Ropewalk ( Karlskrona ) The Ropewalk ( ) is a building on the island of Lindholmen in southeastern Sweden . It is located within the naval base in Karlskrona . Dating from 1692 , the rope factory terminated production in 1960 but in 2006 , after renovation , it was opened to the public with exhibitions and demonstrations of ropemaking . With a length of some , the Ropewalk is Sweden ' s longest wooden building . History . Construction of the two - storey ropewalk began in November 1692 leading to the start of production the following year and reaching full capacity in 1696 . As Stockholm ' s rope factory had burnt down in 1676 , the Lindholmen factory was the country ' s only royal rope factory . By 1726 , there were 75 employees at the works , assisted each day by up to 250 hands from the naval base . From 1793 , thanks to Joseph Huddart ' s patented approach , it was possible to produce much stronger rope . But despite attempts by former naval officer Fredrik Henrik af Chapman to adopt the system in Karlskrona , the machine designed by one of his engineers proved a failure and it was not until 1832 that the Huddart approach was finally successful in Sweden . That same year , a steam engine was purchased to drive Lindholmen ' s equipment . Later in the 19th century , rails were laid for a traction engine and windows were added . In 1928 , electricity was introduced allowing new machinery to be installed . New tar houses were built in brick , and ropeway walls were built on the eastern and northern sides . Between 1946 and 1957 , all the machinery was replaced with a resulting increase in production enabled by the introduction of synthetic materials . Staffing was reduced until the final team consisted of just seven men . The last stretch of rope was produced on 30 December 1960 . Until 1960 , when production ceased , it was the only factory producing mooring ropes and cordage for the navy ' s warships although its products were also sold on the civilian market . Architecture and fittings . Constructed in 1692 – 93 , the Ropewalk is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Karlskrona and the longest wooden building in Sweden . Its length of some is explained by the need to manufacture long stretches of rope . Apart from the rendered brick and granite buildings housing the ropewalk machinery at either end of the two - storey structure , the facility is constructed of heavy timber with wooden panelling along the outer walls . The elaborately designed premises were also used for storing hemp and other raw materials . Restoration . The naval city of Karlskrona became a World Heritage Site in December 1998 as an exceptionally complete and well - preserved example of the naval bases of Europe which , with the navies they supported , played such an important political role over the centuries . Ropemaking was a thriving industry in Sweden at the beginning of the 20th century with some 100 ropewalks across the country . Only Westerberg in Norrköping still produces rope commercially . The Karlskrona Dockyard Society , VHFK , therefore considered it important to restore the Lindholmen ropewalk as a fully operative enterprise , functioning as it did during the first half of the 19th century . After renovations in the mid - 2000s , the Ropewalk re - opened to the public as a visitor attraction . It is open from May to October . Access to the site ( which is still part of the naval base ) is only possible in the form of guided tours , details of which can be obtained from the Tourist Information Centre . In addition to demonstrations of the art of ropemaking , there is a rope equipment exhibition , dating from the 18th , 19th and 20th centuries .