Helsingborg is without a doubt one of the oldest cities in all of Sweden; it is located in a very strategic location at the Oresund strait which is the only shipping lanes for Germany, Russia, Poland, and the Baltic States. Due to this, it held a great economic and military importance, with whoever controlled it being able to make large amounts of money through taxation.
Despite the small size of Helsingborg, it is one of Sweden’s most culturally important city which has had to experience its fair share of battles which is why you are guaranteed an exciting trip to the city of Helsingborg, Sweden.
Population of Helsingborg.
Helsingborg is the 9th most populous city in Sweden, with only a small difference in population between Linkoping which is the 8th most populated city in Sweden as well as a difference of just a few thousand people between Helsingborg and the cities that happen to be behind it in Sweden’s population rankings.
The city of Helsingborg is home to a large community of Danish immigrants as well as people of Danish ancestry due to is being the closest Swedish city to Denmark as well as Helsingborg’s long history of being part of the Danish Kingdom before it was finally taken over by the Swedes in the mid-17th century.
Apart from a significant Danish community, Helsingborg is also home to thousands of Jews due to the city acting as a safe haven for Danish Jews that were escaping the advance of the Germans on Denmark with Sweden being a neutral country during the Second World War.
Notable People from Helsingborg.
A famous cultural Swedish figure from Helsingborg is singer Anette Olzon who has been part of a total of three bands during her long career, Alyson Avenue, Nightwish, and the most popular one The Dark Element. Olzon is one of the most successful female Swedish rock metal band members, with multiple hits in Sweden with her various bands and also a solo artist.
Furthermore, Oscar Olsson is another well-known person who is from Helsingborg, Olsson was a teacher who was born in 1877 and lived until 1950. He is best known as the founder of ‘Study Circles’ which is a teaching and discussing theory where small groups of people together discuss various topics which have been scientifically proven to be an effective way to teach people about complicated topics.
Additionally, Helsingborg is the birthplace of footballer Pontus Farnerud who has played for top teams such as Monaco, Strasbourg, and also Sporting CP.
History of Helsingborg.
The first permanent settlement of what is now the city of Helsingborg is believed to have been established in the year 1085 by Nordic tribes that spoke an Old Norse dialect which is a Germanic language that originated in Germany before being adopted in what is now Denmark and Norway and eventually Sweden.
From the 15th century until the 17th, this city was one of the most important possessions of the Danish crown which made majority of their money from charging levies and taxis on all trade that passed through the Oresund strait which is the easiest and quickest way to transport trade to nation-states in what is now Germany, Poland, Russia, the Baltic States and Eastern Scandinavia.
Unfortunately for the Danes, the city was eventually conquered by the Swedish armies in the 17th century, but this was not the last major battle that the city of Helsingborg saw with multiple attempts by the Danish forces to retake Helsingborg and the province of Scania that the city is located in.
Beaches of Helsingborg.
The beaches will further contribute to the exciting trip to the city of Helsingborg, Sweden, many people will be surprised that this city has beaches that are packed during the summer and also remain popular throughout the rest of the year due to the traditionally cold climate of the region that the city of Helsingborg is located in.
Admittedly, the Helsingborg beaches are not like the typical Spanish or Caribbean beaches with crystal clear waters and yellow sandy beaches; however, they do offer you an authentic Nordic experience.
You can sunbathe during the summer months on the beach and enjoy the cool relaxing breeze, if you want to go into the water for a swim or to surf then you can buy a bodysuit from one of the many shops in Helsingborg that sell such clothing which will allow you to stay warm in the water.
Culture of Helsingborg.
Helsingborg’s oldest theatre was built in the year 1877 due to the high demand in the city for entertainment that was becoming increasingly popular in other western countries such as Great Britain, France, and Prussia.
Arguably the modern cultural center of the city of Helsingborg is the Dunker Culture House or in Swedish, the Dunkers Kulturhus which is a huge building that is part museum, a part art center that promotes and supports all kinds of local artists from painters, musicians, and writers as well as being a location for live performances that are often broadcasted on Swedish television to millions of people.
Concerts are a very popular event in Helsingborg with all types of music being enjoyed by the locals of Helsingborg from opera music, jazz, rock, rap and pop music as well as traditional Swedish music. There are also multiple choirs located in Helsingborg that are made up of church congregations, different schools as well as social clubs.
Climate of Helsingborg.
This city is home to a fairly chilly climate, with an average temperature of 10.5 degrees Celsius with the hottest months of the year being June, July and August where the average temperatures are between 16.6 and 18.2 degrees Celsius.
While in the autumn, winter and spring months the temperature is much more monotone and is generally below 10 degrees Celsius dropping to an average of 5 degrees Celsius during December, January and also February.
Moreover, the climate of Helsingborg has been noted as lacking a meteorological timeframe which means that it does not follow the perceived and traditional weather patterns.
Where, for example, it will snow during the winter, and instead it can vary greatly making it hard to predict year to year what the temperature and the weather conditions are going to be.
Regardless, Helsingborg is home a temperamental climate that greatly shapes the society in the city, by making them more open to challenges and making the most of what they have.
The Architecture in Helsingborg.
An exciting trip to the city of Helsingborg, Sweden will be complemented by the unique architecture that is native to the city of Helsingborg, one such interesting features is that oldest buildings in the city are built around a castle that was built with the aim of making.
It is easy to defend the strategically key location, this castle happened to be located on a top of a hill which meant that many of the oldest buildings are built on a slope which provides for a very intriguing aesthetic.
During the mid-19th century Helsingborg experienced a construction boom that saw the majority of the timber buildings that made up the city being replaced by buildings that used stone and marble in their external architecture which is an architectural style heavily influenced by countries such as the Netherlands, France and Great Britain.
Helsingborg has experienced frequent constructions booms in the past two centuries, you will generally find the oldest buildings in the center of the city with the further out you go the newer the buildings on average.
Also read the article: Travel To The City Of Uppsala, Sweden
