Guide of Karlshamn

Karlshamn is in Blekinge County, in Sweden. It is located on the southern coast of the country and is home to around 13,500 inhabitants. The name of the city means ‘Karls Port’ and was named after King Charles X Gustav, because in Swedish the name ‘Charles’ means ‘Karl’.

 A brief history of Karlshamn

The earliest records of civilization in the area of Karlshamn are from the little fishing villages that developed at the mouth of the Mieån River. The town of Karlshamn was officially established in 1666 after King Charles X Gustav explored the coastline and recognized the strategic location of the port for access to the Baltic Sea.  The locality also attracted interest from foreign merchants and it was agreed that a town should be established there, by 1700 the town had around 650 residents. During the 18th century, the industry in Karlshamn was mainly based on agriculture and the export of mineral products. In 1810, the Intercontinental War provided Karlshamn with a possibility to trade more goods and wealth in the town grew, they traded punsch, a type of alcoholic liquor, tobacco, and snuff powder, which were all produced in the town. During the period 1850–1940 granite stone cutting quarries produced a heavy export industry.

Things to do in Karlshamn

The town is a charming place to stroll around to admire the cute little houses and enjoy a coffee at a café. There are two old houses that remain from the time when the town was founded, they are located in a square, and one is called  ‘Asschierska huset’ which was built as a town hall in 1682. Karlshamn is also home to the Kreativum Science Center, which is an interactive science museum perfect for children and adults alike. The famous Eriksbergs Viltpark is located east of the city centre, it is an old farm surrounded by land which is now home to a variety of native animals such as European Bison, Crown Deer, Moose and wild boar amongst others. Tourism peaks from June–August and at this time there are regular boat connections to islands such as Tärnö. The Kastellet Citadel is also worth visiting, it is located on an island at the entrance to Karlshamn guest harbour. It is situated within an old fort from the 17th century, which was used when feuds with the Danish were common. Today, the island is open for visitors and also provides a venue for amateur theatre performances.

Beaches around Karlshamn

Bökhults badplats beach is an hour north of Karlshamn and to get to it you actually drive inland. It's worth the journey as this golden sandy beach is beautiful, the waters are shallow so it’s good for children and there is also a camping area nearby. Stärnös Badplats is another beach a little closer to town, just 5 km to the south of the city center. It also has shallow waters, beautiful cliffs, a large toilet facility, two long bathing jetties, a kiosk, and several barbecue areas.