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The history of Vaxholm Fortress begins early in the 16th century, with the construction of a blockhouse on Vaxholm by Svante Nilsson Sture, the Regent. The king Gustav Vasa instructed the governor of Stockholm to replace the blockhouse with a stone tower, and to fill the narrow passage of Oxdjupet with rocks. This work was completed in 1839.

 

A Danish attack was repelled in 1612, and in 1719 the Russians were prevented from reaching Stockholm. In the 1870s, the defensive emphasis shifted from Vaxholm Fortress to the strait Oxdjupet. In 1876, Oxtjupet was opened to traffic and a new fort, Oscar-Fredriksborg, was built. Since the turn of the century, the forces defending the archipelago have moved their positions outwards, ultimately reaching the outermost perimeter of the Stockholm archipelago.

 

Vaxholm Fortress Museum

 

The museum opened in 1947 at Oscar-Fredriksborg fort and moved to Vaxholm Citadel in 1964. In 2003, it was restored. The museum's indoor department occupies thirty beautiful rooms and halls on both floors of the west section. Visitors can see the fortress as it was in 1854 and enter one of the Citadel's bombproof vaults to see how things were during the Crimean War. In other settings, you can visit the Commandant, follow the issuing of orders in a mine battery, or visit a World War II coastal defence artillery post.

 

Below, you can watch a movie about the Vaxholm Fortress Museum. It contains information about how to get to the location, facilities on the island during high season, and images from the museum.