Karlstad [ˈkɑːrlsta] is a city, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city had 61,685 inhabitants in 2010 out of a municipal total that at the end of 2012 was 86,929 inhabitants. Karlstad has a university and a cathedral.
Karlstad is built on the river delta where Sweden’s longest river, Klarälven, runs into Sweden’s largest lake, Vänern. It has the second largest lake port in the country after Västerås.
Karlstad is often associated with sunshine and the symbol for Karlstad is a smiling sun. Karlstad is reputed to be one of the sunniest towns in Sweden and a local waitress, known as „Sola i Karlstad“ (the Sun in Karlstad) for her sunny disposition, is also commemorated with a statue.
