Romania : Part 12 - Summary of the Romanian Drive (Route and Expenses)

The reason you are reading this post is probably of 2 reasons:

1) You have been diligently reading all my posts on my Romanian road trip and has reached here
2) You happen to google on Romania and this is what you got.

For either reasons, you have reached to the summary of my 16-day holiday in Romania. In my previous 11 posts, I have broken down my itinerary into each place and its respective routes with some descriptions. I am not very good in illustrating places and hence has posted a lot of photos for you to decide if the place is worth a visit.

The Route

Here, I present to you the map of our drive. From Stockholm to Romania and back to Stockholm again. In total, this took up 7,478km spanned across 15 days. Google Map puts it 6,618km but I suppose we have used longer routes because we avoided the toll roads as much as possible and we also detoured within Germany to see Bastei and Denmark to see Hvide Sande. I am not entirely sure of the route Prof Sweet Tooth used but the map below is the gist of it. I started the trip from Stockholm because I travelled with Prof Sweet Tooth who is from Sweden. He is not keen on flying. Our first road trip we did together was in 2015 to Pyrenees. 

Romania : Part 11 - Day 13 to 16 : Drive Romania to Stockholm

Day 13 to 16 of Romanian Drive

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 13 to 16. 

26/9 Day 12 Night : Romania -- Hungary -- Zahorie, Slovakia

27/9 Day 13: Zahorie, Slovakia -- Czech Republic -- Bad Schandau, Germany

28/9 Day 14: Bad Schandau, Germany -- Brandenburg -- Flensburg

29/9 Day 15: Flensburg, Germany -- Hvide Sande, Denmark -- Malmo, Sweden
30/9 Day 16: Malmo -- Ullared (for shopping detour) -- Stockholm

We slept in the car.

Must-Incur Costs

(1) Petrol in Praha, Czech Republic - CZK1,306 / EUR52.24 / 43.69 liter

last filled in Satu Mare, Romania on Day 12.

(2) Petrol in Flensburg, Germany - EUR58.83 / 44.94 liter

(3) Petrol in Smalandsstena, Sweden - SEK600.11 / EUR60.01 / 53 liter

(4) TWO Bridge Tickets in Denmark - SEK440 + DKK240 = EUR44.57 + EUR32.25 = EUR76.82

(5) Parking in Brandenburg, Germany - EUR2.25

Optional Costs 

(1) 27/9 Breakfast at Slovakia border - Sandwich EUR2.80

(2) 27/9 Coffee at Petrol Station OMV, Praha - CZK15 / EUR0.60

(3) 27/9 Dinner at Tesco, Decin, Czech - 2 salad for takeaway CZK54.62 / EUR2.02, 2 bottles of orange juice CZK59.80 / EUR2.21

(4) 28/9 Dinner at Brandenburg, Germany - Pasta EUR6.95, Pork with fries EUR12.95, Coffee EUR1.75, Water EUR1.95

(5) 29/9 Breakfast at Flensburg, Germany - Sandwich, yogurt drink, orange juice EUR9.70
(6) 29/9 Lunch (Chinese food) at Flensburg, Germany - Chicken fillet with rice EUR6, Duck fillet with rice EUR7, Mineral water EUR4, Ice cream EUR2.40
(7) 29/9 Dinner at Hvide Sande, Denmark - Salmon cheese EUR11

(8) 30/9 Brunch at Burger King, Malmo - SEK152 / EUR15.20
(9) 30/9 Dinner (Thai food) at Ullared - Fried Noodle SEK59 / EUR5.90, Springroll SEK75 / EUR7.50, Water SEK32 / EUR3.20

The Story

270916 - The night before, Prof Sweet Tooth had driven until 4am to Zahorie, close to the Slovakia border. He parked in a petrol station. We bought food using Euro in the petrol station. Yay! Shared breakfast because anything paid in Euro is so expensive now.

Romania : Part 10 - Day 12 : Wooden Church Ieud and Poienil, Barsana Monastery, Merry Cemetery

Day 12 of Romanian Drive

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 12. 

26/9 Day 12: Ieud -- Poienil -- Barsana Monastery -- Merry Cemetery -- leave Romania -- Zahorie, Slovakia

We slept in the car.

