Dalaborg Castle (Ruin)

Dalaborg was built in 1304 by order of Dukes Erik and Waldemar, sons of Magnus Ladulås, after they had plundered the city of Lödöse in their conflict with their brother, King Birger. Already in the following winter, the castle was besieged by King Birger, leading to a peace treaty in the spring of 1305. For over fifty years, from 1309 to 1367, historical sources are silent about Dalaborg, suggesting it was abandoned during this period. By 1388 at the latest, the site regained importance when Queen Margarethe, already regent of Norway and Denmark, was recognized here as ruler of Sweden. In 1434, Dalaborg was besieged during the Engelbrekt Rebellion and subsequently set on fire, after which it is no longer mentioned. Investigations of the ruin took place between 1938 and 1939.

The Dalaborg Ruin is located in Mellerud, in the Mellerud district of the Västra Götaland region, Sweden. It stands at an elevation of approximately 48 meters above sea level.

Today, visitors can explore the Dalaborg Ruin. The moats, ramparts, a terrace, and the remains of a stone house have been preserved. The ground floor of the main building utilized the natural topography in the south and east, while an L-shaped natural stone section completed the floor in the north and west. The walls are four meters thick and preserved up to a height of three and a half meters, though the original plaster is no longer visible. Beam holes bear witness to a former wooden structure on the stone foundation. Approximately 30 meters west of the main building is a plateau bordered by a sand wall. Adjacent to it runs a moat with an embankment, dated to the second half of the 14th century. A model of Dalaborg Castle before its destruction is exhibited in the Mellerud Museum.

• Stola Manor (manor house), approx. 27.8 km away
• Villa Giacomina (manor house), approx. 31.5 km away
• Läckö Castle (castle), approx. 36.5 km away
• Hellekis Manor (manor house), approx. 45.5 km away