Thorskog Castle
The story of Thorskog actually began in 1249 when the Norwegian king Haakon Haakonsson the Elder and Birger Jarl sat on Torskebacke (the Norwegian name for Thorskog) and concluded the "eternal peace" between Norway and Sweden.
In collaboration with StoryGo, we have developed a digital guided tour of the castle park that you can take on site.
There is also the opportunity to listen to the first three points from home.
Our history
There was never any lasting peace and it took until 1658 before Bohuslän and thus also Thorskog became part of Sweden.
In 1711, Niclas Sahlgren started a blacksmith shop on the site. A perfect location with hydroelectric power, a harbor and the trading post of Lödöse right across the river.
In 1730, Olof Wenngren came to Thorskog, developed the forge into a mill, built a manor house where the castle stands today (see the board in the reception) and built the dams and laid out the park. He received patron privileges, was ennobled and later bequeathed his patron rights and his coat of arms to the mill. One of the oldest remains from the old days is our Jägarsal, which we are happy to show and which at that time was an underground cellar.
Peter Larsson
Thorskogs Slott was built in 1892 by shipyard owner Petter Larsson. Petter started a shipyard on the Thorskogs side of the Göta River in 1865. The shipyard was very profitable and made him a wealthy man. Petter electrified the business around 1885 – four years before there were streetlights in Stockholm.
The power plant is still in operation today and contributes over 50% of the business's total power needs. Petter also laid 22 km of copper cable to his accountant who he had in Kungälv, you always knew who was calling and it was never busy….
Petter Larson died in 1912 as a very wealthy man. His son, Eskil Larsson, then inherited his father's life's work. Eskil died in 1926, just over 50 years old. The shipyard went bankrupt. After Eskil's death, the castle was sold by his widow Esther.
The castle has since been owned by various private individuals and has mainly been used as a private residence.
During the 70s, a complete renovation and refurbishment was carried out by Tage and Mirjam Sköld, who bought the castle as a summer cottage. Art and furniture from the old bankruptcy were also bought back. The goal was to recreate Petter Larsson's family home.
Mirjam was an artist and restored all the stucco and ceiling paintings throughout the castle herself. They were proud of the result and had one wish for the new owners – to show this “home” to the public.
Thorskogs Slott was purchased in 1986 by Lena and Tommy Jonsson who transformed the dormant Sleeping Beauty Castle into a hotel and conference facility.
During the 90s, the business developed with accommodation and conference facilities in the castle park, and in 1998 the large banquet hall, the Orangeriet, was built.
In January 2015, land, buildings and operations were acquired by Anna Karin and Niclas Hammarstrand and Lasse Nilsson.
The current owners have continued to develop and refine this peaceful oasis for stressed businessmen and gourmets with a taste for good things. Among other things, by completely renovating the castle building, renovating rooms, building a new bar, a new kitchen and a stage for the Orangery.
The project is ongoing…
Top 10% of hotels in the world – according to our guests
We are proud that Thorskogs Slott has been awarded Tripadvisor's Travelers' Choice Best of the Best 2025, an award given only to the top 10% of hotels globally. This recognition is based on our guests' reviews and experiences, and we humbly thank you for your trust.
Interesting fact
Thorskogs Slott has had several prominent guests over the years.
George HW & Barbara Bush, Mikhail Gorbachev, John Major, Benazir Bhutto and FW de Klerk. The castle has also been the filming location for TV productions such as Stars at the Castle and The Fall. Several feature films have also been shot at Thorskog. Miffo, Åsa-Nisse, Håkan Bråkan, Part of My Heart and Nelly Rapp.
A warm welcome to a part of our history and world-class hospitality!
Fredrik Ohgren
Thorskog Castle
Founder and CEO