Must-Incur Costs

(1) Petrol in Satu Mare, Romania - LEI167.30 / EUR37.17 / 33.93 liters

Last filled in Brasov on Day 10.

(2) Entrance fee to Wooden Church, Ieud - LEI4 / EUR0.89
(3) Entrance fee to Merry Cemetery - LEI5 / EUR1.11

Optional Costs 

(1) 26/9 Lunch in Barsana Monastery - Vegetable soup and bread for 2 LEI16/ EUR3.56
(2) 26/9 Snack in Barsana Monastery - Fried bread with cheese LEI3 / EUR0.67,
(3) Tea break in Merry Cemetery - 2 slices of cake LEI8 / EUR1.78

The Story

260916 - Happy birthday to me! Today is my birthday and it is our last day in Romania. The night before, Prof Sweet Tooth has parked in Ieud (pronounced as Ye-Wood) Village, which is very close to our next destination - Wooden Church of Ieud. 

We arrived at the parking spot and could not see anyone. I can tell you, though. Despite the Wooden Church being a UNESCO site, there were no souvenir booths at all - which means no visitors. There were 3 parking spots only. I don't think a tourist bus comes here either. I asked a local - UNESCO church? She pointed to the top of a hill and I could see the cemetery. So, we walked up the hill and saw a small wooden church on top of the hill which is surrounded by a cemetery.

Romania : Part 9 - Day 11 : Neamt Citadel and Voronet Monastery

Day 11 of Romanian Drive

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 11. 

25/9 Day 11: Baltatesti, Neamt -- Neamt Citadel -- Voronet Monastery -- Ieud

We slept in the car.

Must-Incur Costs

(1) Entrance fee to Neamt Citadel - LEI5 / EUR1.11
(2) Parking at Neamt Citadel - LEI2 / EUR0.44
(3) Entrance fee to Voronet Monastery - LEI5 / EUR1.11
(4) Parking at Voronet - LEI2 / EUR0.44

Optional Costs 

(1) 25/9 Brunch in Neamt - Meat plate LEI15/ EUR3.32, Coffee LEI3 / EUR0.66, Cheeseburger LEI5 / EUR1.11, Water LEI2.50 / EUR0.55
(2) 25/9 Dinner in Voronet - 2 sandwiches LEI8 / EUR1.77, Orange fanta LEI4 / EUR0.89

(3) Tip in lunch - LEI0.50 / EUR0.11

The Story

250916 - The night before, Prof Sweet Tooth had parked by an apple farm. It would have been nice to take one of the apples but Prof Sweet Tooth is a law abiding citizen. *roll eyes*

Before heading on to our next destination which is Neamt Citadel (well, we were actually close by as we have stayed the night in Neamt County itself), so we decided to have brunch. I did not understand what was stated on the menu and I did not expect the plate of cold meat. Thankfully, I am hungry to finish most of it with the help of Prof Sweet Tooth who has his own cheeseburger too.

Romania : Part 8 - Day 10 : Dracula Castle

Day 10 of Romanian Drive

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 10. 

24/9 Day 10: National Park Piatra Craiului -- Bran -- Baltatesti, Neamt

We slept in the car.

Must-Incur Costs

(1) Petrol in Brasov  - LEI174.78 / EUR38.81 / 34.61 liter

Last filled in Hunedeora on Day 4.

(2) Entrance fee to Dracula Castle - LEI35 / EUR7.77

Optional Costs 

(1) 24/9 Lunch in Bran - Frying dracula (beef, pork chicken, vegetable salsa) LEI39 / EUR8.66, Pork and lots of meat LEI34 / EUR7.55, Water LEI7 / EUR1.55, Chocolate drink LEI10 / EUR2.22
(2) 24/9 Dinner in Bran - Pizza LEI23 / EUR5.11, Water for 2 LEI11 / EUR2.44
(3) 24/9 Pastries in Bran - Vanilla Puff LEI3 / EUR0.67, Apple Pie LEI3, Blueberry Puff LEI3, Paper bag LEI1 / EUR0.22

(4) Tip in dinner - LEI1 / EUR0.22

The Story

240916 - Today, we woke up early to walk back to the car. Prof Sweet Tooth did not want to have the breakfast in the Cabana. It was a beautiful morning view. The skies were clear. The sunrays were gorgeous in the forest. The way it zig zag across the trees. 

