The Beer King's Tower of Babel: why a Swedish tycoon built a mountain for his dogs (9 photos)
While some homeowners decorate their properties with flowerbeds, paths, rock gardens, gnomes, and tiny ponds, others think in terms of truly biblical proportions. 
A striking example of this is the ambitious Swedish railroad worker turned brewing magnate, Christian E. Nilsson, nicknamed the King of Eslöw. 
In 1887, the monumental Stenberget, which means "Stone Mountain" in Swedish, was erected in his spacious courtyard. It is a truncated cone made of stones left over from the construction of Nilsson's own mansion. 
A path winds around Stenberget, leading from the foot to the flat summit. The climb takes only a minute, and the reward is a magnificent view of Eslöva Church and the rooftops of the luxurious neighboring villas, including Nilsson's former home, now a retirement home. 
"The Tower of Babel" is a biblical engraving by the French engraver, illustrator, and painter Gustave Doré.
Rumor has it that the brewer was inspired by Gustave Doré's biblical engraving of the Tower of Babel. But the true reason for constructing this stone giant was not only aesthetic but also ingeniously practical. 
Nilsson wanted to walk his dogs, Dicke and Jopp, without leaving his own property. Years later, when the four-legged friends passed away, they were buried at the foot of Stenberget, marking their graves with two small tombstones. 
It's worth adding that Stenberget has also entered global culture. Several scenes from the 1982 Oscar-nominated Swedish film "The Flight of the Eagle," starring Max von Sydow, were filmed here. 
