Stegeholm, Medieval castle ruin on Slottsholmen, Sweden

Stegeholm is a ruined medieval fortress on Slottsholmen, built before 1370 to guard the narrow inlet of Gamlebyviken. Its low walls of rough grey stone with red-brick trim hold two arched openings with iron grilles, and a circular stone-rimmed well sits in the grass before two small brick structures with grass-covered tops.

Stegeholm was founded before 1370, probably by Duke Albrecht the Great of Mecklenburg, and passed to Bo Jonsson (Grip), whose heirs held it until 1419. Jösse Nilsson's storming of the castle failed on 21 September 1434, and in 1436 Tjust residents besieged it. The Danish fleet burned it with Västervik in 1517; Sweden retook and rebuilt it in 1521, and Danes occupied it again for part of 1612.

Since 1966 the ruin has hosted Visfestivalen i Västervik, a festival of songs and ballads (visor) held each summer within the castle walls. The event gave the ruined castle a new use as a concert venue.

The ruins are accessible by following Slottsholmsvägen road, with parking available near the waterfront. You can walk freely through the area and explore the site at your own pace throughout the day.

In the 1700s, local residents received permission to quarry stones from the ruins for their own use. Parts of the remaining walls were later repurposed by a nearby shipyard for industrial construction.