Romania : Part 7 - Day 9 : National Park Piatra Craiului

Day 9 of Romanian Drive

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 9. 

23/9 Day 9: Clock Tower, Sighisoara -- National Park Piatra Craiului

Must-Incur Costs

(1) Accommodation in Cabana Curmatura - LEI30 / EUR6.65 per bed per night (dormitory)

Optional Costs 

(1) 23/9 Late lunch in Cabana Curmatura - Bean soup & pork, Vegetable soup & chicken, Potato & sausage LEI30 / EUR6.65, Apple pie LEI7 / EUR1.55  

The Story

In my travels, I usually like to infuse nature inside my itinerary. For Romania, Prof Sweet Tooth had wanted to step foot on the Carpathians Mountain and suggested going to National Park Piatra Craiului. I looked it up and this is the description from the web.

The Piatra Craiului Mountains are a mountain range in the Southern Carpathians in Romania. In Romanian "Piatra Craiului" means "Prince's Stone".

The Piatra Craiului mountains form a narrow and saw-like ridge, which is about 25 km (16 mi) long. The highest elevation in the massif is the "Vârful La Om" at 2,238 metres (7,343 ft).

The ridge is regarded as one of the most beautiful sites in the Carpathians. The two-day north–south ridge trail is both challenging and rewarding. Starting at either Plaiul Foii in the north-west or Curmătura in the north-east, walkers climb up to the ridge before following a somewhat precarious path along the narrow spine. The descent at the southern end leads into a karst landscape of deep gorges and pitted slopes where water penetrating the rock has carved a series of caves. Source from Wikipedia.

The night before, Prof Sweet Tooth have driven from Sighisoara to the National Park. He parked by the river, and we slept there. Fortunately, it was not too cold sleeping by the river. The next morning when we woke up, there were cars driving in and out. This place is not too isolated after all. Prof Sweet Tooth drove on inside the Park and parked 50 metres from a barrier. We had our breakfast here - ghoulash soup. Truthfully, we were not sure at which part of the park we were at, because there were a few entrances.

Romania : Part 6 - Day 8 : Fortified Church of Biertan and Clock Tower in Sighisoara

Day 8 of Romanian Drive

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 8. 

22/9 Day 8: Sibiu -- Fortified Church of Biertan -- Clock Tower, Sighisoara

We slept in the car.

Must-Incur Costs

(1) Entrance fee to Fortified Church of Biertan - LEI10 per person / EUR2.22
(2) Parking ticket at Fortified Church of Biertan - LEI5 / EUR1.11
(3) Parking ticket at Sighisoara - LEI5 / EUR1.11
(4) Clock Tower at Sighisoara - LEI14 / EUR3.10

Optional Costs 

(1) 22/9 Lunch in Sighisoara Old Historic Town - Blueberry pie LEI10 / EUR2.22, Cola LEI6 / EUR1.33  

(2) 22/9 Dinner in Sighisoara - Paprikash chicken LEI26.50 / EUR5.87, Cabbage roll LEI24.50 / EUR5.43, Water LEI4 / EUR0.89, Tiramisu LEI9 / EUR1.99

(3) 22/9 Tips for dinner - LEI2 / EUR0.44 (Prof Sweet Tooth tipped at almost every eatery we went to)
(4) 22/9 Tips for Pensiuner Milenium (after checkout) - LEI2 (placed under the pillow. Prof Sweet Tooth tells me it is tradition which I have never heard of before)

The Story

220916 - Today, we check out from Pensiuner Milenium. We bid farewell to the kind owner who sent us off. When I first met him, I asked him who are you. He said that I am the big boss. His English was not very fluent, but I could figure he was the owner.

We drive towards Sighisoara and along the way, we stopped at Biertan to see its fortified church. I did not see many locals roaming around. I wondered whether were we in the right place, until I see souvenir booths. In Romania, to identify if you are in a tourist attraction, look out for souvenir stalls. The more famous, the more stalls. 

We were charged a parking fee by a local and I thought that he did not look like a church staff. More importantly, it was expensive at Lei5. 

