Gothenburg is located in southwestern Sweden, on the banks of the Kattegat Strait. Its area reaches 450 km², and the number of inhabitants exceeds 570,000 people. The second largest city in Sweden attracts tourists not only with its rich historical past, breathtaking landscapes and majestic fortresses, but also with modern rock music, since it is Gothenburg that is the birthplace of the Swedish style Melodic Death Metal.
The city has a maritime climate: the winters are mild and warm – the temperature drops slightly below zero, and the summer is fresh and sunny – the air warms up to + 20 ℃. The best time for a tourist holiday in Gothenburg is from April to July, since it is at this time that the least rainfall and the most pleasant temperature falls here.
Interesting to know! Sweden is one of the most environmentally friendly countries in the world, which is confirmed by clean streets and a large number of parks, of which there are more than 10 in Gothenburg alone.
For many years, access to the Kattegat was a disputed territory of Denmark and Sweden. In the middle of the 13th century, these lands were taken over by the latter, and in 1605, by order of King Charles IX, Gothenburg was founded on this site. Already in 1611 the city will be completely destroyed by Danish troops and, after 8 years, moved to the place where it is now.
Until the 19th century, Gothenburg was strategically important for Sweden – the main fortresses were built here, the troops based, awaiting the attack of Denmark, were based. After the Napoleonic Wars, many defense structures were demolished, and Gothenburg turned into a trading city and an advanced port with rapidly developing metallurgy and mechanical engineering.
Historical fact! It was in Gothenburg that the residence of the Swedish East India Company was located, which was engaged in trade with the countries of the East.
Today, the headquarters of such well-known companies as Volvo, SKF and Victor Hasselblad AB are based in Gothenburg, hockey, football and figure skating championships are held, rock concerts and music festivals are organized.
What to see in Gothenburg and where to go with children? What sights are worth visiting in the first place and how much will it cost to relax in the largest metropolis in Sweden? The answers to all your questions are in this article.
One hundred seventy-five hectares of nature, beauty and tranquility – if you want to cheer yourself up or just enjoy the world around you, visit the Gothenburg Botanical Garden. Opened in 1923, today it annually attracts more than 500,000 tourists. Due to its enormous size, it is impossible to completely go around at a time, therefore, first of all, we suggest you take a walk through the most important sights of the garden:
- Park of stones. The holder of the three stars of the Green Michelin Guide will open before you the world of small plants, shrubs and ferns that live near swamps, rocks and waterfalls.
- Greenhouses of wild rhododendrons, in which special conditions are created for the content of more than 4,500 species of these unique plants.
- Japanese valley. Located next to the bamboo grove, it is a great place for spiritual and physical relaxation.
- Four greenhouses with different climates were built specifically for the cultivation of orchids, which today in the garden have more than 1,500 species.
- Conservation area and arboretum, with a total area of 135 hectares. Here you can have a picnic, enjoy the refreshing shade and look at Swedish animals with fresh air.
Advice! The best time to visit the greenhouses with orchids is March-April and September-October, since it is these periods that bloom them.
- The attraction is located on Carl Skottsbergs gata 22A;
- The Botanical Garden is open daily from 6 am to 11 pm;
- Entrance to Botaniska tradgard is voluntary. The standard amount of the donation that goes to maintain the attraction is 20 crowns (you can pay more or less);
- You can have picnics in the garden. In addition, there is free parking;
- The Botaniska tradgard card is sold at the entrance. To save money, download it in advance on the official website www.botaniska.se/en/;
- Several walking routes, upcoming events and garden news are constantly published in the Botaniska application, available for all smartphones;
- For information on how to get or get to the sights, see the appropriate section of the site.
- Gothenburg’s most beautiful photos are taken at Botaniska tradgard.
If you do not know where to go with your family or a large group of travelers, go to Slotskogen Park – the most universal attraction of Gothenburg and Sweden in general. It has everything: a contact zoo, the latest playground, picnic glades and green walkways, ponds, pools for fur seals and penguins, a cafe, a planetarium, soccer, volleyball, golf and more.
