The addition of red-brick, Functionalist buildings in the 1930s might make it look slightly factory like, but Malmöhus Slott has an intriguing history and houses some of the superb Malmö Museer.
After the Swedish takeover of Skåne in 1648, the Danes made a futile attempt to recapture the castle in 1677. When peace was restored, most of it became derelict and a devastating fire in 1870 left only the main building and two gun towers intact; these sections were revamped in 1930.
Erik of Pomerania built the first fortress here in 1436 to control the growing medieval town and Öresund shipping. This castle was destroyed between 1534 and 1536 during a popular uprising in Skåne. Immediately after the rebellion, King Christian III of Denmark had the castle rebuilt in forbidding late-Gothic and early-Renaissance styles.
Malmöhus Slott’s most famous prisoner (from 1567 to 1573) was the Earl of Bothwell. Bothwell married Mary, Queen of Scots, but was forced to flee from Scotland after she was deposed. On reaching Europe, he was detained by the Danes until his death in 1578.
