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. Karlskrona is host to Sweden's only Naval base.
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.
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''.
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.
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 third city church is the
Karlskrona Admiralty Church , built in 1685, in red-painted wood.
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 .
Most of the nightlife in Karlskrona is located around the street Ronnebygatan. As a result, Ronnebygatan 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.
The most important day in Karlskrona is the day before midsummers eve. On that day a big fair takes place and attracts tens of thousands to visit Karlskrona. The fair is called ''Lövmarknaden'' - the Leaffair - and is very popular to the locals.
Every year in late July/early August 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 pier.
