Karlstad

Karlstad, the capital of Värmland, is a port city at the mouth of the Klarälven River in Sweden. Karlstad has many attractions for visitors, plus many moderately priced restaurants and comfortable hotels. Because of its location, it has long been a center for trade and transport, and is a good starting point for many of the tourist routes of Värmland. A trading center called Thingwalla first stood on the site of the city, but in 1584 Duke Charles (later Sweden's King Charles IX) founded Karlstad. Here you can see Sweden's longest stone bridge, East Bridge, built in the 18th century. The oldest quarter, Almen, on Ålvgatan, was saved from a disastrous fire in 1865. You can visit this area today and see the old grammar school and the Bishop's house.