The Biertan fortified church (Romanian: Biserica fortificată din Biertan; German: Kirchenburg von Birthälm) is a Lutheran fortified church in Biertan (Birthälm), Sibiu County, in the Transylvania region of Romania. It was built by the ethnic German Transylvanian Saxon community at a time when the area belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary. Briefly Roman Catholic, it became Lutheran following the Reformation. Together with the surrounding village, the church forms part of the villages with fortified churches in Transylvania UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Since 1990, Saxons come annually to Biertan to celebrate their heritage. In 1993, Biertan and its fortified church were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site; it was joined by six other places in 1999 to form the villages with fortified churches in Transylvania site. Additionally, the church is listed as a historic monument by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs, with each of the three fortifications considered a separate monument. Biertan was the subject of two 2011 postage stamps, a joint issue between Germany and Romania. Source from Wikipedia.

Romania : Part 5 - Day 7 : Holy Trinity Cathedral and Brukenthal Museum

Day 7 of Romanian Drive

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 7. 

21/9 Day 7: Holy Trinity Cathedral and Brukenthal Museum (Brukenthal Palace, Romanian Art Gallery, Museum of History, Museum of Natural History) in Sibiu (2nd day in Sibiu)

We stayed 3 nights in Sibiu. 

Must-Incur Costs

(1) Entrance fee to Brukenthal Museum - LEI45 per person / EUR9.97 / RM46.63 (We chose the one day pass which covers selected museums, as we had plans to visit Brukenthal Palace (which has an European Art Gallery) LEI20, Romanian Art Gallery LEI12, Museum of History LEI20, Museum of Natural History LEI13. Individually, all the entrance tickets would have cost us LEI63.)

One day ticket
 
Standard: 45 lei
The ticket includes the visitation of the following locations: The Brukenthal Palace (Piaţa Mare nr. 5, Sibiu), The Museum of History: The Altemberger House (Mitropoliei Street, nr. 6, Sibiu), The Museum of Natural History (Cetăţii Street, nr. 1, Sibiu), The “August von Spiess” Museum of Hunting (Şcoala de Înot Street, nr. 4, Sibiu), The Museum of Pharmacy (Piaţa Mică nr. 26, Sibiu), The Contemporary Art Gallery (Str. Tribunei, nr. 6, Sibiu), The Fresco Hall (Piaţa Mică, Nr. 22)

Source from Brukenthal Museum.

Optional Costs 

(1) 21/9 Lunch in Sibiu Cultural Town - Turkey with grilled vegetables LEI25 / EUR5.54, Roasted pork with potatoes LEI26 / EUR5.76, Cola LEI5 / EUR1.11, Tea LEI8 / EUR1.77  

(2) 21/9 Dessert in Sibiu Cultural Town - 2 small cakes LEI14 / EUR3.10, Coffee LEI6 / EUR1.33
(3) 21/9 Dinner in Sibiu Cultural Town - Pizza LEI19 / EUR4.21, Cola LEI6 / EUR1.33

(4) 21/9 Tips for Lunch and dinner - LEI2 / EUR0.44 (Prof Sweet Tooth tipped at almost every eatery we went to)

The Story

210916 - Today, Prof Sweet Tooth decides not to drive. He would like to walk around the neighbourhood and hopefully, we reach Brukenthal Museum. We asked the owner of Pensiuner Milenium, and he said it is a far walk. I looked at Prof Sweet Tooth and he said it is nice to explore. I added that it better not take us hours to get there because there are closing hours. 

Look, a vending machine for eggs along the streets where we stayed.

Romania : Part 4 - Day 6 : Astra National Museum

Day 6 of Romanian Drive

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 6. 

20/9 Day 6: Astra National Museum in Sibiu

We stayed 3 nights in Sibiu. 

Must-Incur Costs

(1) Entrance fee to Astra National Museum - LEI12 per person / EUR2.66 / RM12.42 (We went on a Tuesday where it is an off-day for the staff who mans the Park i.e. no games and fun activities. Off-days are on Mondays and Tuesdays. From Wednesday till Sunday, it is LEI17 because there will be activities in the Park. How unfortunate because I really would have enjoyed to participate in some of the activities)

Optional Costs 

(1) 20/9 Lunch in a Tavern in Astra National Museum - Grilled Pork Chop LEI22 / EUR4.87, Pork with Sausage LEI24 / EUR5.31, Pepsi LEI6 / EUR1.33, Tea LEI6 / EUR1.33 

(2) 20/9 Dessert in the same Tavern - 2 plates of Cheese Pancake LEI28 / EUR6.20, Pepsi LEI6 / EUR1.33

(3) 20/9 Tips for Astra Lunch - LEI1 / EUR0.22 (Prof Sweet Tooth tipped at almost every eatery we went to)

The Story

This is the Pensiunea we stayed in for 3 nights in Sibiu. We found it by good luck the night before while driving around town.

