Avenyn ( en, The Avenue; formally Kungsportsavenyen, (en. "Kingsgate Avenue")) is the main
boulevard
A boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, or in parts of North America, any urban highway.
Boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former city walls.
In American usage, boulevards may ...
of
Gothenburg
Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...
, Sweden. Designed in the mid 19th century as the first middle-class residential district outside the bastions of the fortified heart of the city, the design of Avenyn was inspired by established formal European streets like the
Champs-Élysées
The Avenue des Champs-Élysées (, ; ) is an avenue in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, long and wide, running between the Place de la Concorde in the east and the Place Charles de Gaulle in the west, where the Arc de Triomphe is lo ...
in Paris and the
Ringstraße
The Vienna Ring Road (german: Ringstraße, lit. ''ring road'') is a 5.3 km (3.3 mi) circular grand boulevard that serves as a ring road around the historic Innere Stadt (Inner Town) district of Vienna, Austria. The road is located on sites where ...
in Vienna.
The layout is as a result of an international
town planning
Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...
competition.
With a total length of about 1000 meters, it stretches from
Vallgraven ("The
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive ...
") at the edge of the oldest part of Gothenburg, and ends at the
Götaplatsen
Götaplatsen is a public square in Gothenburg, Sweden, at the southern end of Avenyn, the city's main boulevard. The square was inaugurated when Gothenburg held a major international industrial exhibition, 1923, celebrating the city's 300th anniv ...
square, where the
Gothenburg Museum of Art
Gothenburg Museum of Art ( sv, Göteborgs konstmuseum) is located at Götaplatsen in Gothenburg, Sweden.
It claims to be the third largest art museum in Sweden by size of its collection.
Collections
The museum holds the world's finest collect ...
and other prime cultural institutions are located.
At Vallgraven, it connects to the narrower street ''Östra Hamngatan'' (formerly a canal), and the Avenue takes its it full name after ''Kungsporten'', the "King's Gate", which was located at the point in the fortifications where Östra Hamngatan ends (see
Kungsportsplatsen
Kungsportsplatsen is a square in the city centre of Gothenburg, Sweden. The square was constructed in 1852 and got its name after the (the name literally means, King's Gate Place). The gate was the main entrance to the fortified city, which was ...
). The gate and the rest of the fortifications were demolished in the 19th century and replaced by a park.
Initially a residential street for the wealthy businessmen of the city, Avenyn passes the ''
Stora teatern'', the
Neo-Renaissance
Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range o ...
theatre and opera building from 1859, and today has a major concentration of pubs, clubs and restaurants.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kungsportsavenyn
1860s establishments in Sweden
Avenues (landscape)
Shopping districts and streets in Sweden
Streets in Gothenburg
Urban planning in Sweden
Tourist attractions in Gothenburg
Avenyn