King Haakon V Magnusson of Norway began construction in 1308, and records show the fortress was built by 1310. It sits on a cliff 130 feet (40 m) tall, with the river as a natural moat. The enclosure is roughly 250 by 150 meters, with walls 10 feet (3 m) thick at the base. The article names no original designer.
It was rebuilt in stone and brick after the Bohus Bang explosion of 1566. Hans van Steenwinckel the Elder worked on the 1593 to 1604 upgrade into a bastion fortress. It passed to Sweden under the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658.
The article says it was attacked or besieged 14 times but never captured. It was later a prison and is now a museum. It was open to visitors in summer as of 2015.
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