The Swedish Warship Vasa, is the world's best preserved 17th century ship. On her maiden voyage in 1628, the Vasa never made it out of the Stockholm harbor. A gust of wind caused the ship to tilt, and since its gunports were open, water poured into the ship, causing it to sink into the cold waters of the Stockholm harbor. Efforts to raise the ship were futile, and after the cannons were salvaged, the ship lie forgotten in the mud until it was discovered almost 400 years later in 1961 by an amateur marine archeologist.

The mighty vessel has come to symbolize Sweden's Great Power Period, when the nation became a major European power and controlled much of the Baltic. Though not the largest or most heavily armed ship of its time, the Vasa was formidable: The 226-foot, 64-cannon ship could fire a combined weight of more than 650 pounds of shot from one side. But the maritime pride of Sweden never saw battle – it was too top-heavy, and it capsized and sank after sailing less than a nautical mile.

After the Vasa was recovered it has been displayed in its own museum since 1990, attracting more than a million visitors per year.

NOTE - Correction - The King who commissioned the Vasa was Gustavus Adolphus (1594 – 1632), also known in English as Gustav II Adolf or Gustav II Adolph. He was the King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632, and is credited for the rise of Sweden as a great European power.

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