

Positioned strategically at entrance to Stockholm in the Baltic Sea, the first citadel was constructed in the 1640s. It has been rebuilt several times, one of the times after it one day in June 1845 exploded because of a experiment failure with ammo in the factory.

As late as 1990 the Swedish marine left the citadel and the flag with the Military Ensign of Sweden at the roof were lowered for the last time – or so they thought – but the people in Sweden were protesting so loud against the stop of the many hundred years of tradition that they had to restore the tradition again.

Since then a recruit from the Svea Life Guards Dragoon comes every day to hoist the flag, indicating that the nation is at peace just as the tradition was before.

On the Norwegian Constitution Day in May 17, 1996, there was some Norwegian expats that did hoist the Norwegian flag in the citadels tower. Earlier that would have been taken as a declaration of war, but not this time luckily!

Visiting warships today is greeted by four saluting canons from the citadels terrace. Since the year of 1935 is the citadel the responsibility of the National Property Board of Sweden.

Nowadays the citadel is used by the Swedish marine’s volunteer organizations and Naval officer association and is also rented out for conference purposes.

©Lifecruiser Love Stockholm Attractions