Founded in 1880 on the site of a huge forest, the city park covers an area of 137 hectares and is one of the largest in all of Sweden. Various large-scale events and exhibitions are held here annually, not only tourists, but also local residents from different parts of the city come here to rest. You can easily spend the whole day at this attraction.
Music lovers! The annual Out Way Festival is held in Słostkogen.
Read before visiting
- The park is located at 414 Slottskogspromenaden. It is open all year round, 24 hours a day;
- Entrance to playgrounds and zoos is free;
- Contact zoo and horseback riding are only available from April to September;
- You can find out about upcoming events, a detailed history and types of entertainment in the park on the official site of the attraction (www.goteborg.com/en/slottsskogen/).
The long and complex name hides one of Sweden’s most beautiful parks. Located in the heart of Gothenburg, it serves as a home for several thousand roses, conifers, various shrubs and exotic palm trees. About 10 greenhouses with various types of unique plants are located throughout its territory, unusual green sculptures surround its green alleys, children play at special venues, and tourists enjoy the scenery surrounding modern restaurants and cafes.
The Botanical Garden is located on Slussgatan 1. It is open daily from 7 to 20 from May to September, and the rest of the time until 18. The house with exotic palm trees is open from 10 to 16.
Entrance to the park is free. You can download the map of attractions with a route for travelers on the official website www.tradgardsforeningen.se.
Important! You cannot enter Gothenburg Garden with alcohol, dogs, or bicycles.
Want to know more about the Cold War period? To be inside the atomic bomb? Or see what happens when martial law is declared? All this and much more awaits you at the Gothenburg Air Museum, located in a cliff, on the site of an old military base.
The language of numbers! The museum was founded in 1995, since 2008 it is included in the list of objects of the Military Heritage of Sweden. The area of Aeroseum reaches 70,000 square meters, it is located at a depth of about 30 meters.
The value of this attraction lies in the atmosphere that is liked by both children and adults. Right from the entrance, visitors get to a real military facility, where you can touch everything you see, try on a pilot’s helmet and even sit at the controls of an airplane.
There is a special area for young travelers at the airport, adults and adolescents can try their hand at simulators, and those who are hungry can have a bite to eat in the local cafe. Please note that some exhibits are located on the street in the courtyard of the museum. Do not miss them!
- Address of interest – Holmvagen 100;
- Admission for adults is 100 CZK, children aged 4 to 16 years – 50 CZK. For 250 SEK you can buy a family ticket for two adults and two children under 16 years of age. Note! Prices may change during exhibitions and other events;
- The museum is open every day from June to August (from 11 to 18). From September to May, Monday is a day off, and on Tuesdays the museum is open until 21;
- The museum is always several degrees colder than the street;
- Simulator flights are paid extra;
- All conferences and events planned at the Air Museum can be found in the news section on the site of the attraction – www.aeroseum.se/.
One of the most famous sights of Sweden, which no tourist misses, is the Volvo Museum, opened in 1995 and dedicated to the development of mechanical engineering over the past 90 years.
Among the most interesting exhibits of the Volvo Museum in Gothenburg, it is worth highlighting the car from Lego, the first car of the company, as well as the car of the current King of Sweden. In addition, here are presented old yachts and trucks, here you can feel like a driver in one of the simulators or watch a film about the history of mechanical engineering, translated into more than 100 languages.
This attraction will be interesting not only for adults, but also for children, as many cars can be touched and even sit in them. In addition, the museum has a large gift shop where you can buy gifts for yourself and your friends.
Plan your visit:
- The attraction is located at 418 Arendals Skans;
- The Volvo Museum is open daily: on weekdays from 10 am to 5 pm, on weekends from 11 to 16;
- Entrance fee is 100 CZK for a full ticket, 50 SEK for visitors aged 16 to 19 years, 20 SEK for students. The family ticket is designed for parents and one child, the cost is 225 SEK.
- At the box office of the museum you can ask for an audio guide in Russian;
- More useful information on the site of the sights – www.volvomuseum.se/.
