The entrance to Karlskrona, between Drottningskär citadel and Kungsholm Fortress

With a narrow and deep fairway which was easy to defend, and ample space to construct a protected dock, the King of Sweden, Karl XI, chose the eastern part of the archipelago as the location for the new town of Karlskrona and the base for the country’s fleet. He enlisted the services of Sweden’s greatest architects, engineers and builders to carry out the project.