One Day In Karlskrona

The minute we closed the car door in the center of Karlskrona, we were enchanted. It certainly helped that the weather was a clear, partly cloudy summer day and the breeze was noticeably cool and comfortable. We couldn’t wait to drop our bags and go exploring. Our hotel was located on one of the main streets, only a block from the harbor which is the main reason Karlskrona exists. We just walked all around town and you can see the route that we recommend, hitting the major spots.

Thanks to the Baltic expansion of the Swedish empire in the 17th century, the king was looking for a deep harbor to relocate his navy. The islands of the Blekinge archipelago, which almost never freezes during the winter, was chosen.

Being pulled by the water and the wind, we found ourselves in front of the Naval Museum. We hurried in to get a real sense of the history of this UNESCO inscribed city. The museum is chock full of military history, naval souvenirs, and plenty of boats.

There are even two submarines to see, and it’s free! This our recommended number one thing to do in Karlskrona, don’t miss it!

Things To Do In Karlskrona

It would be easy to spend a few days island hopping to see the remnants of the old forts, harbors, dry docks, rope houses, storage houses, batteries all sprinkled out on many of the 30 islands, but even in one day you can get a ood feel.

If you do have an extra day, you can take a free car ferry to the island of Aspö and then rent a bike to see the island. What a great place for a picnic.

Karlskrona Walking Guide

As you walk out of the Marin (Naval) Museum, you will want to keep looping around the island of Stumholmen to see parts of the fortress and then to the  Nedra lighthouse. It is an easy walk past all sorts of park area with playgrounds and people sunbathing near the water.

Since this is an island, you bend back and head up to the center of town to visit the Amiralitetkyrkan or Admiral’s church, the largest wooden church in the country.

In front of the church stands a Karlskrona icon, a wooden carving of the old man called the “Gubben Rosenbom.” He holds out a wooden collection box so passersby can give to the poor. He’s been collecting charitable donations for over 200 years.

From the old man, you keep going and you come to the golden clock tower. Around the towers and toward the end of the island, there are many old government buildings and houses showing off the 17th century architecture. We enjoyed the quiet walk, with manicured lawns and flowers and with the long summer day, we could have kept walking for hours.

Where To Eat In Karlskrona

By now, it was almost 2:00 and our stomachs were complaining. It was time for lunch so we headed over by the car ferry port and ate at SJÖRÖK SPIS & BAR (Skeppsbrokajen 4 • Karlskrona) where we had some wonderful seafood appetizers and a great fresh fish lunch. It was such a fine day, that we sat outside on the deck.

After our late lunch, we wandered back into the center of town to the Frederik Church, the town hall, and a little souvenir shopping.

Where to Stay in Karlskrona

We stayed at the Arkipelag Hotel and Brewery (Alamedan 10, 371 31 Karlskrona) which we found to be small and friendly. We definitely recommend it and would stay again on future visits.

It wasn’t luxury, but the rooms were spacious, clean, and comfortable. The restaurant also serves a pretty good breakfast, which we indulged on before heading further north to Lulea.

Here is the route we took to walk all around the town for the day. It was almost four kilometers and could have been done quickly, but we lingered, and sat, and talked to locals, and basically just took our sweet time enjoying the fresh summer day.

Have you been to Karlskrona? If you get the chance to stop by for the day, do it!

Author Bio: Corinne Vail is a travel photographer, food lover, and a perpetual traveler who has been travel writing for over 14 years. For many years she lived overseas in Germany, Japan, Turkey, South Korea, and the Netherlands teaching the children of the US. military. She’s visited over 90 countries, and she’s not stopping anytime soon.

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