Squid: Swedish outback. Colmar, Colmar - the most beautiful city in Alsace, France Calmar is a city in Sweden

It is the capital of Kalmar County. In the Middle Ages, the city was the third largest city in Sweden, and was also a center of trade. Located in southeast Sweden, on the shores of the Baltic Sea, 415 kilometers from. The city was formed around the Kalmar Castle, which is the main attraction of the city.

Kalmar Castle is the most significant work of Northern European fortification art of the Renaissance. The castle is located on a small peninsula, which is separated from the mainland by an artificial canal.

Today no one can say when the first fortification was formed on the tiny peninsula south of the city of Kalmar, but historians are inclined to the end of the 12th century. At this time, the first wooden round tower was erected here, designed to protect against “pagans from the east” who visited the Swedes who had just converted to Christianity. Initially, this building was located on the mainland, but a few years later it was moved to a strategically more advantageous location, next to the city harbor on a small peninsula.

In the 80s of the 13th century, the ruler of Sweden, Magnus Ladulos, ordered to turn the existing tower into a borg with five round towers, and it was this structure that became the basis of the future castle. These round towers turned out to be the first such structures in Scandinavia and for a long time remained a unique architectural phenomenon, as well as a powerful defensive basis for Sweden.

The first repair work of the castle was carried out only in the 18th century; by this time it had survived 22 major battles, but was never taken by storm. As a result, only part of the repairs were carried out, and later a distillery and a prison were opened here. Due to poor living conditions for prisoners, a new prison was opened in 1852, and the castle underwent new restorations. Today the castle houses a museum that is open to tourists.

Another attraction of the city of Kalmar is the Öland Bridge. Öland Bridge is considered the longest road bridge in Sweden, with a length of 6072 meters. The bridge connects the city of Kalmar on the mainland and the city of Färjestaden on the island of Öland, east of Kalmar.

In the western part of the bridge there is a characteristic hump, providing a 36-meter span for the passage of ships. The bridge crosses the Kalmarsund Strait, which freezes in winter due to the low current speed. Thanks to this bridge, you can easily get to the island of Öland.

The island of Öland is Sweden's second largest island, after Gotland, and its smallest province. The island of Öland is visited by up to 500 thousand tourists a year. Most often in Sweden you will hear the second name of this island – the land of windmills. Historical finds during excavations indicate that the island was inhabited in 8000 BC.

There is a small hill on the island, 55 meters above sea level and big lake Hornssen. The main attraction of the island, as you might already guess, are the wooden windmills of the 17th century. Borgholm Castle dates back to the 17th century and was built for Queen Gidwig Eleonora. Today, only majestic ruins remain from it. Next to the castle is the Zolliden Palace - summer residence royal family.

The limestone plateau of Storo Alvaret is famous for its unique flora and fauna, natural landscape and historical monuments, such as the ancient cemeteries of Göttlinge and Eketorp. Due to its uniqueness, the Storo Alvaret plateau was included in the List World Heritage UNESCO.

Another interesting point when visiting the island of Öland is the annual harvest festival Skerdefest. Farmers from all over the island and Sweden sell their harvests and allow visiting tourists to try working on their farms and experience real farm life. In the center of Borgholm, a symbol of the holiday is installed - a scarecrow with a pumpkin head. During the festival there are many fun performances and various exhibitions, including during the art night Konstnatten.

Services for tourists that will allow you to save or get more for the same money:

• Insurance: the journey begins with choosing a profitable insurance company, allows you to choose best option according to your requirements;
• Flight: the most best tickets is looking for Aviasales, you can also find airline promotions and sales in Aviadiscounter;
• Accommodation: first we choose a hotel through (they have the largest database), and then see which site is cheaper to book it through RoomGuru;
• Movements: you can order an inexpensive transfer to the airport and back, you can also rent a car at

The cost of a flight always depends on the time of travel. The chart will allow you to compare prices for air tickets from Kalmar to Sweden, track the dynamics of changes in their cost and find the best offer.

Statistics will help determine the season low prices. For example, in December prices reach an average of 10,685 rubles, and in December the cost of tickets drops to an average of 10,685 rubles. Plan your trip now!

