Karlskrona

Karlskrona is a Swedish naval town spread across several islands in the Blekinge archipelago. It was founded in 1680 as Sweden's main naval base, and the Baroque-era layout and architecture earned it a UNESCO listing. Larger cruise ships anchor offshore and tender passengers into the centre, where historic dockyards and naval buildings line the waterfront. Active Swedish Navy vessels still operate from the base. The Naval Museum (Marinmuseum) covers 300 years of Swedish naval history and sits right on the waterfront with a submarine you can enter. Stumholmen island, connected to the centre by a short bridge, has a swimming beach and the old naval barracks. The town centre is compact and walkable, with a large square and several good cafés. For a day trip, the outer islands of the archipelago are accessible by passenger ferry and have swimming spots and simple restaurants.