Marstrand, Sweden
Marstrand is a popular summer harbour for the Swedes and their neighbours, and it’s not hard to see why. The small, meticulously maintained village is tucked into a snug harbour and enjoys some fabulously sunny weather at this time of year. When we arrived, the town was gearing up to celebrate the summer solstice and private boats poured into this little bit of maritime paradise. We toured the town on foot, accompanied by local guides who shared with us some of the details of Marstrand’s lurid past. The town boasts that it was once Scandinavia’s most immoral settlement, a title that seems uncontested (and, oddly, no city is claiming to be the successor to this honour). The two buildings pictured here both figured prominently in the reputation of Marstrand. In the foreground is the Society House where many courtiers and other distinguished citizens came to attend balls and banquets. It was built in the late 19th Century as King Oscar II put the settlement on the map as a seasonal playground. Two centuries earlier, immoral Swedes were also flocking to the island, but this time it was against their will. They were prisoners sent to Marstrand as labourers to construct Carlsten’s Fastning (fort), which dominates the skyline of the village, and the background of this photo. Living and working in appalling conditions, the prisoners took so long to construct the fort that by the time they finished, warfare techniques had changed so much that the building was of little use. However, the prisoners certainly knew how to make a solid structure, and today the fort stands in robust condition with very little restoration required. Our exploration led us to view the village from the tower top, before we eased our way back to the harbour, and aboard Endeavour.
Marstrand is a popular summer harbour for the Swedes and their neighbours, and it’s not hard to see why. The small, meticulously maintained village is tucked into a snug harbour and enjoys some fabulously sunny weather at this time of year. When we arrived, the town was gearing up to celebrate the summer solstice and private boats poured into this little bit of maritime paradise. We toured the town on foot, accompanied by local guides who shared with us some of the details of Marstrand’s lurid past. The town boasts that it was once Scandinavia’s most immoral settlement, a title that seems uncontested (and, oddly, no city is claiming to be the successor to this honour). The two buildings pictured here both figured prominently in the reputation of Marstrand. In the foreground is the Society House where many courtiers and other distinguished citizens came to attend balls and banquets. It was built in the late 19th Century as King Oscar II put the settlement on the map as a seasonal playground. Two centuries earlier, immoral Swedes were also flocking to the island, but this time it was against their will. They were prisoners sent to Marstrand as labourers to construct Carlsten’s Fastning (fort), which dominates the skyline of the village, and the background of this photo. Living and working in appalling conditions, the prisoners took so long to construct the fort that by the time they finished, warfare techniques had changed so much that the building was of little use. However, the prisoners certainly knew how to make a solid structure, and today the fort stands in robust condition with very little restoration required. Our exploration led us to view the village from the tower top, before we eased our way back to the harbour, and aboard Endeavour.
