Karlskrona is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden’s only baroque city and is host to Sweden’s only remaining naval base and the headquarters of the Swedish Coast Guard.
Housing
Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH) has no student accommodations and cannot make reservations for students. In order to find accommodation, you have to make an online application or send an email to the housing companies.
If you have not applied for housing before your arrival, you may have to stay a considerable time in a hostel before you can get a student room.
When you apply for an apartment, remember to check:
- How much to pay in rent
- What is included in the rent (internet, electricity etc.)
- If you are allowed to live together with friends
- If the apartment is furnished or not
BTH recommends all students individually purchase property insurance (hemförsäkring) from a Swedish or international insurance company. Personal property refers to your personal belongings that are not covered by any insurance at BTH, e.g. clothing, jewellery, bicycles, computers, cameras, etc.
Karlskronahem – here you will find everything related to the accommodation. You only pay 10 months’ rent. You are required to pay a deposit of 3000 SEK with a full month’s rent payment as in your contract. You will get the deposit amount back when you leave the apartment next year. This is the municipality’s landlord and trustworthy. You should notice Karlskronahem 3 months before you leave. For example, the notification period is the end of February if you are leaving in May. Otherwise, they will still charge you for another month. You can contact student@karlskronahem.se if you want to apply for accommodation. The application process is quite confusing, but it is much easier to do it by corresponding email.
You may check the following websites as possible offers from private landlords: Blocket, Hyrenbostad, Victoriapark, Bostadssurf.
Transportation
The local transportation is managed by “Blekingetrafiken”. They have a user-friendly mobile application. It is recommended to download the app and purchase tickets online. The monthly passes depend on the municipality and the zones. For example, in Karlskrona, a monthly pass costs 549 SEK for an adult for the 1st zone which actually covers all of the city centre (approximately 7-8km radius). There is a student discount of about 25%.
Moreover, there is a train connection which runs once every hour towards Malmo-Copenhagen, and Emmaboda (to reach the North and North-East parts of Sweden). Train tickets also can be bought through the Blekingetrafiken mobile app or ticket machine at train and bus stations.
Shopping
There are the following supermarkets/groceries:
- Hemköp
- City Gross
- ICA
- Willy’s
- Lidl
- Bergasa Livs (Arabic market, you can also find halal meat here)
- Sedra Livs (Arabic market, you can also find halal meat here)
Second-hand shopping is widely used and popular among people. The biggest second-hand shops are Pingstkyrkans Second Hand and Red Cross Second Hand Karlskrona.
You may also shop in the following shopping centres: City centre (especially Ronnebygatan street); Amiralen Mall (Lyckeby); Modehuset Kronan; Wachtmeister Galleria.
Köp Byt Och Sälj Karlskrona – here you can advertise gadgets, clothing technology and things you want to sell.
Life in Blekinge
Being a student is more than just studying. It’s also about friends and new experiences. As a student, you can take part in a lot of different social activities.
Both of BTH’s campuses are located by the sea, which creates a special atmosphere. On-campus there are of course lecture halls and libraries, but also restaurants and cafes, student housing, a students’ union, and the unique opportunity to swim in the sea; in other words – an inspiring study environment.
Karlskrona has an amazing environment – at the centre of the archipelago – where the proximity to the sea gives the opportunity for sailing, sea kayaking, scuba diving or fishing during the summer and long-distance ice skating or ice yacht sailing during the winter.
The city has a marine history, represented by the ubiquitous archipelago and various forms of naval activities. Karlskrona is considered to be so unique that UNESCO has placed the city on the World Heritage List. Comprehensive information about the city can be found on this webpage.
In Karlshamn there are plenty of charming pedestrian streets, shopping and cosy cafes, pubs, restaurants, as well as plenty of theatre and music. The focus of the business community here includes digital experiences and intelligent logistics. Several of the businesses within digital experimental were founded by former BTH students.
Water is a salient feature in Karlshamn. The city is located right by the sea and a chance to experience nature is never far away. A bit to the west is the river Mörrumsån offering opportunities for exciting salmon fishing, and the inlands offer southern Swedish deciduous forests interspersed with lakes and streams. Comprehensive information about the city can be found on this webpage.
Beaches: Dragso beach, Salto beach, Lango beach and Students beach (Bergasa).
Places to visit/see:
- Marine Museum (Karlskrona)
- Wämöparken (Karlskrona)
- Brunnsparken (Ronneby)
- Mörrums Kronolax fishing (Mörrum)
Gym and fitness center in Karlskrona:
- Wellness studio (at 2 locations – city center and Lyckeby)
- Lokomotion.
