Karlskrona – the beautiful largest city in Blekinge

[Nightsky]

Population: 35 000 (metro 64 000)
Year visited: 2012
Tallest building: Fredrikskyrkan
Founded year: 1680
Area: 21.72 km2

Karlskrona is the largest city and capital of the county of Blekinge. It is one of the most beautiful cities in Sweden, situated on 30 islands in the sea, with Sweden's southernmost archiepelago outside. It is the only Swedish ciy filled with Baroque buildings, the only remaining naval base and the headquarters of the Swedish Coast Guards. The center of the city lies on the small island Trossö. Parts of the city are declared UNESCO world heritage sites. There are many different kind of museums in Karlskrona, that also is a green city with 2 parks in the city center.
I visited Karlskrona only for one day. As I had a free travel card for Skåne I added a small amount for Karlskrona, since I had never been there before. The sun was shining this summer day in August 2012. I visited the car museum, some military ships and 3 islands. I didn't have time to go on the ferry this time, unfortunately, there are several lines that connects the different islands and some of the boat trips are really nice to make.


Stortorget (Main Square), Karlskrona with its baroque buildings and sculptures. From the left: Frederikskyrkan (Frederik church), Karl XI statue, Trefaldighetskyrkan (Trinity church) and Rådhuset (the Town Hall). Click on the picture to view a large version.


The old gaslights at the square are large and beautiful.


Gamla Rådhuset (the Old Town Hall). Today Bleking Tingsrätt, the court of Blekinge lies in this baroque building at Stortorget.


Fredrikskyrkan, a baroque church on Stortorget. It was inaugurated in 1744, It was designed by Nicodemus Tessin d.y. 3 times a day the clock play can be heard. To the right you can see the Karl XI statue.


Heliga Trefaldighetskyrkan (Holy Trinity Church), another baroque church at Stortorget, also designed by Nicodemus Tessin d.y. It is known for its cupola and its columns, that has Pantheon in Rome as a prototype. It is sometimes called Tyska Kyrkan (German Church).


Stortorget with Heliga Trefaldighetskyrkan, Vattenborgen, the Karl XII statue and a kebab stand.


Vattenborgen, a neo romantic building that today houses the private Museum Kulenovic Collection and a restaurant on Stortorget. It was built in 1863 as a water reservoir for Trossö.


Details of Heliga Trefaldighetskyrkan.



First Hotel Statt, seen from the corner of Stortorget.



People on Stortorget.

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The marina at Skeppsbrokajen.


Österleden street, just outside the railway station.


Höglands park, a nice park just between the railway station and the big square.


Höglands park has some nice sculptures and fountains.


Landbrogatan.

A tourists train on Landbrogatan.


Ronnebygatan, the main pedestrian street of Karlskrona. To the left is the shopping galleria Kronan. There are 5 shopping malls in Karlskrona totally, of which 3 in the center!


Lights and mirrors inside Kronan shopping mall.


Bergqvistska gården from 1790, at the end of Ronnebygatan.


Sumo sushi!


Blekinge Museum:

Blekinge Museum is an open air museum about Blekinge county's history and culture.


The museum has an archive, a library, a café; and a photo archive.





The old windmill at the museum.


The museum started its business in 1899.


A photography session at a wedding in the baroque garden of Blekinge Museum.

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Fisktorget:

Fisktorget is the square just next to the sea in the city center, where you take ferries to the archipelago and different islands.


Borgmästarekajen, a street parallel to the small boat harbour right in the center of Karlskrona.


There is a large fountain in the water right outside Karlskrona's center.



Icecream sold in a London double decker.


Small boats in the harbour between Trossö; (city center) and Saltö; (with more resideintial character, back)

This small ferry is one of many lines that takes you around Trossö; and the archipelago.


Boats and Saltö.


The new Scandic Hotel lies right next to the sea.


This sculpture was erected just outside the new Scandic Hotel.


