Visingsö
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Visingsö is an island in the southern half of the lake Vättern in Sweden.
Visingsö lies 30 km north of the city Jönköping and 6 km west of Gränna from which two car ferries connects the island. The island is 14 km long and 3 km wide, with a total area of 24 km².
According to legend, a Giant named Vist created Visingsö by throwing a lump of soil into the lake so that his wife could use it to step over the lake.
See also: List of islands of Sweden
[edit] History
In the 12th and 13th century, Näs Castle on the southern end of Visingsö was the residence for the fragile Swedish monarchy. Four Swedish kings died there: Karl Sverkersson, Erik Knutsson, Johan Sverkersson, and Magnus Ladulås. Furthermore, in the 17th century the influential Brahe family resided in Visingsborg, a castle on the eastern side of the island. Both Näs Castle and Visingsborg are presently ruins and well known landmarks of Visingsö.
The Swedish Navy planted oak trees on the island in the 17th century to provide strategically important timber for future ship construction. The timber is now ready but no longer required for ship construction. Consequently, Visingsö is partially covered by oak forests, the rest being farmland.
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