Overview

Gothenburg is a charming city with a beautiful spread of gardens and historic buildings. Gotaplatsen Square is the centrepiece of the city, home to the art museum and a great view over Avenyn. Favourite historic attractions include Masthuggskyrkan Church and Queen Christina's Hunting Lodge. Visitors in search of an escape can retreat to the botanical gardens or Slottskogen Park.

Gotaplatsen Square

The centrepiece of Gotaplatsen Square is the statue of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. The square opened in the 1920s, and the statue was crafted in the next few years. Locals swear that if you take a picture of Poseidon, you'll ruin your chances of ever getting married. This area offers a nice view over Avenyn and is home to a range of cultural attractions including the art museum.

Masthuggskyrkan Church

The highlight of this church is its looming tower that can even be seen out at sea. In fact, emigrants bound for the Americas claimed it was the last Swedish site they could make out. The exterior of the church isn't particularly impressive, but the views from the tower are spectacular. Inside the acoustics are uncanny, with the slightest whisper lofting across the sanctuary. The church's architect blended Viking iconography with Christian symbols to create a unique atmosphere.

Queen's Hunting Lodge

Queen Christina occasionally set out from Stockholm and retreated to this rustic, stone lodge in the 1600s. The architecture is grand and firmly rooted in the old world. Inside is a collection of period antiques that are well worth the visit. The entire building was narrowly saved from demolition in 1971 by the local historical society, making it all the more precious to locals.

Gothenburg Botanical Gardens

Gothenburg's Botaniska Tradgarden hosts one of Europe's finest botanical collections. With 12,000 species of plant life, this is easily the largest botanical garden in Sweden. The indoor collection includes tropical species like orchids and insect-eating plants. A highlight of the gardens is a rare Easter Island tree. The rock garden, Japanese garden and rhododendron valley also rate well with visitors.

Slottskogen Park

This English garden is a beautiful natural haven located near the city's botanical gardens. It's popular place for a leisurely stroll or a family picnic, with a wide range of onsite facilities. A family of seals lives on a pond in the park and are fed daily at 14:00. There's also a zoo and a beautiful valley with dozens of azalea varieties in bloom. Cultural shows are regularly held in the park.

Art Museum

Gothenburg Konstmuseum is one of the city's finest cultural institutions. The only place where visitors will find a larger collection of Swedish art is in Stockholm. The museum boasts an impressive collection of Dutch, Spanish, Italian and Flemish art dating to the 16th century onwards. Works by van Gogh, Cézanne and Picasso headline the exhibits.

Museum of Arts and Crafts (Röhsska Konstslöjdmus

This museum takes visitors on a fascinating tour of international art forms. The scope is broad, covering a millennium's worth of art and artefacts that represent cultures across the world. Visitors will find delicate pieces of china, antique books, Japanese art and a range of wares and furnishings from old world Europe.

Museum of Gothenburg

Actually a collection of three museums, this facility is housed in the former East India Company headquarters that was built here in the 18th century. The company prospered for just over 50 years and then floundered in the early 1800s. Today, the building is divided into museums of archaeology, industry and history. The fascinating exhibits are eclectic and display everything from quirky antiques to medieval artefacts.

Overview

Gothenburg goes beyond traditional historic sites and museum-style attractions to offer visitors a range of indoor and outdoor activities. The Liseberg Amusement Park is a boon for the local tourism industry as it's the country's most visited attraction. Cruising the southern archipelago or kayaking across lakes and rivers are possible, while land lovers can follow many of the same tracks on bicycles. Festivals are held year-round, and tourists always have something worth attending.

Amusement park

An outing to Liseberg Park is a must for families with children and theme park enthusiasts. The park pulls in more than three million visitors every year, making it the most popular park in Sweden and the biggest in northern Europe. Inside, the Gasten Ghost Hotel is an enormous haunted house that's always busy. Other popular attractions include the HangOver roller coaster and a rocket launcher that fires brave passengers 200 feet into the air and ends with a freefall.

Cruises

Seafaring is a longstanding tradition in Gothenburg. A popular tourist activity is a cruise through the southern archipelago, possible onboard tourist boats or a public ferry. The latter is ticketed on the same system as trams and buses. Islands in the archipelago support local populations and tourist infrastructure. Private cars aren't allowed on the islands, adding to their rustic and relaxed feel.

Festivals

Timing your visit with a local festival is a great way to get the most out of your holiday experience. The local film festival draws 100,000 people every February and is the largest of its kind in Scandinavia. The Dance and Theatre Festival in August is the city's biggest annual event, with myriad staged performances. Late in the year, the Kulturnatta Festival offers tourists a variety of ways to engage in the local culture.

Cycling

The city's parks and green spaces are ideal for cyclists or even walkers. Dedicated cycling paths stretch across the city centre, especially through the growing Haga district where cyclists can take a break at any number of cafés. Heading out of town, cycling routes follow the river or sections of the coastline. Tourists can hire bicycles from their hotel or from various cycling shops in the city centre.

Leisure centres

Gothenburg's main leisure centre, Valhallabadet, hosts a range of activities that are perfect for rainy days. A total of 10 swimming pools operate here, ranging from a traditional Roman bath to an Olympic-sized lap pool. Onsite facilities also include a bowling alley, spa, restaurant and fitness centre.

Canoeing

Tourists can hire a canoe or kayak and tour the river, several lakes or portions of the North Sea. Outfitters along the river are within the city centre and offer the most convenient packages. It's possible to book guided tours or hire a boat by the hour or day and set out independently.

Dining and shopping

Gothenburg offers excellent dining and shopping options. Officially, the city takes the number-two seat to Stockholm when it comes to scope and variety, but continues to carve out a reputation for excellence. World-renowned chefs and artisans are at work in the city centre, sticking to prominent commercial zones like the Avenyn and Haga district. Prices are affordable, especially when it comes to dining out.

