Varberg () is a locality and the seat of Varberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 35,782 inhabitants in 2019. Varberg and all of Halland are well known for their "typical west coast" sandy beaches. In Varberg the coast changes from wide sandy beaches to rocky terrain that continues north into the Bohuslän archipelago and as far as the North Cape. Geography Varberg is located along the Swedish west coast and is a popular beach and surfing destination in both Sweden and Europe. It has a main landmark in the large Fortress and Castle of Varberg, through centuries many wars between Denmark and Sweden was fought here before Southern Sweden, including Varberg became permanently Swedish in 1658 through the Treaty of Roskilde. It is a small town with architecture mainly from the turn of the century and have several green parks such as the Society Park (Societetsparken) and the English Park. The green parks was however not always there, in fact in the 19th century the town was largely without trees and green areas, in its place was bald rocks and sand. The Swedish authoritative author and bishop Esaias Tegnér described it in 1826 as the least appealing place in Sweden, which has later been used in the marketing of Varberg. Today this have changed and its sandy beaches is a popular destination. Another main factor in Varberg is its natural surroundings. The landscape further inland has rolling hills with lakes and forests in contrast to the flatter coastal areas. Climate Varberg has an oceanic climate that although moderate by Swedish standards, still retains quite large seasonal variation. Summers are in general cooler than both in Halmstad and Gothenburg, with highs being moderated by the marine airflow. Although this moderation occurs, some summer days can be very warm, and some winter nights see severe frosts. The highest recorded temperature since 1901 is 33.6°C (92.5°F) on July 31, 2018 and the lowest is -25.5°C (-13.9°F) in January 1942. History A fortress called Varberg (at that time written Wardbergh, "watch hill") was erected in the 1280s as part of a chain of military establishments along the coast, in what was then Danish territory. In the middle of the 14th century, the old settlement "Getakärr" north of the fortress took its new name from the fortress. The town was moved northwards around the year 1400. It was destroyed during the Kalmar War (1611-1612) and