Göteborg

Göteborg

Göteborg is Sweden's chief seaport and second largest city after the capital Stockholm, and it is the capital of Västra Götaland County. It is located along the Göta River estuary, some 8 km above the river mouth in the Kattegat. King Charles IX founded the city on the site of earlier medieval settlements in 1603. The site was of strategic importance, as the Göta River estuary was Sweden's sole direct exit to the Atlantic Ocean at the time. Göteborg perished in the Kalmar War with Denmark in 1611-13, but in 1619 it was re-founded by Gustav II Adolf, and two years later it was declared a city. Among the early inhabitants were many Dutch, who constructed urban canals in the Dutch style and developed the city center. Gothenburg's prosperity grew with the development of the Swedish East India Company in the early 18th century, and during Napoleon's continental blockade the port became the main European outlet for British goods. With the completion of the Göta Canal in 1832 and the start of overseas shipping, a second era of prosperity began. Monuments of the past are the forts of Lejonet and Kronan, and the moat that still surrounds the old part of the city. The Cathedral, built in 1633, rebuilt in 1815-25 and restored in 1956-57, and the Kristine Church, built in 1648 and rebuilt in 1780, are notable landmarks. The city also has cultural, maritime and natural history museums. Göteborg has a number of parks and nature reserves varying in size from a few tens of square meters to several hundred hectares. There are also many green areas that are not defined as parks or reserves.