Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Nääs is located 30 kilometers east of Göteborg, also called Gothenburg, Sweden, along highway E-20. The name Nääs, pronounced "Ness" means peninsula, and as you might guess takes its name from its location on a large lake. The castle at Nääs is surrounded on 3 sides by water, and the original stone castle perched on high ground overlooking the lake was the site at which one of the various Danish invasions came to a halt, with a group of Swedish patriots fighting the Danish King and an army of 10,000 men. The site is interesting even if you aren't interested in Sloyd. The original buildings of the Sloyd Seminarium are carefully preserved and the home of August Abrahamson, Otto Salomon's rich uncle is preserved with all the original furnishings of the late 19th century still in place. He had stipulated in his will that the castle be kept as it was the day he died, and except for dusting, cleaning, and maintenance it has been. He left a sizable property that is managed by the August Abrahamson Foundation to insure its preservation. Today, Nääs serves as a conference and retreat center, as well as being an interesting tourist site. A map showing the location of Nääs is above. Below are a view of the lake, and photos I took of the interior of the castle. Shown are the servants dining area in the basement and August Abrahamson's desk, complete with desk accessories made in the Sloyd Seminarium.


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