Sölvesborg

Sölvesborg stands by a sheltered bay in western Blekinge, between the Baltic coast and the ridge of Ryssberget. A town grew beside its church, monastery and castle, on the route linking Blekinge with Scania. The castle was one of the great strongholds of the Danish crown in the province, and its appointed lord governed the surrounding district from within its walls.

King Christopher granted the town a charter in 1445. During the struggles between Denmark and Sweden, the fortress and its district occupied a frontier of considerable strategic value. Blekinge passed to Sweden under the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658, bringing Sölvesborg under a new crown after centuries within Denmark. The castle's massive tower and surrounding buildings had long embodied royal authority in the coastal district.