SWEDEN 500 years, Gothenburg 400 years and King Carl the XVI Gustav 50 years on the throne!

This year it’s already 500 years since Gustav Vasa saved the Swedes from the tyrannical Danes. Gustav Vasa is probably the King we know the most about. He formed Sweden with a steady hand and he got recognised for being the “people’s king”, and he made Sweden rich. This is how Gustav Vasa saw himself, but it’s not quite correct.

The truth is more that he was a very insecure king, suspicious and greedy. When his time was out, he had become the richest man in Sweden.

He owned more than 5000 mansions, the biggest property owner and shipowner. He built his whole power on the nobility. He sent more Swedes to execution than Kristian Tyrann (Christian Tyrant of Denmark) did during Stockholm’s blood bath in 1520.

This year, the well-known Swedish historian Herman Lindqvist has released his 69s book “Why just him” telling the story about Gustav Vasa, who despite all his bad sides, managed to stay on the Swedish throne during more years than any other king. Due to Herman Lindvist, the reason is that Gustav Vasa at that time was the right man at the right place. Gustav Vasa built the ground for the free, rich and centrally controlled and cohesive hereditary kingdom of Sweden with recognized boundaries, a fleet, an army and a Swedish church.

He was a hard man, but at the same time a dedicated father to his 9 children. He is worth celebrating if we shall believe Herman Lindqvist.

Throughout 2023, Sweden is going to celebrate Gustav Vasa’s 500 years anniversary. Gustav Vasa’s 3 sons, Erik, Johan and Karl were all Swedish Kings, but there were also 5 daughters, who were very popular on the marriage market. It’s due to the daughter’s marriages in Europe and their descendants, that the family Bernadotte today is related to Gustav Vasa.

We are not only celebrating Gustav Vasa this year, but also our current King Carl the XVI Gustav , who has been on the throne for 50 years.

King Carl Gustav and his wife Queen Silvia, are visiting all the 21 counties, not to be confused with Sweden’s 25 landscapes, during this year. The biggest regions are Stockholm/Gotland, Västra Götaland and Skåne and the rest of the country is divided into 18 smaller counties.

It was probably a little special for our Royal Couple to visit the West coast and Gothenburg, Sweden’s second biggest city, as Gothenburg this year celebrates 402 years anniversary. It should have been a celebration already 2 years ago, but as we all know, the covid pandemic came and put an end to it.

Gothenburg has done quite much to make the city more attractive and welcoming. The King and Queen were in Gothenburg on Sunday the 4th June and they were taken in a horse carriage from Götaplatsen along the Avenue (Kungsportsavenyn) to Gustav Adolfs Torg there King Carl Gustav held a speech. In the afternoon, the new Jubileumsparken (the Anniversary Park) was inaugurated, as well as the new Harbor open air pool.

Gothenburg’s skyline has changed the last 4 years, 5 out of 7 buildings didn’t exist 4 years ago. Karlatornet (the Karla Tower) is today the tallest building in the North, Läppsticket (the Lipstick) was inaugurated in1989 and is 86 meter tall, Gårda Vesta, ready in 2021, 2 towers 97 meters. Gothia East Tower is a 100 meter, 3 towers connected with each other and the East tower was ready in 2015.

Hotell Draken (Hotel the Dragon) 104 meters, is built by the Norwegian, Petter Stordalen, who owns more hotels in Sweden and this hotel by Järntoget (the Iron Square) is not quite ready yet. Kineum, 110 meters is the 3rd highest building and here you can swim in a pool on the top of Hotel Jacy’s. Close to Kineum you will find the144 meters Citygate, the highest inaugurated building in North, an office building.

The highest of these mentioned buildings is the Karlatornet with its 242 meters, and it’s not 100 % ready yet, but when finished, it will be 246 meters. Here you will find a hotel, apartments, offices and restaurants.

There are also 2 important birthdays within the Royal Family this year, Prince Daniel will turn 50 on September the 15th, the same date the Crown prince Carl Gustav became King. Queen Silvia will reach the respectful age of 80 on December the 23rd.