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Orebro Castle. Majestically Rising in the Middle of a Modern City

Situated right in the middle of the town, the Orebro Castle majestically dominates the views. We arrived in Orebro on a very rainy day. The castle revealed itself to us just as a pretty unusual site. A moat surrounds the castle and the city surrounds the moat, and we got the feeling that somehow the balance of things was disrupted and the inhabitants of the city are the ones who protect the thick walls now.

Orebro Castle dates back to the 13th century, but it received many face-lifts during the years. It was used as a prison, for military purposes and as a royal residence. Nowadays it welcomes visitors from all over the world with open arms, or doors if you wish.

We took one of the guided tours. They organize only one guided tour in English a day, the other ones being in Swedish, so it is better check out the times before planning your day.

The guided tour was sprinkled with historical characters coming to life. Though the rooms of the castle are barely furnished, the appeal of the tour remain the stories told and the characters that jump right in the middle. They are dressed in clothes fashionable in eras long gone and deal with the problems characteristic to their period. We found this to be an easy, fun and memorable way to learn about the castle and its history.

Orebro Castle is surrounded by pretty flowers and was a delight to look at, especially as the sun came out and we walked around it admiring it's four amazing round towers. But though the turrets seem to be like from a fairy tale, they are actually 20th century additions.

We stopped in Orebro for one night only during our Interrail trip, and made out of this castle the highlight of our stay. It is always interesting for us to see how one single sight can shape the trajectory of a trip. If you are into castles, this one should be on your list of must see places in Sweden. The castles over here don't get much better.

You can also see our month long Interrail itinerary and read our tips for traveling Europe with an Interrail pass. Have you used an Interrail pass before or are you planning an Interrail trip in the near future? Please leave us your feedback. It means the world to us.

We’d like to thank Interrail for providing us with two complimentary global passes for our 1 month Eastern Europe & Scandinavia tour. Though we used the Global Pass for our journey, it's worth noting that single country passes are also available.

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