Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
one has its own story (described in English). In the years following the ship's
sinking, these cannons were the only artifacts considered worth recovering.
The stairs and elevator in the center of the building let you zip right to your
choice of exhibits. Floor 2 has temporary exhibits, which can be worth a stop
if you have extra time.
From the first floor, I'd head to Floor 3, which displays salvage from the
Kronan.
Twice the size ofStockholm'sfamous
Vasa
,this warship was a float-
ingpalace andthemostheavily armedvesselintheworld.Butitexplodedand
sank about three miles beyond the island of Öland in 1676. The giant illus-
tration at the elevator shows the dramatic event: The
Kronan
's admiral mis-
judged conditions and harnessed too much wind, causing the vessel to tip and
its gun ports to fill with water. As the ship began to list into the water, a fallen
lantern ignited explosives in the hold, and...BLAM! The ship was a goner, and
its Danish and Dutch foes—who hadn't fired a shot—watched it sink into the
deep. Of the 850 people on board, only about 40 were rescued. The wreck's
whereabouts were forgotten until 1980, when it was rediscovered by the same
oceanographer who found the
Vasa
.
Head into the exhibit, where you'll view a model of the shipwreck site
(press the button for a 7-minute English explanation). You'll see a cross-sec-
tion of the mighty vessel; a recovered carving of the potbellied Swedish king
(one of many such carvings that decorated the ship); a street scene from Kal-
mar in that era, also illustrated by a good map and model; and an excellent
12-minute film about the ship (push the button for English).
The replica of the middle gun deck leads to the exhibit's most interesting
section, which explains everyday life on board. The 850 sailors who manned
the ship (about the population of a mid-sized town of that age) represented
all walks of life, “all in the same boat.” Engaging illustrations, eyewitness ac-
counts, and actual salvage items bring the story to life. You'll see guns, music-
al instruments, a medicine chest, dishes, and clothing—items that emphasize
thenautical lifestyles ofthesimple,commonpeoplewhoworkedandperished
on the ship. A treasure chest contains coins from all around the known world
at the time, each one carefully identified.
