Things to do in Karlskrona – 12 tips for the naval city

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: October 2026 | We have returned to Karlskrona several times and each time we end up out among the islands again. We have cycled through the archipelago city, taken the ferry to Aspö, encountered submarines, trolls and a gigantic ice cream – and made a few mistakes along the way. Here is Karlskrona as we experienced the city.

Karlskrona – the naval city built on islands

Karlskrona is no ordinary Swedish coastal town. Founded as a naval base in the 17th century, the city is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is spread across islands where the sea is almost always present.

It is also the combination that we think makes Karlskrona so special. Here you can one moment stand in front of a submarine at the Marine Museum and the next cycle across a bridge towards beaches, colonial cottages and archipelago life. We have visited Karlskrona several times, both with and without a camper, and in this guide we have collected our 12 best things to see and do.

1. Visit the naval museum – dive into Karlskrona's naval history

The Naval Museum on Stumholmen is our first choice if you only have time for one attraction in Karlskrona. Here you will encounter several hundred years of Swedish naval history, with everything from old warships to submarines and stories about life at sea.

The submarine hall houses both the Hajen from 1904, the Swedish navy's first submarine, and the much more modern HMS Neptun. When we were here during the pandemic, we were unfortunately not allowed to board the Neptun and the wreck tunnel was also closed, so we actually still have a reason to come back. 

Outside the museum are several museum ships. We boarded the full-rigged Jarramas and immediately began to think back to when we ourselves sailed on the sailing ship Gratia. Seeing a large sailing ship is one thing – trying to understand which of all the tacks to pull is quite another. 

READ MORE: Naval Museum in Karlskrona – naval history, submarines and ships

2. Discover the Karlskrona archipelago by boat

Karlskrona is built on islands in the middle of the Blekinge archipelago, so one of the best ways to experience the city should probably be from the water. There are archipelago boats and various boat trips where the journey itself becomes part of the experience. And here's our confession: we didn't do an archipelago tour...

How we managed to do it is still a bit of a mystery. We love being on the water, whether it's by boat or kayak, and back home in Stockholm we even live on a houseboat. But when we're on a road trip we work at the same time, often spending about two days in a city and then moving on to the next report. This time Karlskrona's archipelago boats simply had time to leave without us.

3. Cycle between Karlskrona's islands

One of our best ways to discover Karlskrona was from the saddle. The city center is located on Trossö, but bridges lead between several of the central islands and suddenly it almost feels like you're cycling around a small archipelago instead of a city.

We pedaled on between Björkholmen, Ekholmen, Saltö and Dragsö, among other places. The great thing is that the environment is constantly changing – one moment small houses and city life, the next moment cliffs, boats and water. It was also on the bikes that we found Brändaholm and continued out towards Dragsö with its beach, Trollskogen and the strange love tree. 

4. Take the ferry to Aspö and Drottningskär Castle

Aspö became one of our favorite excursions from Karlskrona. We left the camper at the parking lot in the harbor, rolled aboard the free ferry with our electric bikes, and 25 minutes later we were out on a quiet archipelago island with bike paths, the sea, and a big piece of Swedish military history. 

Already on the ferry we passed the fortress tower Godnatt, which was built in the 19th century but had already become outdated during the construction period. We waved at it and continued towards Aspö – it felt a bit late to point out the construction flaw after all. 

The main destination was Drottningskär Castle, a well-preserved defensive structure from the 17th century and part of the World Heritage Site of the Naval City of Karlskrona. When we got there, the castle itself was still closed after the pandemic, but the environment and the mighty fortress alone made the excursion worth doing. 

Then came the surprise of the day. As we cycled on, we found the Pilot Tower and met the then new owners, who spontaneously showed us around. We got to peek into a newly renovated hotel room and get up to the viewing platform, 33 meters above sea level. From there, the view of the archipelago is absolutely awesome. 

Our experience: Bring bikes if you can. Aspö is small enough to feel like an easy day trip, but big enough that the bike ride between the sights becomes part of the experience.

