Swedish peninsula Karlskrona

The other day I happened to visit a very beautiful and historical town in Sweden - Karlskrona (Karl's Crown). Many travelers know about it that it is a peninsula, which included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Beautiful old buildings of past centuries, which have retained their original appearance, and an unusual roadway, all strewn with paving stones, are the first to catch the eye of a resident of a modern country, completely dotted with megacities and skyscrapers.

One of the reasons I decided to explore the Swedish peninsula of Karlskrona is that the ruler here is not the president, but King. Carl XVI Gustaf has been in command of the entire country since September 15, 1973.

But really, when you walk along the small streets of an old town, you inadvertently start to think about how clean and calm it is here.

In addition to the fact that the country has a monarchy, the Swedish peninsula of Karlskrona is also a very large naval port. People who want to see the sights of this city can get by on foot, as everything is located here at a fairly close distance from each other.

In order to explore the peninsula, I was given a whole day. All things are collected, it's time to get on the bus and head to the city center.

So, I arrived at my destination around 11:00 Belarusian time (in Sweden, nine in the morning). Friday is a weekday. There is not a single soul on the streets, except for those people who came with me to study this ancient town. Don't you think this is strange? In Minsk, all the streets and public transport would have been packed with people at that time. In general, the city sleeps.

The first place that caught my eye was the central square of Stortorget. Certainly a truly extraordinary sight. Why? Firstly, there are four very old but beautiful buildings along its perimeter, and secondly, in the center of the square there is monument to Charles XI, that is, the very first ruler of the Swedish kingdom.

Perhaps the main attractions in this area were two churches: Frederica (1744) and Holy Trinity, City Hall (1798) and District Court. All these buildings were built in the Baroque style. It is from them that the old Swedish spirit breathes.

Unfortunately, I was only able to get into the German Church, or the Church of the Holy Trinity, since some buildings were completely closed or were under restoration. The story goes: Numerous merchants from Germany nevertheless obtained permission to create their own temple, which was built in 1709.

The interior of this church is rather unusual. Perhaps because I have not been to such sacred buildings, but they are at least somewhat different from Belarusian churches. This temple was more like a church than a place for Orthodox believers.

Firstly, there are benches around the perimeter of the entire building, and secondly, a balcony with its own door and window is allocated for the priest, on which he must climb. At the end of the church stands a huge cross. You can approach him and pray. In the center of the temple is a large vessel filled with sacred water.

 

The Swedish peninsula of Karlskrona is famous not only for its old churches, but also for various museums. In my plans, I need to have time to go through two historical museums: "Karlskrona Porslinsmuseum" and "Marine Museum Karlskrona". On the way to them, one would have to run into a tourist shop, which, by the way, was the only one working on a deserted street. All restaurants, cafes and shopping centers have not even started a working day.

The prices here, I can tell you, are overpriced. Even the usual sweets are expensive to buy, not to mention a variety of key chains, magnets and postcards.

So, we leave the store and head to "Karlskrona Porslinsmuseum". What's so special about it is that it's the only place where you can see the finest work of local Swedish porcelain makers over the last three hundred years.

Studying a variety of subjects, I realized that Karlskrona is famous not only for its history, but also for its rich culture.

Having finished looking at the porcelain exhibits, I went outside and finally saw the inhabitants of the Swedish peninsula. Despite the fact that the road was strewn with snow, many people moved around the town on bicycles. I can say one thing: the Swedish people are very cultured. I was struck by the fact that people are not at all afraid to leave their vehicle without attention. They know that no one here will steal or spoil anything.

Across the road from Karlskrona Porslinsmuseum you can already see the port, where warships and a beautiful building are parked. Marine Museum Karlskrona. That's where we're heading now. What you need to know before visiting this museum: it was founded in 1752, but the last restoration took place in 1997. This is a huge building that stores exhibits that reveal all the secrets Swedish Navy.

Here you can easily get lost if you do not navigate the area. This museum is simply huge, and from a large number of exhibits, your eyes run straight. There is everything here that is somehow connected with the sea: boats, radios of those years when people still transmitted SOS signals using electromagnetic waves and Morse code, underwater ships that you could walk on and study their structure, mechanisms for launching torpedoes, sailors' clothing, weapons. The most beautiful, perhaps, the room consisted entirely of ship prows. It was truly a beautiful sight. I was completely delighted with the museum.

It's already getting dark outside. It's time to walk with a light heart through shopping centers and shops, while not forgetting to ride a ferry to aspeo islands. After looking at the schedule and seeing that a sea transport vessel was approaching, I queued up to enter its territory.

Having moored to the shore, the ferry stopped. The barrier was raised, and trucks and cars began to leave from there, after which people began to leave. Having launched new passengers, we set off to conquer the expanses of the Baltic Sea.

On the way to Aspe, I met many small islands on which a house, or a monument, or a mill could stand. Many lands were simply empty.

When I got to Aspö, I discovered that this island is completely different from Karlskrona. This territory was inhabited by people who had their own dacha, private house or hacienda. Around the solid forest. Sometimes along the way I came across small cafes and shops.

There was also a beach here, but it was -2 degrees outside, and Baltic Sea considered the coldest even in the warm season. So I turned around and went back, because after some 20 minutes a ferry was supposed to arrive and take me to Karlskrona.

Imagine, this ship works like a subway, only free. It was created in order to take the residents of Aspe to school or work, and after a hard day to return home.

It's already quite dark outside. The city lit up with bright light from lampposts. There were a lot of shops here, but only one of them was completely with alcoholic products. What is the point: it turns out that in Sweden they are struggling with alcohol addiction. They still have it, so to speak. no alcohol law, and even when you come to an ordinary shopping center, you will see that all cheerful drinks are sold without a degree.

Well, my adventure has come to an end, it remains only to wait for my bus, which will take me back to the ferry to Gdynia. It was a wonderful trip to the Swedish peninsula of Karlskrona. I will remember him for a long time. I hope to visit this magical city again someday.

Text: Tatiana Sivitskaya

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