Birka, Sweden’s first city

21 July 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Museums, Exhibitions, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  6 minutes

Reconstructed Viking houses © Holger.Ellgaard/cc-by-sa-3.0

Reconstructed Viking houses © Holger.Ellgaard/cc-by-sa-3.0

During the Viking Age, Birka, on the island of Björkö (literally: “Birch Island”) in Sweden, was an important trading center which handled goods from Scandinavia as well as Central and Eastern Europe and the Orient. Björkö is located in Lake Mälaren, 30 kilometers west of contemporary Stockholm, in the municipality of Ekerö. The archaeological sites of Birka and Hovgården, on the neighbouring island of Adelsö, make up an archaeological complex which illustrates the elaborate trading networks of Viking Scandinavia and their influence on the subsequent history of Europe. Generally regarded as Sweden’s oldest town, Birka (along with Hovgården) has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.   read more…

Karlskrona in Sweden

3 June 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  6 minutes

Main Square © Magnus Bäck

Main Square © Magnus Bäck

Karlskrona is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 35,000 inhabitants. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden’s only baroque city and is host to Sweden’s only remaining naval base and the headquarters of the Swedish Coast Guard.   read more…

The hostel Af Chapman

1 April 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Tall ships, Hotels, Yacht of the Month Reading Time:  7 minutes

© Holger.Ellgaard/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Holger.Ellgaard/cc-by-sa-3.0

The af Chapman, formerly the Dunboyne (1888–1915) and the G.D. Kennedy (−1923), is a full-rigged steel ship moored on the western shore of the islet Skeppsholmen in central Stockholm, Sweden, now serving as a youth hostel.   read more…

In Gothenburg you don’t write poems; you write invoices

25 February 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

Barque Viking © Pär Henning

Barque Viking © Pär Henning

Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden (after Stockholm) and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 515,129, with 510,491 in the urban area and total of 928,629 inhabitants in the metropolitan area.   read more…

Sandhamn, in the eastern part of Stockholm’s archipelago

10 January 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

© Arild Vågen/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Arild Vågen/cc-by-sa-3.0

Sandhamn (“Sand Harbour”) is a small settlement in the central-peripheral part of the Stockholm Archipelago in central-eastern Sweden, approximately 50 km (30 mi) east of Stockholm. Sandhamn is located on the island Sandön (“Sand Island”), which is, however, colloquially referred to as Sandhamn.   read more…

Helsingborg in southern Sweden

9 December 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Dunkers Kulturhus © Jesper Olsson

Dunkers Kulturhus © Jesper Olsson

Helsingborg is a town and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality in Skåne County. It had 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden’s closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city Helsingør clearly visible on the other side of the Øresund about 4 km to the west.   read more…

Jönköping in southern Sweden

18 October 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

Jönköping Collage © jonkopingsambassaden.se - Citronlemonad

Jönköping Collage © jonkopingsambassaden.se – Citronlemonad

Jönköping is a city in southern Sweden with 62,000 inhabitants. Jönköping is situated by the southern end of Sweden’s second largest lake, Vättern. The original town Jönköping has grown together with twin city Huskvarna (population 23,000) and suburb Norrahammar-Hovslätt (population 9,000), forming a contiguous urban area, with 94,000 inhabitants in 2013.   read more…

Drottningholm Palace on Island Lovön in Lake Mälaren

26 March 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  6 minutes

Drottningholm Palace © Sxenko/cc-by-2.5

Drottningholm Palace © Sxenko/cc-by-2.5

The Drottningholm Palace (Swedish: Drottningholms slott) is the private residence of the Swedish royal family. It is located in Drottningholm. It is built on the island Lovön (in Ekerö Municipality of Stockholm County), and is one of Sweden’s Royal Palaces. It was originally built in the late 16th century. It served as a residence of the Swedish royal court for most of the 18th century. Apart from being the private residence of the Swedish royal family, the palace is a popular tourist attraction. The current China Castle, which has replaced the old wooden pavilion from 1753, is designed by Carl Fredrik Adelcrantz. The royal court’s chief supervisor Jean Eric Rehn was the man who led the work with the interior design. The construction of the pavilion began in 1763 and was completed in 1769. The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was added to the list in 1991. The current Swedish royal family have used Drottningholm as their primary residence since 1981. Since then, the Palace has also been guarded by the Swedish Military in the same fashion as Stockholm Palace.   read more…

Riga und Umeå, Kulturhauptstädte Europas 2014

4 January 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, European Union, European Capital of Culture Reading Time:  12 minutes

© riga2014.org

© riga2014.org


THE CITY OF RIGA

Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 700,000 inhabitants, Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states and home to more than one third of Latvia’s population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial, cultural and financial centre of the Baltic region. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga, at the mouth of the Daugava. Riga was founded in 1201 and is a former Hanseatic League member. Riga’s historical centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, noted for its Art Nouveau/Jugendstil architecture and 19th century wooden architecture. Riga is served by Riga International Airport, the largest airport in the Baltic states.   read more…

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