The Swedish Navy of the 1600s was a military force to be reckoned with, and it dominated most of the Baltic Sea during the reign of King Gustavus Adolphus.
Ironically, their most prized ship, the Vasa, the glory of the Swedish fleet, sank just minutes after setting sail on her maiden voyage. Yet it was recovered from the bottom of the ocean 333 years later, in the mid-20th century, and restored, and today it remains one of the most well-preserved ships ever, from that era.