A small boat in front of the small ferry terminal.

[Ex-Ithacan]

I enjoy seeing threads of smaller cities I'm not at all familiar with. Looks pleasant, but I was surprised by how wide some of the streets appear. Thanks for the tour .

[fern]

Swedish cities are just so damn pleasant.Keep them coming

[SHiRO]

Nice!

[LSyd]

great photos and tour, thanks

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[Nightsky]

Thanks! Yes, Karlskrona has some pretty wide streets for its size.

[Nightsky]

Wachtmeisters galleria, a shopping galleria where glass roofs have been built above old and new houses. It lies right in the city center and has 30 stores.


Ronnebygatan, the main pedestrian street.


Höglands spår, an abandoned railway track that goes right beneath the city center that is located on hills! The tunnels are now closed!


Details of a jugend building next to Hö;glands park.


Alternative Karlskrona!

Fisken (the fish) by Carl Milles, a famous sculptor. It is situated on Klaipedaplatsen.

Klaipedaplatsen, a square next to Stortorget.

Ugly graffiti on typical Swedish red wooden house.

The paving-stone street that leads to Stortorget is sloping.

Borgmästaregatan, a pedestrian street next to Stortorget. I had a gyros at the open air restaurant to the right.
Borgmästaregatan with Wachtmeisters galleria to the left.

Street musician with the small city library and Holy Trinity Church in the background.

Small scale architecture at Borgmästaregatan.
Ronnebygatan, East of Stortorget:
Ronnebygatan is the main shopping street of Karlskrona. This is the East part.

Riksgallerian, one of 3 gallerias downtown.


First Hotel Statt, the old city hotel in an impressive building.





Red Light fastfood and Playbar pub!

Impressive buildings on Ronnebygatan. Looking towards Stortorget.

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Nice colourful building in Eastern European style. Montmartre restaurant on the ground floor.



There are many nice buildings in Karlskrona's city center.


Trossö; seen from the bridge to Stumholmen.


The 12-storey building to the left is one of the tallest, and one of the ugliest buildings of Karlskrona. Seen from the bridge to Stumholmen.


The hilly Kyrkogatan (Church Street) leading to Fredrikskyrkan.


A large parking lot near the water.


Typical Swedish houses.

[SLO]

Lovely town....

[Nightsky]

Amiralitetsparken:
This nice park is located in the south part of the city center.


The abandoned undergound railway track, mentioned before, goes right through Amiralitetsparken.

Jugend/funkis building next to the former railway track.



Amiralitetsparken, looking towards Amiralitetskyrkan's clock tower.





Amiralitetskyrkan, also called Ulrica Pica is Sweden's oldest wooden church. It was built in 1685 and stands right in Amiralitetsparken. This is the church's clock tower. The church is red and located 3 blocks away ( but I have no picture of it).



Amiralitetskyrkan's clock tower with the abandoned railway track right beneath it in Amiralitetsparken.

Örlogshamnen, a military complex just next to the sea and Amiralitetsparken. There are military buses and military ships.

The naval harbour. Military area! The building is called Skeppsgossekasernen.


The sculpture Skeppsgossekören.



A rock is the wall of this wooden building's garden!

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Nordenskjöldska gården, an inner yard built by admiral C F Eneskjöld. 1901-1974 it housed Bleking Museum.


Today there is an artist's studio at Nordenskjöldska Gården.

There are many American oldtimers in Karlskrona, just like in many other Swedish cities. This one on Norra Kungsgatan.


Norra Kungsgatan, with the abandoned railway track in the middle. On top of this hill is Stortorget.

The Railway Station was closed for train traffic because of construction works on the railroad. So I had to take the bus to Karlshamn, and change to train to Malmö; there.

The city center seen from the North part!


Borgmästarekajen street with the biking lane just next to the sea with an island in the background.

[ColDayMan]

Well THAT was awesome.

[Nightsky]

Thanks!