Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ZANY SCULPTURES
Looking like a cubby house gone mad, the driftwood sculpture
Nimis
and its younger
concrete sibling
Arx
stand on a beach on the Kulla Peninsula's northern side. Created
without permission by eccentric artist Lars Vilks, their existence has sparked several
court cases between Vilks and the county council, not to mention the odd fire and chain-
site, effectively turning his works into protected 'national monuments'. In 2011 the coron-
ation of Queen Carolyn I took place. If you are interested in applying for citizenship (as
4000 Pakistanis apparently were...), check out the website.
BLEKINGE
With its long coastline and safe harbours, Blekinge's past and present are faithfully
fastened to the sea. Sweden and Denmark once squabbled over the area, a trump card in
power games over the Baltic. The region's own prized possession is the Unesco-lauded
naval town of Karlskrona, famed for its baroque design. The region's second-largest town,
Karlshamn, was the exit point for thousands of 19th-century emigrants bound for America.
Beyond the urban centres is a low-key landscape of fish-filled rivers and lakes, brooding
forests and a stunning archipelago fit for lazy island-hopping.
Karlskrona
0455 / Pop 62,340
This handsome military-base town is included on the Unesco World Heritage list for its
impressive collection of 17th- and 18th-century naval architecture.
It was the failed Danish invasion of Skåne in 1679 that sparked Karlskrona's concep-
tion, when King Karl XI decided that a southern naval base was needed for better control
over the Baltic Sea. Almost immediately, it became Sweden's third-biggest city. Much of
the town is still a military base, so for many sights you'll need to book a tour at the tourist
office.
