Karlshamn, Sweden - Karlshamn Travel Guide - visiting Karlshamn

Karlshamn

The harbor at Karlshamn, Sweden (cc)

Karlshamn

Karlshamn, a town of approximately 19,000 inhabitants, has long been an important trading center. For centuries, merchants here have traded both domestically and across the Baltic Sea. Karlshamn, the name, is derived from Karl's harbor, a reference to the Swedish king Karl X Gustav. In the 19th century, particularly during the Napoleonic War when trading was prohibited, Karlshamn was transformed into a haven for smugglers. The Karlshamn harbor remains today an important part of the city, and is among the 10 largest in Sweden.

Karlshamn's visitor interest lies primarily in the salmon fisheries in "Mörrumsån," the Hällaryd archipelago at its doorstep, and its rocky coastline and surrounding forestland. Also of interest, just east of the city center, is Eriksbergs Viltpark, an historic farmstead that is now home to such indigenous fauna as European bison, Crown deer, wild boar and moose. Peak tourism months are June, July and August.

Karlshamn is also an industrial town at some level. Among its products, both historically and presently, are tobacco, snuff, and such alcoholic drinks as schnapps and punch.

Karlshamn dates from 1664.

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