Hovdala slott

About the museum

Hovdala slott lies out on the Hovdala plain, about seven kilometres south of Hässleholm. The oldest accounts of the site are medieval and concern a border district that for hundreds of years was marked by conflicts between Danes, Göingar and Swedes. Shot holes in the great gate recall the troubled times. Only after Skåne became Swedish did things calm down, and from the late 17th century Hovdala became a stately estate and the home of the Ehrenborg family, who lived there 1665–1981.

During the 18th century the park was turned into a garden with both ornamental and useful plants, and its extent is still the same as on the map from the 1730s. Exotic plants that did not survive the winter were moved into the orangery. At the beginning of the 19th century Hovdala was a manor with many leasehold farms, and a guesthouse was built on the castle islet. The economy then deteriorated sharply, partly because of the lowering of Lake Finja, and time more or less stood still in the castle during the 20th century.

At the end of the Second World War the state took over the area for armoured-vehicle exercises, while the Ehrenborg family stayed on until the 1980s. The Statens fastighetsverk (Swedish National Property Board) and Hässleholm municipality then restored the castle over almost ten years, and in 2003 Hovdala received the Europa Nostra Award for the work. Today the Statens fastighetsverk and the municipality cooperate on the castle. The park is open around the clock, and visitors enter the Ehrenborg floor on a guided tour.

Highlights

• The Ehrenborg floor with furniture, interiors and panoramic wallpaper
• Guided tours through the castle's history
• Castle park, orangery and kitchen garden, open around the clock
• Europa Nostra Award 2003 for the restoration
• Castle shop with local crafts
• Starting point for walks in the Hovdala nature area

Permanent exhibition

• Ehrenborgska våningen – The floor where the Ehrenborg family lived is shown with a guide, with furniture and interior details from different centuries and stories about the people of the estate.

Operated by

Hässleholms kommun och Statens fastighetsverk

Admission & discounts

The park and garden have no admission charge. Tickets for guided tours and programmes are bought at the castle shop; the price of the open tours has not been published for 2027.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The cultural-historical buildings have limited accessibility, with stairs and thresholds; the Ehrenborg floor is not accessible. The Stora stallet (shop, restaurant and café) is fully accessible without thresholds, has wide doorways and two accessible toilets. The orangery has a short gravel ramp and brick floors. All paths are gravel, and the inner courtyard is cobbled. Two disabled parking spaces are just outside the gate tower. Leashed dogs are welcome on the castle grounds and in the park.

Kids & families

The castle offers learning and school programmes and a history hunt for children on the grounds.

Getting there & parking

The castle lies seven kilometres south of Hässleholm on the Hovdala plain.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop

Café and restaurant (Restaurang Farozon) are in the Stora stallet; the café is open May–September, and there is a castle buffet on Sundays. Nine toilets are in the Stora stallet. Barbecuing is not allowed on the castle grounds, but three barbecue areas are nearby.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Premises such as the Arrendatorsbostaden (tenant's house), the Orangeriet (orangery) and the Gula villan and Röda ladan at Boketorp can be hired.

Plan your visit