Karlskrona

**Karlskrona**

	Charter	City (1680)
	Municipality	Karlskrona Municipality
	County	Blekinge County
	Province	Blechingia
	Population	32,077 (2004)

Karlskrona is a city in south-eastern Sweden. It is the seat of Karlskrona Municipality and the residence city of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Today
4 Parishes
5 Education
6 See also
7 External links

Geography

The city centre is located on the islet of Trossö. The islet of Stumholmen was formerly property of the Navy but today it houses a Naval Museum.

History

The city was founded in 1680 when the Royal Swedish Navy was relocated there. Its name is derived from King Charles XI of Sweden and means Charles's Crown.

Fredrikskyrkan in Karlskrona, at the market square

The buildings that were built at the foundation of Karlskrona in the 17th and early 18th century are still standing. Fredrikskyrkan was designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger, who was influenced by European architecture. The foundation of that church were laid in 1720, and it was inaugurated in 1744. It differs from usual Swedish churches in its yellow color and its adornment.

Heliga Trefaldighetskyrkan, also at the market square

The church Heliga Trefaldighetskyrkan also called The German Church was built between 1697–1709, following Tessin's drawings. It is likewise located at the market square in the centre core. The dome-shaped roof takes its influence from Italian architecture and is rarely seen on Swedish churches.

The shipyard in Karlskrona was established almost at the same time as the city. It was a necessity because of the heavy losses the Swedish Navy had suffered in 1689 (?). In 1711, the shipyard was Sweden's largest industrial employer with 1,100 workers. In 1750, Karlskrona had about 10,000 inhabitants, a high number for a Swedish city at that time.

The city has also kept is street structure since its foundation.

The naval installations there has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Today

Most of the nightlife in Karlskrona is located around one street (?-street). As a result, the street has been reported as being one of the most dangerous streets in Sweden. All together though, the city Karlskrona is not a dangerous city to visit.

Every year in July a popular festival called The Sail takes place in the harbor of Karlskrona. Usually it is a place where families go to have something to eat and drink, and perhaps watch the sailing boats lined up at the pear.