Tidö Castle, Baroque castle in Västmanland, Sweden
Tidö is a Baroque castle in Västmanland featuring a rectangular layout with a main building to the north and three connected wings. The structure follows Dutch Renaissance style, with rooms on multiple levels showing different interior arrangements and finishes.
The medieval stone house called Oldenburg, built in the late 15th century and surrounded by moats, passed to Anna Bååt in 1610. Her husband, Lord High Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna, began the present castle in 1625; the frame was finished in 1635 and work continued to 1641. The old house was converted into a brewhouse and malt house in the 1640s and now stands as a ruin a few hundred metres from the new castle.
The castle housed Sweden's first toy museum from 1974 to 2017, displaying thousands of objects from different periods and eras. The collection included personal items from the royal family and made the place a special destination for visitors of all ages.
The castle sits about 17 kilometers south of Västerås and welcomes visitors to explore its various rooms and historical furnishings. Guided tours take you through spaces that show different periods starting from the 17th century.
The sandstone portal at the courtyard entrance, carved around 1640 by stonemason Heinrich Blume, is flanked by Doric half-columns and topped by the double coat of arms of Oxenstierna and Bååt. Blume also made the obelisk-decorated double staircase and the main building's portal.
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