A round defensive tower was built around 1180. At the end of the 13th century King Magnus Ladulås added a curtain wall, round corner towers and two square gatehouses around it. The Kalmar Union was formed at the castle in 1397. In the 16th century the Vasa kings, including Johan III, turned the fortress into a Renaissance palace. Domenicus Pahr began the renovation in 1574.
Towers were raised to a uniform height except for three, windows were made square, the facade was painted white and the roof red. The new throne hall has 2,200 gold-painted leaves. A fire damaged it in 1642.
A restoration began in 1856 under Fredrik Wilhelm Scholander, continued under Helgo Zettervall and gave the castle its present silhouette by 1891. Martin Olsson restored the earthworks, moat and drawbridge from 1919, and water surrounded the castle again by 1941. The article calls it the best-preserved Renaissance castle in the Nordic countries.
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