
Kungsbacka
'Kungsbacka' is a town in
Halland County in southwest
Sweden, and the seat of
Kungsbacka Municipality. The town has 17,784 inhabitants (2005), which is a minor part of the total municipal population of 71,000.
It is one of the most affluent parts of Sweden, in part due to its simultaneous proximity to stunning countryside and the large city of
Gothenburg.
The first records referring to Kungsbacka as a town date from the 15th century, when it was part of
Denmark. By the time it was recognised as part of Sweden (
1658), the river running through the town (pictured), on which some transportation of goods took place had almost overgrown, and despite pleas to restore its function, this did not occur. Some trade still took place from the coast, but the town's signifiance as a place of naval commerce lessened over the centuries. Today, it is however the home of over 2,000 businesses, and the river is still running through it.
An infamous fire in
1846 did however destroy the town centre, sparing only a little red wooden hut which is still standing today. In late
2006 another major fire affected the town centre, and construction works are currently ongoing to restore the loss of the wooden buildings.
External links
★
Kungsbacka Municipality - Official site