Kalmar Things to Do

The "Marin Museum".

The Maritime museum is housed in a genuine KALMAR milieu at "KATTRUPAN".

Its impressive collection consists of 5000 objects such as : model ships, navigational instruments and examples of seamen's work, together with many other objects which give a broad picture of MARITIME HISTORY.

And I can tell you that is was as intersting as my words above describe!

The museum is famous for the rarities in its collection and that is TRUE & makes it so very attractive.

You can have a guided walk around KALMAR on your own, though this may sound strange but....the brochure 'WALK IN KALMAR - ON YOUR OWN" can be bought at the Tourist Bureau (address below).

This brochure shows you the way to KALMAR'S idyllic corners and historic sights.

It guides you through the centre of KALMAR and on to the Town Park, the Castle and the Old Town.

Price 30 Swedish Crowns is about 4 euro/USD

Citytours with a guide: WEDNESDAYS during July at 6PM.
Meeting point: KALMAR TURISTBYRA.
Price 70 Swedish Crowns is about 8,50 euro/USD

Perfect to really DISCOVER KALMAR....

The MEDIEVAL CORE of KALMAR, which is today known as GAMLA STAN, lies right beside the castle.

There are still imposing houses dating back to the 17th and 18th Century.

The quarter offers interesting CULTURAL and HISTORICAL walk, either privately or as a guided tour: for info there is the KALMAR TOURIST OFFICE.....ölandskajen 9, 391 20 KALMAR......see below

It is also here in the GAMLA STAND that you will find the KONST MUSEUM...worthy of a visit.

TECHNICAL DATA on the KRONAN MAN-OF-WAR.

The KRONAN was laid down at the Skeppsholmen shipyard in STOCKHOLM on October 7 1665 and launched on July 31st 1668.

The ship was designed and built by FRANCIS SHELDON, an Englishman.

Its displacementd has been calculated at 2,200 tons.
The overall length was 53 metres and its width was 14,50 metres.

Its armament of 124-128 cannon was spread over 2 full-width cannon decks and stern, fo'cs'l and cabin deck.
Their total weight is estimated about 230 tons which is GIGANTIC.

The collection of relics from the ill-fated KRONAN, which blew up and sank off the coast of öland, is the main exhibition of the KALMAR COUNTY MUSEUM.

It includes the major part of the itemd and treasures that have been salvaged and preserved - everything from unique bronze cannon, copper & silver coins, plates & jugs, musical instruments, chessmen, seamen's chests, clay pipes, rings & other jewellery, stockings, shoes and - perhaps most exciting of all - the largest gold treasure-trove ever found in SWEDEN.

One set-piece takes us to the sea-bed, to the site of the wreck, where we can see how pieces of wreckage are strewn around and how the divers have dug downwards...

By means of a multislide presentation, the visitor can follow the course of the battle which led to the destruction of the KRONMAN and a giant video screen enables us to accompany the marine archaeologists around the wreck and also to watch the fascinating but often hard and heavy work they carry out.

The HIGHLIGHTS of the exhibition are the faithful copies of the middle gun deck and the captain's cabin: you will feel as if you are really there....itis dark, you hear the noises they must have heard, smell the smells....

This really is an exciting chapter of SWEDISH HISTORY, the country's period as a great POWER IN THE 17th Century, reflected in the biggest warship of its time!

BTW thefamous VASA (WASA) WAS very much smaller than the KRONAN, but do go and see the VASA: unforgettable..

Enjoy this museum / exhibition!

This is a wonderful place to visit, a great museum in a lovely modern building where soon you will forget where exactly you are because the exhibitions are so wonderful and exciting, mesmerizing even.

There are PERMANENT EXHIBITIONS such as:

1. THE ROAL SHIP KRONAN
2. THE CANNONS OF THE KRONAN
3. JENNY NYSTRöM - THE ARTIST
4. THE MEDIEVAL TOWN OF KALMAR
5. OUT OF THE WAY! TRACES OF 12.000
YEARS
6. THE KRUSENSTIERNA PARLOUR....

Of course there is a lovely café for refreshments....

OPEN: Mondays - Fridays 10AM - 4PM
Saturdays & Sundays 11AM - 4PM

15th June till 14th August: 10AM - 6PM

Plenty of time for a visit and you will be delighted: see my KRONAN TIP next.

The painting in the photograph is one from JENNY NYSTRöM: the museum has an endearing exhibition on the 4th floor, dedicated tothis well-known artist!

This so called GREY HALL was built in 1553 and was decorated by Johan III in the1580s.
The panelling has vanished but the 16th Century FRESCOES of the story of SAMSON are still there, albeit pale and difficult to decipher.

The coffered celing and the fiteplace are from the 16th Century.

The carved bed (1628) (see photograph) has the Arms of the Danish Families of BILLE & ROSENKRANRZ on the foot and the head, which is later, has the Arms of Gustav Adolf.

In this HALL is also a wonderful BRIDAL CHEST from 1579.

When visiting such old/ancient places with bedrooms it is always surprising how short the beds are eventhough we all know that people used to be much shorter than we are nowadays.....

One of the many lovely, enchanting rooms of this enormous castle in KALMAR and very worthy of your visit.

In this photograph you see the CHEQUERED HALL of Kalmar Castle.

This was the place where the COUNCEL had its meetings and where important diecions had to be made.....

The inlaid woord workis most wonderful especially on a wonderfully sunny (but quite cold!) day!

NOTE: see how thick the walls are.....no wonder I had gooseflesh all over me.......they must have suffered of the cold, in older times, although there are numerous places whith chimneys and manttepieces......and open fires.....yet, I do not envy them this place to live in.....

The history of this legendary castle strechtes back over 800 years!

Its present appearance dates from the 16th CVentury, when the VASA KINGS rebuilt it in the style of a RENAISSANCE palace, with furnishings in the continental manner.

The castle then saw its most golious period as a stronghold of ROYAL POWER, although it had already plaed an important rol in Scandinavian politics, particularly as the MEETING POINT forthe signing of the KALMAR UNION IN 1397!

Visitors enter the castle via a reconstructed drawbridge and after having walked through the barrel-vaulted passages (impressive and cold!!) they have to enter the STATE APARTMENTS by ascewnding the QUEEN'S STAIRCASE which in 1556 was built with medieval tombstones from the "reformed" churches and monasteries.

2047 charaacters is far too few to describe all the wonderful rooms and halls I saw here, I walked through, I admired......I can only list a few of the most important such as:

The Queen's ASpartment, the King's Chamber, the Golden Hall, the Armoury, the Burnt Hall, the Round Kitchen, the Dungeon, the Chapel, the Nursery and more.......