The reason we chose to stay longer in Sibiu was because Sibiu is one of the most important cultural centres of Romania and was designated the European Capital of Culture for the year 2007, along with the city of Luxembourg. Formerly the centre of the Transylvanian Saxons, the old city of Sibiu was ranked as "Europe's 8th-most idyllic place to live" by Forbes in 2008. Sibiu's museums are organised around two entities: the Brukenthal National Museum and the ASTRA National Museum Complex. Source from Wikipedia.

I wanted to see the cultural city.

200916 - Today, we are headed to Astra National Museum. 

"ASTRA" National Museum Complex (Romanian: Complexul Naţional Muzeal "ASTRA") is a museum complex in Sibiu, Romania, which gathers under the same authority four ethnology and civilisation museums in the city, a series of laboratories for conservation and research, and a documentation centre. It is the successor of the ASTRA Museum that has existed in the city since 1905. Its modern life started with the opening of The Museum of Folk Technology in 1964, now The "ASTRA" Museum of the Traditional Folk Civilization.

The "ASTRA" Museum of Traditional Folk Civilization (Romanian: Muzeul Civilizaţiei Populare Tradiţionale "ASTRA") is located in the Dumbrava Forest, 3 km south of Sibiu, on the road towards Răşinari, and is easily accessible by car, bus or tramway. Occupying an area of 0.96 square kilometres, it is the largest open-air museum in Romania and one of the largest in Central and Eastern Europe. It contains houses and workshops of the traditional Romanian folk culture from the pre-industrial era. Over 300 houses and other buildings are situated in the forest around two artificial lakes with over 10 km of walkways between them. Source from Wikipedia.

In today's post, I have invited Prof Sweet Tooth to write because this is his favourite place in Romania. Pardon his Swenglish.

****

At this very day, I realised how optimistic about the weather I have been when I did my packing at home in Sweden. It was raining, and even if the wind wasn't that strong, the slightest breeze made it feel cold. My brilliant co-driver would freeze anyway because she is a tropical fruit, unless we would have a summer heat. And during summers, it can be really hot in the valleys of Romania. That's not the case now. We had only read about that in the guide books...

Today, we are visiting "Astra Museum of Traditional Folk Civilisation" in the city of Sibiu. It is an open-air museum, and content a great collection of what belongs to the history of this land. I don't say Romania explicitly, because this district  (of Transylvania) was for the time of the museum's scope belonging to Hungary, with a lot of Germans in the population. Borders have moved since then, but traditions and folks has survived in what is the shape of today's Romania. In fact, it is not strange to meet someone here that speaks German or Hungarian and isn't a tourist.

Romania : Part 3 - Day 5 : Horezu Monastery

Day 5 of Romanian Drive

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 5. 

19/9 Day 5: Targu Jiu -- Horezu Monastery -- Sibiu

Must-Incur Costs

None

Optional Costs 

(1) 19/9 Lunch at Horezu- Mini shaorma LEI4 / EUR0.88 

(2) 19/9 Dinner at Sibiu - Pizza LEI20 / EUR2.40, Penne LEI13 / EUR2.87, Coke LEI6 / EUR1.66, Green Tea LEI9 / EUR1.99

(3) 19/9 to 21/9 Accommodation Pensiunea Milenium in Sibiu - LEI350 for 3 nights (LEI125 per night for 2 nights but was charged LEI110 for the 3rd night when we extended our stay)

The Story

190916: In Romania, dogs are in abundance. I am not sure where they come from. Also, it is very common to see memorial crosses for victims of road accidents along the road where they died. When Prof Sweet Tooth drove in Romania, he was very confused on the speed limits because none of the drivers seem to be abiding by the speed limit. The drivers drove very fast and overtake at bends and corners which stressed Prof Sweet Tooth. Then, we understand why there were so many memorial crosses. 

Romania : Part 2 - Day 4 : Sarmizegetusa Regia

Day 4 of Romanian Drive

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 4. 

