Kalmar Lan is a city in south-eastern Smaland with 60 000 inhabitants.
Kalmar is one of the oldest towns in the province with an interesting
historical background.
The Castle of Kalmar was built in the time of Magnus Ladulas. In the year 1397, the Union of Kalmar was founded.It was an
union of the three scandinavians states; Denmark, Norway and Sweden. In
the 18th century the castle was the county's prison and the Crown's
distillery.
Domkyrkan, the cathedral in the centre of the town is also a reminder of
by gone days of greatness. It was built in the italic baroque style,
designed by Nicodemus Tessin.
In the county museum there is a great exhibition of regalskeppet (ship of
the line) Kronan, which sank in 1676.
Kalmar is ringed by a necklace of sea beaches, from Bla Jungrun Island in
the north to Bröms in the south. The guest harbour, located in the middle
of the city, is much used and widely known. The medievalcore of Kalmar,
which is today known as Gamla stan (the old town), is right beside the
castle. There are still imposing houses dating from the 17th and 18th
centuries and the old town offers interesting cultural and historical
walks. Shopping is an undiluted pleasure in Kalmar.
Seaport on the southeast coast, 390 km south of Stockholm, Kalmar
was once the third largest city in Sweden. With scenic beauty all around and
well-maintained walkways, Kalmar is the only city to have received the
"Europa Nostra" award for its well-preserved city centre, twice. With
a coastline stretching up to 50 km, Kalmar has many interesting and beautiful
beaches to offer to the tourists. Orland
is a popular resort island where the Swedish Royal family spends its summer
season. Kalmar is also known as “the lock and key to Sweden”, because of
it being a ready access on the Baltic Sea to Denmark, Germany, Poland, the
Baltic States, and northern Sweden including Stockholm.Kalmar is also known for the
famous Kalmar Union of 1397 pact, which joined Sweden, Norway and Denmark into a
single Scandinavian kingdom. With a rich culture dating back to the Stone Age
the Kalmar region is rich, with high-class agricultural land, forests of leaf
and fir trees.
Kalmar is a tourist spot to be visited during the summers. With picturesque
landscapes and scenic beauty, Kalmar has a lot to offer the tourists. The
magnificent Kalmar Castle is the major attraction among sightseeing places.
There are many beaches around Kalmar, to indulge in the seaside affair. Besides
Kalmar has many theatres, pubs and discos, gardens and parks, where time can be
spent during after-hours. Kalmar has many churches for the religious and many
sports centres for the adventurous lot. Among the sports centres, Kalmar offers
almost everything, from a golf club to an ice skating rink. Diving, bowling,
badminton, tennis, squash, billiards and diving are also quite famous here. You
can as well indulge in windsurfing, boating, canoeing, fishing and riding.