Boden Fortress

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Rödberget fort, seen from the north. The dry moat and the armored turrets are clearly visible, as well as the magnificent view one has from the fort.

Boden Fortress, or Bodens fästning, is a recently decommissioned fortress surrounding the city of Boden, in northern Sweden. During the 20th century the fortress was a top secret installation and neither the exact size nor the capabilities of the fortress was public knowledge.

Five of the mountains surrounding Boden were at the turn of the 19th century chosen to house the large fortress constellation. The fortress consists of a number of self-supporting forts excavated out of the bedrock, the building cost for these underground installations was astronomical. The intended use for the fortress was as a barrier against an invasion from Russia and later Soviet Union through Finland. Until the 1960s part of the Swedish gold reserve was stored there. The last shots from the artillery cannons were fired in 1997 and in 1998 the entire fortress was decommissioned. Some of the forts are today open to the public as tourist attractions.

Fortifications

Forts

• Degerbergsfortet
• Mjösjöfortet
• Gammelängsfortet
• Södra Åbergsfortet
• Rödbergsfortet

Smaller Fortifications

• Leåkersfästet
• Svedjebergsfästet
• Norra Åbergsfästet

Fixed Artillery Batteries

• Paglaberget
• Gammelbyn
• Mjösjöbatteriet
• Norra Slumpberget
• Södra Slumpberget

External links

• [Rödbergsfortet] (In Swedish)

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