Sölvesborg is a locality in the province of Blekinge in southern Sweden. Its location on a peninsula in the Baltic Sea has made it famous for its white sandy beaches along narrow historical streets and beech forests. Parts of the street layout still date back to the Middle Ages and even though Sölvesborg has lost its town status, it can still be considered a proud town with around 8.800 inhabitants.
The Danish heritage is still noticeable in the local dialect known as Listerländska. It is spoken on the peninsula east of the town, which is known as Listerlandet and that makes up a large part of Sölvesborg Municipality.
A Short History of Sölvesborg
The town of Sölvesborg is believed to have been established in the 13th century in the vicinity of the nearby fortress. The town was at the time a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The castle, which is today in ruins, saw during its heyday visits of nobility such as Queen Margareta of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Sölvesborg has been confirmed to have been a town as early as 1445 when the previous town privileges were renewed. The fortress was destroyed by Denmark in 1564, to prevent it from ending up in Swedish hands. However, it took until 1658 and the peace treaty of Roskilde before Sölvesborg and the province of Blekinge became a part of Sweden. In the 18th century, Sölvesborg lost its town status to nearby Karlshamn and the inhabitants were forced to abandon trade as an occupation and reversed back to farming and fishing.
The production in Sölvesborg eventually also included gloves and hats. Industrialization did also during the 19th century mean the establishment of distilleries producing liquor for export. Other industrialization included a shipyard and glassworks. These other industries closed down in the 1980s. Today it is the chemical company Feralco Nordic that stands out among the local manufacturers.
Things to Do and See
Sölvesborg is an old town with a lot of history. A part of this history is visible when waking along the old streets framed by the small picturesque buildings which most have been standing here much longer than their inhabitants. For anyone looking to get away from the town, there is plenty of access to the Baltic Sea and other nature areas of the surrounding region.
Sölvesborgsbron
Sölvesborgsbron is a walking bridge connecting the two sides of the bay. It was completed in 2012 and has a length of 760 meters, making it one of the longest pedestrian bridges in Europe. The bridge has been mentioned by CNN in 2016 when they listed 11 spectacular new bridges.
Sölvesborg Museum
Sölvesborg Museum is the local museum telling the story of the town and its people. It is housed in an old warehouse. The museum might have opened in 1982, but the building is over 150 years old.
Fyra Årstiders Park
Fyra Årstiders Park is a park along the waterfront. It was designed by the Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf, who has designed parks in cities like Chicago, London, New York, and Toronto. In Sweden, he has also designed parks in Enköping and Stockholm. Fyra Årstiders Park celebrates the four seasons of the year and its construction began in 2008.
Listers Härads Tingshus
Listers Härad is one of the former hundreds making up the province of Blekinge. The area’s courthouse is in Sölvesborg and was built between 1917 and 1921. It is today one of the landmark buildings in town.
How to Get to Sölvesborg
- Flights: The closest airport is Ronneby Airport (RNB) 60 kilometers away. The airport has a few domestic routes as well as seasonal charter flights.
- Car: Sölvesborg is along road E22 between Kristianstad and Karlshamn.
- Bus: Buses from Blekingetrafiken connect Sölvesborg with the surrounding region.
- Train: Pågatågen and Öresundståg service Sölvesborg Station. Destinations includes Karlshamn, Karlskrona, Kristianstad, and Copenhagen.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 549 kilometers (5 h 57 min)
- Gothenburg – 292 kilometers (3 h 16 min)
- Malmö – 121 kilometers (1 h 18 min)
- Linköping – 354 kilometers (3 h 57 min)
- Kiruna – 1779 kilometers (19 h 52 min)
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