We analyze this information and create charts to make it easier for you to plan your trips.

What is more profitable – to buy air tickets in advance, avoiding the general rush, or to take advantage of a “hot” offer closer to the departure date? The chart will help you determine best time to purchase air tickets.

See how the price of air tickets from Kalmar to Sweden has changed depending on the time of purchase. Since the beginning of sales, their value has changed by an average of %. The minimum price for a flight from Kalmar to Sweden is 14 days before departure, approximately 10,685 rubles. The maximum price for a flight from Kalmar to Sweden is 14 days before departure, approximately 10,685 rubles. In most cases early booking helps you save money, take advantage of it!

Airfare from Kalmar to Sweden does not represent a fixed and constant amount. It depends on many factors, including the day of departure. The dynamics of changes are visible on the graph.

According to statistics, the most affordable option for flights from Kalmar to Sweden is on Saturdays, their average cost is 10,685 rubles. The most expensive flights are on Saturdays, their average cost is 10,685 rubles. It is worth considering that flights on holidays are usually more expensive. We hope this information will help you plan your travels more effectively.

Road

It's already three o'clock regular bus, quietly purring, moves along the absolutely flat, dark gray highway Stockholm - Kalmar. There are still five hours of the same monotonous movement ahead.

In Moscow, looking at the map of the Viking country, I felt that the distance between Stockholm and Kalmar, which is located in the southeast of Sweden, only seemed so small. Of course, it was necessary to fly through Copenhagen - I would have been there a long time ago, but... a trip across half the country, and even by bus - although a small one, it was an adventure.

My travel companion, a native squid named Terge, speaks non-stop English and drinks beer. And although the beer is non-alcoholic, his clean-shaven head gradually turns red, and his speech becomes increasingly incoherent. By the way, my first impression of the country is connected precisely with the language. Everyone speaks English, from young to old. Many people, especially young people, speak fluently, with virtually no accent. This suited me quite well, since, unlike English, I, unfortunately, do not know Swedish.

Kalmar is the final destination of my trip - a typical provincial town with a centuries-old history, Swedish countryside. And participation in a conference on environmental education in the Baltic region is an excellent opportunity to get to know the Swedish province.

So, ahead are many kilometers of a completely flat highway, on the left is Terge, tipsy from non-alcoholic beer, trying to talk about serving in the army, on the right, outside the window are neat fields, and in general - the whole kingdom of Sweden...

Former capital

Thirty thousand inhabitants. Thirty police officers - one per thousand people. One university. Three five star hotels. One confectionery factory. One royal castle. And... nine centuries of history.

In the 12th century, a guard fortress was erected on one of the islands near the southeastern coast of Scandinavia. It was she who marked the beginning of the history of Squid. A century later, Kalmar became the capital of the then united kingdom of Sweden and Finland. The advantageous strategic position at the intersection of trade routes determined the fate of this city for many centuries.

Time passed, eras replaced each other, and the capital city of Kalmar changed along with them. By the end of the 18th century, not a trace remained of its former greatness, despite the fact that the royal castle, finally built by that time, still proudly towered over the city with its bastions.

In the second half of our century, Kalmar, as if remembering its brilliant past, shone again, but as an economic and cultural center southeast Sweden.

Canals, houses, people

Like most coastal cities in Scandinavia, Kalmar is located on islands. Sherkhi - channels with brackish water, cutting the land into bizarre pieces, serve as the natural boundaries of each region. The channels themselves are small but wide. Therefore, the townspeople, as befits the descendants of famous sailors, kayak along them. And not only them...

Rolf Arnemo, a professor of ecology at a local university and the main coordinator of the conference, also loves the canals and his narrow, agile kayak. He also likes to show guests Squid from the water. When the gallant, gray-haired Rolf proposed a trip to the Sherkhs to Russian conference participants Alexandra Koroleva and Natalya Kubareva, he had no idea how it would turn out.

