Marstrand (Marstrandson-Koon Island, Sweden)

Marstrand is a port town in Sweden's Bohuslan Province (Vastra Gotaland County's Kungalv Municipality). The town is on Marstrandson Island, which itself is a very popular seaside resort destination for domestic tourism as well as a renowned sailboating/yachting destination. The island has total area approx 0,9 km2 (0,34 mi2) and population around 1,400.

As cruise port, Marstrand is visited by smaller-sized luxury ships and superyachts. The vessel usually anchors near the harbor area and passengers are transported to the marinas via tender boats or Zodiacs (RIB speed boats).

Port Marstrand (locode SEMSD, 1775-established as "Porto Franco"/free port) was initially an autonomous territory/merchant republic declared by Gustav III (1746-92, King of Sweden between 1771-92). Quickly developing into a hub for shipping trade, the territory attracted many European noblemen and high-ranking officers, as well as exiled aristocrats and political dissidents, and wanted fugitives and criminals. Marstrand's Free Port status was revoked in 1794.

Annually, Marstrand hosts the Match Cup Sweden (sailing regatta) which is part of WMRT-World Match Racing Tour (fka Swedish Match Tour) - a sailboating championship participated by world-class international sailors and teams. The town has three separate docks - Marstrands Gasthamn (yacht port/Marina), Marstrand Hamn (yacht marina and cruise port) and Marstrands Marina & Varv (recreational complex with boat repairing docks managed by Marstrands Dyk & Skeppshandel AB).

Via three neighboring islands to the east (Koon-Inston-Nordon), Marstrandson is bridge-linked to mainland Sweden (Tjuvkil). The best-known attraction is the Carlsten Fortress (17th-century castle). The village received town status in the 13th-century and free-port status in the late-18th-century. In 1971, Marstrand Island and the surrounding small isles were merged into the new Kungalv Municipality (1971-formed) which is bordered by four kommuner/municipalities - Goteborgs (south), Stenungsunds (north), Ale (east), Lilla Edets (northeast).