Trojaborg – Visby, Sweden - Atlas Obscura

Trojaborg

Legend has it that this large rock maze in Sweden was created as punishment by the daughter of a wealthy captain.  

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Just north of Visby and below the Galgberget, one can find a trojaborg or a circular maze with an inner winding passage where the walls are accentuated by small rocks. This maze does not bear any religious significance but instead is the result of a long sentence. 

Legend has it that the person who made the maze was the daughter of a captain, a wealthy one at that. However, he did not obtain his wealth from honest trade, but rather from dealing with pirates. One day he was found out and executed and his wealth seized by the bank. The daughter was also arrested and faced the same fate as her father, but family friends pleaded on her behalf for the court to spare her.

As the story goes, one of the other captains suggested a rather unorthodox punishment. If the girl was pardoned she would lay down a rock formation so special that lots of people would come and see it. The court liked the idea and agreed, but under the condition that she would only lay down one stone a day and would be pardoned only after the formation was complete.

The girl worked on what is now known simply as the Trojabog, for a long time as there are a few hundred rocks in the formation, but eventually, it was done and the court was summoned to view the work. When they saw the formation they were so pleased that she was immediately pardoned and on top of that, she received back the fortune that the city took from her father. According to history, she lived out the rest of her days in Visby.

Know Before You Go

The Trojaborg is easily accessible from Visby by either bike or on foot. It is close to the gallow stones so you can easily see both in one day.

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October 11, 2018

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