Somehow the three brave men climbed into the fragile little boat, and Mr. Arnemo explained how to row in order to begin a pleasant walk on the water. Unfortunately for him, he did not tell Sasha and Natasha that they needed to row quietly. Well, they leaned on the oars with all their strength... Then Rolf said: “For the first seconds I simply stopped feeling the world around us, I only saw the bridge approaching our boat. I could not even imagine that these fragile girls were capable of rowing with such power and dexterity. A collision was barely avoided."
Unfortunately, I did not get to experience the joys of a kayaking trip, because at that time I was trying in vain to find out from the owner of my hotel, Barbara, the only person, by the way, who stubbornly refused to speak English, how much I needed to pay for my stay. Barbara frankly didn't understand what I needed. At the word “money” she nodded joyfully, but our conversation was interrupted. Unfortunately, there was not a single English-speaking soul nearby - the hotel was empty.

But it was located in the most fashionable area of ​​Kalmar - on the island of Ange. Every morning I admired the gray-green Baltic Sea and the snow-white yachts that looked like huge narwhals sailing past... Perhaps the beautiful view from the window was for me the main and only manifestation of the “fashionability” of my hotel, or rather even a private guesthouse, was the cheapest and “starless” in the city.

With the onset of summer twilight, life in the city gradually calms down.

Wandering the deserted streets is an extremely exciting experience. Evening lighting gives the city a special flavor and fairy-tale charm. The feeling of time standing still does not disappear even when, at the entrance of an old and incredibly tidy house, you suddenly see an equally neat, but absolutely modern, latest model Porsche... Everything, literally everything, amazes with its cleanliness and well-groomed nature. It affects the first two days, and then begins to irritate. Gradually a feeling of the artificiality of such life arises. If you only knew how happy we were when we noticed a real crack on the wall of an elegant house! The crack has become for us a symbol of the reality of life.

The Kalmar people are proud that for two centuries they have not built a single building that would be taller than the city cathedral. It must be said that the cathedral is by no means a majestic structure.

Squids also like to say that of all the Swedes they are the calmest and most peaceful. This is probably true, since the greatest feat for local youth is to drink non-alcoholic beer and dance until eleven in the evening at the city disco.

Of course, low-rise buildings are a tribute to tradition, and a calm disposition is the result of upbringing and lifestyle. But for us, accustomed to turbulent events, cataclysms and a frantic pace, such a life is contraindicated. I dare say that the Russian province, whose leisurely life has become the talk of the town, is simply active volcano compared to the Swedish countryside.

Oland

“Ladies and gentlemen,” says our guide, a professor at Kalmar University, “now we are driving through the very long bridge in Scandinavia. The purpose of our trip is the smallest province of Sweden and the second largest island of the Baltic - Åland.

Oland is 116 kilometers from north to south and 35 kilometers from west to east. A strip of land cut off from the mainland by a strait. Just thirty years ago, these six kilometers of sea separating the “islanders” from the “ big land", were overcome exclusively by ferry. And now... six rows of the highway, raised by reinforced concrete bulls to a height of 30 to 70 meters above the sea. At first glance, the handsome bridge does not inspire confidence - the design is too lacy. You begin to realize the full power of this piece of engineering art only after you drive onto it.

The island has everything a traveler's soul needs. Lovers of antiquity will find preserved stone circuses, Neolithic settlements and burial mounds of local princes. In addition, Oland is a paradise for bird lovers. And we were able to verify this by visiting the ornithological station located at the southernmost point of the island. The migration routes of many migratory birds lie here. And it must be said that bird watching in nature is the most popular hobby of the local population.

There's a bright red Volvo stopping on the side of the highway. Two old women, whose ages cannot even be approximated, literally jump out of the car. From the voluminous trunk they take out monstrous telescopes on tripods, powerful photographic equipment, rubber boots and folding chairs. All this belongings are loaded onto their backs and carried about fifty meters from the road. The purpose of the expedition is to observe songbirds. This is such a vacation...

There is a wonderful bird museum at the Olanda bird observation station. A small house, bright halls, simple but very nice exhibits, recorded bird calls - all this creates a special atmosphere. And at the threshold, visitors are greeted by a large wooden goose from the fairy tale about the boy Nils and the wild geese.

