Skansen Kronan, Gothenburg, Sweden

Skansen Kronan is a redoubt built in the later half of the 17th century according to the plans of Erik Dahlberg. Skansen Kronan was introduced in 1698 and was fitted with 23 guns. The roof was not completed until 1700. Skansen has 4-5 metre thick walls made of granite, gneiss and diabase. Skansen Kronan was never attacked and the cannons on the inside have never been used.

The fortress and the twin counterpart, Skansen Lejonet, were built as part of the defenses against possible Danish attack on Gothenburg from the south, and thus had a similar purpose as the Älvsborg Fortress.

The fortress - originally built outside the city walls - is today situated in the city centre of Gothenburg on a hill in the city district of Haga. It was used as a military museum until 2004. Today Skansen Kronan is a private facility for conferences and private parties.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Pj Dhaliwal (7 months ago)
Beautiful place with a top view of the city. It was very quite on a summer day of August. I would like to visit again.

Aya Allali (8 months ago)
Nice quite spot to view the city from above. Almost 360 view. However quite a climb

Shibin Iqbal (8 months ago)
If you love to see the top view of Gothenburg you have to come here. The view is awesome. You can have a small trekking while you climb up for the visit.

Lisa Miller (10 months ago)
Beautiful lookout Point and an easy walk up. Worth a visit! Great place to stop for lunch and have a picnic.

maxalex (11 months ago)
A little hill in the center where you have a great overview over the city. You can nearly look in every direction and for us it was well worth the visit. I like to look for the tiny little houses that are the city’s most beautiful.

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Heraclea Lyncestis

Heraclea Lyncestis was an ancient Greek city in Macedon, ruled later by the Romans. It was founded by Philip II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century BC. The city was named in honor of the mythological hero Heracles. The name Lynkestis originates from the name of the ancient kingdom, conquered by Philip, where the city was built.

Heraclea was a strategically important town during the Hellenistic period, as it was at the edge of Macedon"s border with Epirus to the west and Paeonia to the north, until the middle of the 2nd century BC, when the Romans conquered Macedon and destroyed its political power. The main Roman road in the area, Via Egnatia went through Heraclea, and Heraclea was an important stop. The prosperity of the city was maintained mainly due to this road.

The Roman emperor Hadrian built a theatre in the center of the town, on a hill, when many buildings in the Roman province of Macedonia were being restored. It began being used during the reign of Antoninus Pius. Inside the theatre there were three animal cages and in the western part a tunnel. The theatre went out of use during the late 4th century AD, when gladiator fights in the Roman Empire were banned, due to the spread of Christianity, the formulation of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the abandonment of, what was then perceived as, pagan rituals and entertainment.

Late Antiquity and Byzantine periods

In the early Byzantine period (4th to 6th centuries AD) Heraclea was an important episcopal centre. A small and a great basilica, the bishop"s residence, and a funerary basilica and the necropolis are some of the remains of this period. Three naves in the Great Basilica are covered with mosaics of very rich floral and figurative iconography; these well preserved mosaics are often regarded as fine examples of the early Christian art period.

The city was sacked by Ostrogoth/Visigoth forces, commanded by Theodoric the Great in 472 AD and again in 479 AD. It was restored in the late 5th and early 6th century. When an earthquake struck in 518 AD, the inhabitants of Heraclea gradually abandoned the city. Subsequently, at the eve of the 7th century, the Dragovites, a Slavic tribe pushed down from the north by the Avars, settled in the area. The last coin issue dates from ca. 585, which suggests that the city was finally captured by the Slavs. As result, in place of the deserted city theatre several huts were built.

The Episcopacy Residence was excavated between 1970 and 1975. The western part was discovered first and the southern side is near the town wall. The luxury rooms are located in the eastern part. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th rooms all have mosaic floors. Between the 3rd and 4th rooms there is a hole that led to the eastern entrance of the residence. The hole was purposefully created between the 4th and 6th century.

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