Posted by Before 1658 the area around Karlskrona was a part of Denmark but Sweden conquered the area at the peace of Roskilde in 1658. Back then there was no town at the location where Karlskrona is today. Back in 1658 there was a small settlement nearby called Lyckå a couple of kilometers away. The Danes had started to develop a small island of Trossø which should be the home to a new settlement of Kristianopel which could have a good protected harbor.
The Danish king wanted his old possession back so in 1675 the Danish army attacked Sweden during the Scania war. The war lasted until 1679. The result of the war was only minor territorial gains for Denmark so the county of Blekinge continued to be a part of Sweden.
The Swedish king realized he needed to have a stronger presence in the area to be better prepared in case of a renewed war against Denmark which were considered likely. One of the places he started to reinforce the land was on the small island of Trossø which became the location for the new naval town of Karlskrona.
The city was an immediate success. It gave the Swedish navy a better control over the Baltic Sea – though it never really got the upper hand compared to the bigger Danish-Norwegian navy. The city expanded and it quickly became the third largest city in Sweden with the huge naval base and the harbor which were the home to a lot of trade with other countries around the Baltic Sea.
The city became wealthy and this wealth can still be seen around the city which is one of the best preserved baroque cities in Scandinavia and a UNESCO world heritage location. When you hear the town used to be the third biggest in Sweden you might think the old center is huge – but the cities back then were quite small so you can easily walk around the old town of the city since everything is pretty close.
The most interesting sights of the city are actually the old naval buildings which are some of the biggest and most interesting of the old buildings in Karlskrona. The navy is actually still in the city so most of these old houses are still home to the naval staff so you only get to see the buildings from the outside.
In addition to the naval buildings you find the most interesting buildings around the largest square in the city which is called Stortorget which translate into the large square. There are also a nice harbor on the other side of the island which is the location of the pleasure boats the locals have to enjoy a little sail out on the Baltic Sea during the short summers.
FrejaTravels 