18/9 Day 4: Tara Hategului -- Sarmizegetusa Regia -- Targu Jiu, Horezu 

We slept in the car.

Must-Incur Costs

(1) Petrol in Hunedoara  - LEI159.35 / EUR35.21 / 32.38 liter

Last filled in Budapest, Hungary on Day 3

(2) Entrance fee to Sarmizegetusa - LEI5 per person / EUR1.10 / RM5.29 (the great thing about Romanian currency is that it is almost the same rate as my currency although slightly more expensive but I am happy I don't need to convert significantly each time I buy something in Romania)

Optional Costs 

(1) 18/9 Lunch at Hunedeora - Bread LEI4 / EUR0.88 

(2) 18/9 Dinner at Hunedeora - Gyros Kebab LEI11 / EUR2.40, Fanta Drink LEI3.50 / EUR0.77 (We bought Fanta in Germany of the same size for EUR2.79. Oh what vast difference)

Prof Sweet Tooth finds the price of the food so cheap in Romania, that he feels like he is eating for free because anything edible in Sweden is expensive.

The Story

180916: I woke up to a view of beautiful greenery. We were in Hunedoara County. 

Romania : Part 1 - Day 1 to 3 : Drive Stockholm to Romania

From Tanzania, my trip continues on to Romania, a country in Eastern Europe. I flew to Stockholm via Turkish Airlines. From Stockholm, Prof Sweet Tooth and I will once again do our road trip to Romania. The first time we did our road trip was to Pyrenees in 2015.  

It was a long drive from Stockholm to Romania, crossing 5 countries in 3 days. Prof Sweet Tooth has excellent driving stamina and good sense of directions. Although I did apply for an international driving license, I did not drive this time because 2015's attempt to drive his car has proven traumatising for the both of us. Haha.

Day 1 to 3 of Romanian Drive

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 1 to 3. 

15/9 Day 1: Stockholm -- Denmark -- Germany

16/9 Day 2: Germany -- Czech Republic -- Slovakia

17/9 Day 3: Slovakia -- Hungary -- Tara Hategului, Romania (sleep for the night) 

In all the 3 nights, we slept in the car. He drives a Citroen C4.

Must-Incur Costs

(1) Petrol in Stockholm - SEK645.40 / EUR65.38 / 50.07 liter 

(2) Petrol in Malmo - SEK476.88 / EUR48.31 / 37.14 liter

(3) Petrol in Dresden, Germany - EUR58.82 / 46.35 liter

(4) Petrol in Budapest, Hungary - EUR62 / 43.07 liter (Gosh, petrol in Hungary is expensive. Look at the amount of petrol we got compared to the one in Germany and Stockholm)

(5) TWO Bridge Ticket in Denmark - SEK440 + DKK240 = EUR44.57 + EUR32.25 = EUR76.82

(6) Vignette for Czech Republic (30 days) - EUR17 

(7) e-Vignette for Slovakia (30 days) - EUR22

(8) e-Vignette for Hungary (30 days) - EUR19.10

(9) e-Vignette for Romania (30 days) - EUR10

Optional Costs 

(1) 15/9 Lunch at Burger King, Sweden - SEK125

(2) 16/9 Lunch at Germany - Pasta EUR8.99, Schnitzel EUR10.99, Fanta Drink EUR2.79

(3) 17/9 Lunch in Hungary - 2 bowls of goulash soup EUR7.20, Bread EUR0.40, Coke EUR1.50 

(4) 17/9 Toilet in a Rest Area, Slovakia - EUR0.50 (it is so expensive to use toilets in Europe)

The Story

During our drive, we stopped at a few places for Prof Sweet Tooth to stretch his legs and rest his eyes, and also for food.

150916 Morning: In Sweden, we stopped at Brahehus Ruin. This place is free entry.

The ruins of Brahehus Castle are located 3 km outside of Gränna in Jönköping County in the province of Småland, Sweden. The ruins sit 270 m above sea level and 180 m above the lake Vättern, providing a panoramic view of the lake and the island of Visingsö. Built for Count Per Brahe the Younger in the 1640s, the castle was abandoned by the 1680s and suffered a fire in 1708. The castle is near the modern E4 highway and is a popular destination for recreation and tourism. Source from Wikipedia.