Halmstad
Halmstad was Danish until 1645 when it became part of Sweden. Serving as an important fortified border town, Halmstad became an important port, university, industrial and recreational hub at the mouth of the Nissan river.
A brief history of Halmstad
Part of the Kingdom of Denmark, Halmstad received its first city charter in 1307, but the oldest remains of the first town are at "Övraby" along the Nissan river, where the remains of the church can still be seen today. The town moved to its present location in the 1320s the present-day town centre. At this time there were two monasteries in the town and during the 15th century, the St. Nikolai church was built. Halland was the object of numerous battles, sieges and occupations by Swedish troops.
At the end of the 16th century Christian IV of Denmark ordered the fortification of Halmstad and in the beginning of the 17th century to build a crescent-shaped fort with Nissan as part of the defences, but in 1619 Halmstad was destroyed by fire. Halland became part of Sweden for a period of thirty years when peace was declared at the Treaty of Brömsebro in 1645 and Danish rule ended. The Treaty of Roskilde in 1658 made this acquisition permanent. Sweden defeated Denmark in the Battle of Fyllebro which took place in 1676 just outside Halmstad and the town became part of Sweden.
Things to do in Halmstad
If you are with your family then check out Halmstad Adventure Land, a kids' entertainment park with waterslides, rides and themed pirate and dinosaur areas. For something more natural, try the Haverdals Nature reserve which is Sweden's oldest nature reserve. It is an expanse of sand dunes where you can swim, walk, jog, have a coffee or even pick mushrooms. The largest sand dune is called Lynga Sanddyna, at 36 meters above sea level it is probably the highest in Sweden! From the top there are great views of the reserve and its surroundings.
Beaches
The best beaches can be found in Tylösand, a suburb 8km southwest of the town centre. It's a popular place to hang out in the summer with a huge hotel and lots of open-air bars. Västra stranden is a horseshoe-shaped beach in a developed harbour area, perfect for swimming, windsurfing and dog-walking. Finally, there is Östra stranden, located about 5 kilometres from the centre of Halmstad. It has shallow waters and so is perfect for children and is well equipped with services and a playground.