The Museum of Modern Art in Gothenburg holds the largest number of paintings in all of Northern Europe. The six-story building houses several hundred paintings by famous authors of French, Italian and Dutch origin, as well as works by Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Picasso. The central place in the museum is occupied by paintings and sculptures by contemporary artists, originally from Sweden, including Lina Selander and Charlotte Gyllenhammar.
Interesting fact! Many exhibits presented at the Goteborgs Konstmuseum were bought with local residents’ money.
More about the attraction
- Goteborgs Konstmuseum is located near the city theater, on Götaplatsen 6;
- The entrance to the museum is open every day except Monday. It opens at 11 and closes at 17 (Friday-Sunday), 18 (Tuesday and Thursday) or 20 hours (Wednesday);
- Admission price ranges from 60 CZK (museum only) to 100 CZK (+ temporary exhibition). Admission is free for travelers under 25 years old;
- The Swedish Museum of Modern Art regularly provides free guided tours in English. When and what time will be the next tour, you can find out on this site goteborgskonstmuseum.se/en/.
The beautiful and calm Haga district connects the city center and the observation deck. This favorite place for evening walks for all travelers was founded in the middle of the 17th century. Here, on small pedestrian streets, there are many shops and cafes, wooden houses and old churches. They often hold photo shoots and even make films,
Note! Pedestrian streets are not covered with asphalt, but with large bricks – improperly selected shoes can ruin the impression of the views of Gothenburg.
Gothenburg Cathedral is a striking example of the classical style that is characteristic of many architectural monuments in Sweden. White and magnificent outside, it remains just as beautiful inside. The interior of the church is striking: a gilded altar, marble pilasters, sculptures of angels and saints, placed in different corners of the main hall. Around the cathedral there is a small green park, and from its chapel (entrance costs 30 CZK) a panoramic view of the whole city opens.
Sometimes it happens! The modern cathedral is the third building built on this site, the first (1633 and 1736) were destroyed by fires.
The church is open daily: on weekdays from 10 to 18:30, on weekends from 10 to 16. The address of the attraction is Kyrkogatan 28. You can see the calendar of events that will be held in the cathedral here – www.svenskakyrkan.se/.
In total, there are about 40 hotels of various classes in Gothenburg, but it is most beneficial to settle in apartments. While in three- and four-star hotels the average cost of a double room reaches 130 €, you can rent a one-room apartment for two or three vacationers for only 50-60 € per day.
Going to cafes and restaurants is not the cheapest entertainment in Gothenburg. By price level, the city is not inferior to the capital of Sweden:
- lunch in an ordinary three-course cafe for two will cost 600 kroons,
- and the average cost of a meal in an inexpensive restaurant reaches 100 kroons.
The most expensive establishments are located in the city center. If you want to try delicious desserts or taste the best handmade chocolate, head to the streets of the Haga district. In general, there are a lot of cafes and restaurants in Gothenburg, they are not only on the streets and in shopping centers, but also on the territory of major attractions.
How to get to Gothenburg
Despite the fact that only 20 km from the city there is the second largest airport in Sweden – Gothenburg-Landvetter, it will not be possible to fly here directly from the CIS countries. In this case, getting to Gothenburg is most convenient via Stockholm (the distance between cities is 468 km), for this you can use:
- By bus. Every day from the central bus station (Stockholm Cityterminalen station, go to the Göteborg Nils Ericsonterminal stop), five cars from the FlixBus carrier depart in the given direction. Travel time is almost 7 hours, fare and bus schedules can be seen here – shop.flixbus.ru.
- By train Stockholm-Gothenburg, from Stockholm Central station. Tickets are a bit more expensive (from 335 to 780 crowns in a second-class carriage), but you can also get 60-90 minutes faster. Trains depart every day at two-hour intervals from 7:14 to 17:14. To find out the exact timetable and buy tickets, use the Swedish railway website – www.sj.se.
You can also get from Stockholm to Gothenburg by taxi, but such a trip will cost you 3,500 kroons. On intercity routes, this type of transport is not popular, as in Gothenburg and in Sweden, in general, rail and bus services are very developed.
Gothenburg and its attractions are Sweden’s real pride. Have a nice trip!
Video: This is how Gothenburg looks from the air.