READ MORE: Aspö outside Karlskrona - in the lovely Blekinge archipelago

5. Stroll around Stumholmen – from military island to world heritage site

When you visit the Naval Museum, don't make the mistake of just going into the museum and then leaving Stumholmen. The island itself is part of the World Heritage Site of the Naval City of Karlskrona and tells almost as much about the city as the exhibitions within the museum's walls.

For about 300 years, Stumholmen was a military area and closed to unauthorized persons. Among other things, there were activities connected to the supply and training of the navy. Today, the gates are open and we could instead walk around among the old military buildings, homes and the water. 

One detail we were drawn to was Karlskrona upper lighthouse, the small lighthouse that stands in the middle of the buildings. It is precisely this mix that makes Stumholmen special – military history and world heritage, but at the same time a living part of today's Karlskrona.

Our advice: Give Stumholmen a while even after the Naval Museum. Walk around without any major goals, follow the water and look at the buildings. After several hours among submarines, cannons and naval history, it's also quite nice to just get out into the fresh air.

6. Discover the main square and Karlskrona's baroque churches

In the middle of Karlskrona, the city suddenly opens up around the enormous Stortorget. Here it becomes clear that Karlskrona did not grow up in a flash – the city was planned as a representative naval city and around the square are some of the buildings that have contributed to its World Heritage status.

We went into both Frederik's Church and Church of the Holy Trinity, and the latter in particular surprised us. With its round shape and large dome, it feels almost exotic for a Swedish church – more Southern Europe than Blekinge.

That's also one of the things we like about Karlskrona. One moment you're standing among submarines and old fortifications, the next in front of grand baroque architecture in the middle of town. The military heritage is everywhere, but the city is much more beautiful than the word suggests. naval city maybe it will make it sound.

7. Eat an XXXL ice cream at the ice cream parlor

After world heritage sites, the navy and baroque churches, sometimes something a little easier to understand is needed: Ice cream. Lots of ice cream.

Several people told us about Glassiären before we went there, and we soon understood why. The portions here are not exactly modest, and when Peter stood there with his XXXL ice cream, it looked less like a coffee and more like a project.

The ice cream was also really good, which is more important than the size. But come hungry – this is not the place where you order three scoops and then wonder if you should have had four.

Peter's advice: Eat lunch first if you want. But don't blame me when you're standing in front of the XXXL ice cream and realize you made a tactical mistake.

8. Greetings at Rosenbom at the Admiralty Church

Outside the Admiralty Church stands one of Karlskrona's most famous residents. His name is Rosenbom, he has been here in various guises for hundreds of years and is still reaching out for money. Although at least he is honest about where the money goes.

Rosenbom is a poor man's box from the 18th century. Lift the hat and you will find the opening where you can put a coin, which goes to charity. The figure depicts a boatswain and has become so associated with Karlskrona that he almost feels like a small symbol for the entire naval town.

Of course, we couldn't help but pay him a visit. It's these little sights that we like – they take a few minutes, cost nothing to look at, and you get a story out of them.

Rosenbom also became nationally famous through Selma Lagerlöf's Nils Holgersson's wonderful journey through Sweden, where Rosenbom comes to life and chases Nils through Karlskrona.

FREEDOM tips: Hats off. But feel free to throw in a coin too. It's bad manners to poke around in an old man's head without paying...

9. See Brändaholm – Karlskrona's little red archipelago idyll

There are places that almost look a little too perfect to be real. Brändaholm is one of them. On the small island, red colonial cottages with white knots are nestled tightly between the greenery, with the sea and boats right next to them. There is so much Swedish summer idyll that you almost expect someone to come walking by with a strawberry cake.

We spotted Brändaholm while we were out cycling between the islands of Karlskrona. And here we made a classic FREEDOMtravel mistake. ”That looks nice. Let’s take a picture from here.” Then we cycled on.

