History of the Fortress

Gaze out over the inlet, completely hidden from your enemies. The fortress, with its three batteries, was built in the late 1800's, to give Sweden a safe outpost in times of uncertainty. But war has been conspicuously absent and decommissioning became a fact. After almost 80 years of slumbering in silence, the fortress was reawakened to become a hotel.

 
 

1854-1856

After the Crimean War, Sweden's capacity to safeguard its neutrality was called into question. England and France persuaded Sweden to fortify the inlet at Fårö with batteries and naval mines. 

1885-1886

Fårösund's fortress was built and consisted of three fixed batteries; the Middle Battery (Batt. I), the Northern Battery (Batt. II) and the Southern Battery (Batt. III).

1899

The batteries were rebuilt and Batteries I and II received modern, quick-firing 57 mm guns, four per battery.

 
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1919

The fortress is decommissioned and all equipment is removed. Later, plans emerge to turn the fortress into a prison for special prisoners.

1935

The batteries were declared as a historically listed building and, just over fifty years later, its administration was taken over by the National Property Agency.

2004

The sleeping beauty is awakened from its isolated slumber on the windswept plain of Bungenäs and transformed into a hotel in this unique environment.