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All Sweden Stenberget (Stone Mountain)
AO Edited

Stenberget (Stone Mountain)

According to legend, this structure was inspired by the Tower of Babel and built in a 19th-century industrialist's yard so he could walk his dogs without leaving home.

Eslöv, Sweden

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Johan SWE
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Two small headstones mark where Nilsson’s dogs were buried.   Johan SWE / Atlas Obscura User
The Tower of Babel illustration which Stenberget is said to be modelled after.   Gustave Doré, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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Almost at the top of Stenberget.   Johan SWE / Atlas Obscura User
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About

While some house owners are content with landscaping their backyards with plants, garden gnomes, and perhaps a small pond, others set much higher goals. A perfect example of the latter was ambitious railroad worker-turned-brewer-magnate Christian E Nilsson a.k.a. "The King of Eslöv," who in 1887 had the monumental Stenberget erected in his spacious yard. The structure, which resembles a truncated cone, consists of stacked rocks that were left over when Nilsson's mansion was built.

A path spirals around the outer edge of Stenberget from the ground to the flat summit. Walking up to the top only takes a minute. From there you can enjoy the view of Eslöv Church as well as the rooftops of the grand neighboring villas including Nilsson's former house (which today is a retirement home). 

Stenberget is reportedly modeled on Gustave Doré’s biblical illustration of the Tower of Babel. It's said, however, that it was not only because of the structure's aesthetic value Nilsson had it constructed, but also for one quirky practical reason—to be able to walk his dogs, Dicke and Jopp, without really having to leave home. Years later, when Nilsson's pooches had passed away, they were buried under two small headstones at the bottom of Stenberget.

A few scenes in the Oscar-nominated Swedish 1982 movie Ingenjör Andrées luftfärd (The Flight of the Eagle), starring the late Hollywood actor Max von Sydow (best known for his role as the elderly priest in The Exorcist), were filmed at Stenberget.

Related Tags

Architectural Oddities Monuments Towers Stone

Know Before You Go

The spot where Stenberget is located is public space nowadays and therefore freely accessible 24/7. Complimentary parking (which might be time-restricted) is available along the pavements in the side streets nearby. It's also possible to reach the structure on foot in about 8 minutes from the Eslöv railway station.

Community Contributors

Added By

Johan SWE

Edited By

malinhedblom

  • malinhedblom

Published

April 27, 2023

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Sources
  • The book "100 balla ställen i Skåne 2021-2022" by Valle Westesson
  • https://uddautflykter.se/guide/skane/stenberget-i-eslov
  • https://www.swedishnomad.com/sv/stenberget-i-eslov
Stenberget (Stone Mountain)
Trollsjögatan 12
Eslöv, 241 31
Sweden
55.837216, 13.297413
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