Only afterwards did we look at the mobile picture and wonder why on earth we hadn't stopped, gone into the cabins and taken a proper photo. Brändaholm is now one of those places we would love to revisit. Not to check off another attraction, but to slow down, walk around and actually see the place that we had only cycled past that time.

10. Discover Dragsö and the troll forest

From Brändaholm we continued on our bikes towards Dragsö. Here is a large and really nice campsite right by the water, with a beach and that holiday feeling that makes you almost start to wonder if you shouldn't stay for a few days.

We didn't. Our campervan remained at the parking lot in Karlskrona harbour and Dragsö became an excursion on the bike tour instead. And luckily that was the case, because here we found Troll's Path.

In the forest, trolls and other figures hide along a small walking trail, and suddenly two adult travel journalists were walking around among the trees, photographing trolls as if it were the most important report of the day. We had a lot of fun – and those unexpected little experiences are often exactly what you remember afterwards.

We also found the so-called love tree, where visitors had left little greetings and declarations of love. Dragsö therefore became something completely different from the campsite we first saw before us: swimming, sea, forest, trolls and a bit of romance on the same small island.

Our experience: You don't have to stay at the campsite to take a trip to Dragsö. We cycled here from Karlskrona and found the trip out to the island itself to be part of the experience.

11. Discover Wämöparken – Blekinge's little open-air museum

Wämöparken is usually called ”"Blekinge Open Air Museum"”, and that's actually a pretty good description – as long as you don't expect a new Skansen in Stockholm. This is considerably smaller, quieter and more relaxed.

We strolled around among old cottages and cottages, saw Mor Mina's old windmill and greeted the park's farm animals. Among other things, we met Freja or Valborg. We still have no idea which one it was...

One of the funniest details was... The Lost Path, where children learn what to do if they get lost in the forest. We skipped that one. Not because we already mastered the subject – quite the opposite. The last time we went on a lost path for children, in Dalby Söderskog, we actually managed to get lost …

Sometimes it's wise to know your limitations.

Instead, we finished with coffee and were able to conclude that a few quiet hours in Wämöparken were a really nice contrast to Karlskrona's naval history, fortresses and world heritage sites.

READ MORE: Wämöparken in Karlskrona - Blekinge's "Skansen"

12. Experience Sturkö, Tjurkö and Karlskrona's outer archipelago

Karlskrona doesn't really end where the city ends. If you continue east, a completely different side of the municipality awaits, with islands, bridges, small communities, cliffs and the ever-present sea.

We went further out to Bullkö and Sturkö, and here the pace changes. The city center, the museums and the world heritage suddenly feel far away and instead the Blekinge archipelago takes over. We drove around, stopped by the sea and discovered the islands without any great rush.

Tjurkö also bears traces of the old stone industry. Large quantities of granite were quarried here and shipped to construction projects around Europe, among other things, and the remains of the quarries tell of a much harder everyday life than the idyllic archipelago we see today.

Sturkö is bigger and more lively, but even here it is the combination of countryside and sea that we remember best. This is not an excursion where you need to hunt for ten sights. Go out, stop when something looks nice and let the archipelago be the goal.

Our experience: If you have two days in Karlskrona, we would spend the first on the city and the World Heritage Site and use at least part of the second for the islands. It is only then that you truly understand how much Karlskrona is actually about the sea.

Where can you stay in Karlskrona?

The first time in Karlskrona we would choose to stay centrally located on Trossö. Then you have Stortorget, the churches, restaurants and large parts of the World Heritage Site within walking distance, while the Marine Museum and Stumholmen are close by.

If you would rather wake up with more of an archipelago feel, you can look at accommodation at or near Salt Island and Drag Island. You will be a little further from the center, but closer to the beach, cliffs and sea – and it is easy to get between the islands by bike. A third option is Aspö, where accommodation becomes part of the excursion.

Karlskrona with a campervan

Karlskrona worked really well for us with a camper. We stopped at city marina in Karlskrona harbor, close to the water and within easy reach of the city center. Then the bikes left – and the camper got a few days off from us.

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