Aranäs Borgruin
Götene

Castle ruins with a beautiful location by Lake Vänern

Aranäs castle ruins are beautifully situated by the shores of Lake Vänern, offering a captivating view of the lake and its multitude of islands.

In Old Norse, Aranäs means "eagle's nest," and in Icelandic, eagle's nest is "aranäs."

Aranäs was once one of our oldest and most distinguished royal castles. It was built on a site where a house had previously stood, which likely burned down, as evidenced by the findings.

In the late 12th century, the solid core building was erected, consisting of a granite foundation directly on the rock, with thick walls and finely carved sandstone squares adorned with a beautiful base. The surrounding ring wall, approximately 30 meters long, was added later. The castle as a whole was constructed between 1150 and 1304.

Among the findings made during the excavations was a helmet that likely belonged to a knight. It seems plausible that it may have belonged to the castle lord himself, Torgil Knutsson, a councilor, marshal, and knight.