In general, the Swedes' love for wooden sculpture, and especially wooden birds, manifests itself in the most unexpected way. When I got to know Sweden, looking at it from the bus window, I, as an ornithologist, was simply amazed by the calmness of the Swedish buzzards - common, but at the same time very cautious birds of prey that did not fly off roadside poles even if the bus passed very close to them ...And once, while walking near the royal castle, I noticed a seagull that did not fly away even when tourists were taking pictures with it “in an embrace.”

Tapping on the wooden, but very realistic beak of a seagull, I also remembered the mysterious buzzards... Wooden, and perhaps plastic, feathered predators, of course, cannot fly, but they are excellent at driving away living birds from the road and nearby fields.

What else is Oland remembered for... Huge windmills that provide electricity to the entire island. Numerous churches suddenly appearing on both sides of the road. Red deer, who are not at all afraid of humans, because they know, or at least feel, that they are under the protection of His Majesty the King of Sweden. It is here that the king's hunting grounds are located, now turned into a nature reserve.

Royal Castle

And again Squid. Before the excursion to the royal castle, our hospitable hosts took all conference participants to one of the Squid restaurants. The regulars, and even the restaurant owners themselves, were quite surprised by the sudden appearance of such a large company.

Don’t believe those who say that Europe always has everything - there were no seats in the restaurant. But our wonderful leader Rolf still found a way out of the situation. He took the restaurant owner aside and whispered something in his ear. He walked around all the occupied tables, and the visitors, looking sadly at the plates, stood up doomedly and left the hall. To be honest, we felt uncomfortable. True, then we realized that everything was not so bad and the rest of the people - ordinary squids who wandered into the light of the restaurant - did not lose out - they were simply asked to move to another room...

A standard dinner in a Swedish restaurant is a vegetable salad, microscopic kebab with fried potatoes, a glass of beer and ice cream for dessert. As they say, “cheap and cheerful.”

The huge and very respectable Haanu Vesa, a typical Finn, chairman of the council of the city of Savo, sits at our “Russian” table. Haanu - expert Russian history. For example, he knows for sure that the Russians were the result of a mixture of Finno-Ugric tribes and Tatars. All our objections are - where are the Slavs, and what about our language? — they come up against a wall of cold Finnish misunderstanding: “I know the history of Russia better!” — The main problem in Russia today is taxes! You must learn to pay taxes! — English phrases, and with the peculiarities of Finnish pronunciation, moreover, flavored with a fair amount of non-alcoholic beer, they sound absolutely amazing. We can hardly hold back our laughter - what if he doesn’t understand and gets offended...

Inspired by our newfound roots - our ancestors have finally been discovered - and realizing the importance of the tax system, we, in the company of our foreign colleagues, go on an excursion to the royal castle.

The castle is a majestic structure, the spiers of which are visible from anywhere in the city. We got there at the very end of the day, when the official excursions were already completed. But a young girl guide, who really wanted to go home, nevertheless agreed to take us, the conference participants, around the castle.

Gray walls, high steps, wood darkened by time, huge paintings, narrow loophole windows through which the rays of the setting sun penetrate. Listening to the girl’s lively and melodious speech, I caught myself thinking that I would not be at all surprised if now this pale lady depicted on the canvas winked at me with her slightly squinted right eye. Complete immersion in history. Behind the thick walls, the city noise could not be heard, and the sounds of the organ, coming from somewhere in the depths of the castle, made you forget about the inexorable passage of time.

We descended into the coolness of the castle courtyard. And there, leaning against the warm wall, stood a lanky man dressed in the costume of a medieval peasant. Squid Don Quixote. In his hands is a multi-stringed Swedish violin, and next to him, like a faithful horse, is an old bicycle.

He started playing a simple, slightly mournful folk melody. The music, reflecting off the walls, filled the well of the courtyard and carried it upward. At that moment, in the whole world there was only a high sky, framed by gray stone walls, and a simple, ingenuous melody...

Early the next morning, I had another piece of luck - the railway cashier, a very sweet and friendly Swede, looked at me intently and asked: “How old are you, young man?” As a result, the ticket cost me half as much - a youth discount! A trifle, but nice! And then a fast train took me to the north of Sweden, to the glorious city of Stockholm.

