This little fishing village became the central town on Österlen and this is where vikings, such as Sigurd Jorslafare, fought for power in the 12th century om makten på 1100-talet. St Nicolai church is mentioned for the first time in 1161. The church is still standing today. During its time as a Danish town, Simrishamn was important because of its connections with island Bornholm. In the 19th century the port became an important source of income for the city. Today it's tourism, as well as fishing, farming and small industry, that is the city's financial backbone. The Municipality of Simrishamn has a population of 19 000 people.