Gothenburg offers an impressive range of dining options, with nearly 600 restaurants operating in the metropolitan area. To make matters even more enticing, Sweden's ‘Chef of the Year' title has been awarded locally more times than not in the past 10 years. Diners can choose from sophisticated fine dining establishments, laid-back cafés and markets selling ready-made picnic fare.

Linnégatan and Haga districts are the city's up-and-coming dining areas, with affordable cafés and local restaurants. Avenyn is a well-established fine dining district where chefs who aspire to win the honour of next year's award craft innovative menus that blend old world culinary standards with cutting-edge techniques.

Several atmospheric restaurants are housed in charming manor houses or even castles, serving local fare in the perfect environment. Thorskogs Slott, Råda Manor and Läckö Castle are just a few of these establishments. The Feskekörkan fish market by the oceanfront is also atmospheric, with daily fresh catches sold from inside a 19th century building.

Fresh seafood is the trademark of Gothenburger cuisine. Creamy west soast salad blends shrimp, lobster and roe. This salad shows in a favourite local dish called the half special. The salad tops a hotdog and a bed of mashed potatoes to create the perfect cap for a late night out.

Gothenburg hosts a regular influx of visiting shoppers from the surrounding countryside, so tourists are in good company. Keep an eye out for shops with a blue and yellow sign posted out front. This indicates that merchandise in the store is tax-free.

Nordstan shopping mall (near Brunnsparken) serves as the city's primary shopping outlet and doubles as the largest shopping centre in the country. There are 150 shops inside, plus a range of dining and accommodation options. Next to Nodstan is Arkaden, a less prominent shopping centre that hosts trendy and upscale fashion boutiques.

Several popular boutiques are scattered across the Avenyn, a strip which has quickly become Gothenburg's most exclusive neighbourhood. Haga also supports a spread of boutiques, art galleries and antique shops that are housed in 19th century buildings.

Fredsgatan pedestrian mall is Sweden's longest, joining up with Kungsgatan to stretch nearly two miles. Victoria Passagen is similar, except that it's sheltered by an awning that keeps it viable in case of bad weather. The Victoria pedestrian mall is best known for handicrafts. Kronhusbodarna district hosts another spread of bohemian handicraft stores. Glassblowers, watchmakers, potters and smiths all make and sell their wares here.

Gothenburg operates an impressive number of outstanding restaurants. While diners may find greater variety in Sweden's capital city, Stockholm, they'll have trouble finding such a concentration of highly acclaimed establishments anywhere else in the country. Every budget is catered for, with the best bargains found in cosy eateries serving local and regional fare. Kock and Vin, Restaurant 28+, Sjömagasinet and Fond have all been awarded the Rouge Guide's coveted Michelin star.

Overview

Landvetter International Airport is the primary gateway into the region, though passengers can also arrive by bus or train from cities across Sweden and abroad. Ferries cross to neighbouring countries and also provide service up and down the coastline. Within the city, public transportation is coordinated by a world-class traffic planning system that can precisely predict arrivals and departures. A hire car is well suited for anyone planning sightseeing trips outside of town.

Airports

There are two airports serving Gothenburg. Landvetter is the official international gateway, with frequent flights to several European cities. Gothenburg City Airport is secondary to Landvetter but is a key player in the industry's no-frills market.

Gothenburg's Landvetter Airport sits 15 miles outside of the city centre and offers frequent connections to destinations across Europe. A roster of 30 airlines serves a total of five million passengers every year, securing this two-terminal facility's status as Sweden's second-largest airport. Airlines flying into the airport include Lufthansa, Finnair, Sterling and KLM.

Landvetter Airport is modern and offers travellers a range of facilities including numerous restaurants and bars, shopping outlets (including duty-free), several ATMs and business facilities. Transportation to city centre is possible aboard Flygbussarna buses and taxis.

Gothenburg City Airport is another option for travellers aboard domestic or low-cost flights. It's closer to the city (10 miles) and offers frequent connections to Dublin through Ryanair. With Ryanair came a host of no-frills carriers that put Gothenburg City Airport back into play.

Facilities at this secondary airport are sufficient. Passengers will find ATMs and banking facilities as well as a few shops, restaurants and an airport bar. City buses and taxis provide transport to the city centre.

Public transportation

It's also possible to access Gothenburg by rail via the Oslo-Copenhagen Express. The city's Centralstationen (near Nils Ericson Gate) serves Copenhagen, Helsingborg, Stockholm and Malmö. The trip to Stockholm is the most travelled, and the journey takes roughly 4 hours.

Buses to and from Gothenburg operate out of the bus terminal next to the train station. Swebus is the city's largest coach company and offers regular service to Malmö (3 hours, 30 minutes), Helsingborg (3 hours) and Stockholm (6 hours, 30 minutes) as well as to smaller towns in the region.

It's also possible to arrive in the city via ferry during the summer months. The Stena Line crosses to Germany and Denmark, with service originating from the ferry terminals near the city centre. The DFDS Torline offers limited service to and from Belgium and the UK.

Getting around the city is convenient given Gothenburg's excellent infrastructure. A tram network operates more than 200 cars on a total of 11 routes. Trams are precisely coordinated with the city's buses via the world's most advanced electronic traffic-planning system to provide transport over every inch of the city. The Goteborg Pass allows unlimited rides. Otherwise, tickets can be purchased from convenience stores or directly from the driver.

Taxis are well represented in the city, and prices vary considerably. The city is also outfitted with walking and cycling paths. Ferries provide short-haul service to harbours along the coastline.