The picturesque town of Kalmar in Sweden is a very unique place, located on several islands connected by bridges. Exact time The origins of the city cannot be determined, but historians believe that it existed already in the 11th century. During the Middle Ages, Kalmar was one of the most important craft centers, and in the New Age the town began to develop as a large-scale industrial center. Today, this city is the administrative center of the province of the same name and a small settlement with a population of about 35 thousand people.

Kalmar Climate

From modern remarkable places In Kalmar, one can note the water tower, where small but expensive apartments have recently begun to be built, and a special wooden bridge, leading from the local prison to the Old Town. Each plank of the bridge was purchased by residents, so metal plates with the name of its buyer are nailed onto them.

Other things worth visiting in the city: Art Museum with masterpieces of famous artists of the 19th - 20th centuries, Maritime Museum, demonstrating the military-industrial state of the maritime city. Also worth a visit is the Linen Museum, with collections of gold coins recovered from the warship Kronan. The museum devoted special attention to the artist Jenny Nyström and this ship.

How much do hotels and goods in stores cost?

Kalmar has many places to accommodate travelers, including various hotels and inns of all categories of comfort. The most popular hotels here are: Calmar Stadshotell, Scandic Kalmar West and Hotel Slotts hotellet category 4*, with rooms starting from euro120.

Among the more modest options, there is the 3* hotel First Hotel Witt, where comfortable room you need to pay from euro90. Well for budget holiday in Kalmar there are 2* hotels, among which the popular ones are Stora Frogarden and Kolbodabaden, with rooms starting from euro50.

For shopping, you can bring silver and steel products, glass, crystal, and wooden crafts from the country. Children's and women's clothing is highly valued, especially the famous Scandinavian sweaters.

Cuisine in Kalmar

The most popular dishes in Kalmar establishments are various salted and smoked fish, sausages, salads, pates, cheeses, fish and meat hot dishes, pastries and desserts. Many restaurants have style service buffet. In general, the cuisine has a restrained variety. Cooks almost never use seasonings or sauces and highly value the natural taste of the product.

Among the delicacies, you should try dishes made from elk, venison and crayfish. The most famous of them are raw salmon, salted, smoked, and grilled salmon. Drinks worth trying include low-alcohol fruit punch and Christmas mulled wine made from warmed red wine with cloves, raisins, cardamom and almonds.

On the road from Stockholm to Malmo, the city of Kalmar passed approximately halfway through our journey. To be honest, this one locality was known to me since childhood from the Kalmar football team of the same name based here. Another target of ours was IKEA, which is located here in convenient location right next to the federal highway. Sweden is the birthplace of IKEA, so in Kalmar, with more than 36 thousand inhabitants, I think there was no question of its construction.

Everything closes very early in Sweden compared to Russia. But I’ll talk about this later in sketches about Stockholm

Prices at IKEA are much lower here. Sofas and armchairs, for example, cost 2.5-3 times less than in Russian similar stores. The assortment is approximately the same, but Kalmar IKEA probably should not be an example to follow. Still, the town is relatively small...
Directly next to the store is the arena where the aforementioned Kalmar football club plays. The stadium is new, opened in March 2011. Accommodates 14 thousand spectators. The lawn consists of 93% natural grass. By the way, the cost of building the stadium, according to official data, was 250 million Swedish krona(just over 1 billion Russian rubles or 28 million euros). For those in the know, can you imagine how much new stadiums in Russia should really cost??? :-)))

All gates, unfortunately, were closed

But we walked around the neighborhood. Stadium layout

By the way, “Squid” became the Swedish champion in 2008 and won the country’s Cup three more times. In Eurocups, however, the club did not advance beyond the first rounds. So how I knew this name from childhood remains a mystery...
There is also a shop with paraphernalia at the stadium. Unfortunately it was also closed

Ticket offices

Simple football team crest

And then we went through the whole city to Kalmar Castle and the Baltic Sea. More precisely, not to open sea, and to the Kalmar Strait, which separates mainland from the large island of Oland (see map below)

And here is the castle

King Magnus I built this Renaissance fortress (90s of the 13th century) to protect against the then evil Danes

And now the promised location of Squid