Karlskrona

Karlskrona was founded in 1680 as the base of the Swedish navy, a whole baroque town planned across a group of islands with shipyards, fortifications, a monumental square and grand churches. A rare surviving example of a planned naval city, it is a UNESCO site and remains the home of the Swedish fleet, with a fine maritime museum.

Background

The town was founded on 10 August 1680 on islands that a farmer, Vittus Andersson, had owned until 1679, and bridges linked the centre to the mainland in 1682. The first plan, drawn in 1683 by Carl Magnus Stuart, Erik Dahlbergh and Hans Wachtmeister, treated the place purely as a fortress, while Dahlberg's plan of 1694, the one later followed, made room for urban growth. By 1711 the shipyard employed 1,100 workers, more than any other industrial employer in Sweden, and by 1750 the population was about 10,000. Electric trams ran from Amiralitetsgatan to Bergåsa between 1910 and 1949. The city spreads over 30 islands, with Trossö the main one, and had 66,675 people in 2018.

Source: Wikipedia, "Karlskrona"

What to look for

• Stortorget square - one of the largest and grandest baroque squares in Northern Europe.
• The naval museum - the story of the Swedish navy, with a walk-through submarine.
• Admiralty Church - the great wooden naval church, the largest in Sweden.
• The shipyard and forts - the historic dockyard and island fortifications.

When to go

Summer for the islands, boat trips and the full naval museum; the town is pleasant year-round. Clear days suit the waterfront and squares.

Good to know

As a working naval base, some areas are restricted, so you see the civilian town, the museum and the squares. It is spread across islands, so there is some walking. It is out on the south-east coast, a detour from the main routes.

Nearby

The Blekinge archipelago and coast spread around; the Baltic ferries to Poland leave nearby.

Key facts