A trip to Scandinavia was one of my biggest dreams for as long as I can remember. I wanted to visit this region for a long time, but to be honest I never thought it would be Gothenburg. I was considering going on a city break to Stockholm, Oslo or Bergen, but Gothenburg? I didn’t know anything about the second-largest city in Sweden and I had no idea if it’s worth seeing or not, but exploring off the beaten path places is what I like most, and besides what would life be without surprises? This blog post is a travel guide to Gothenburg. You can find here a list of the 25 best things to see in Gothenburg and a list of top 10 things to do. There are also useful tips that help you organize your trip to this beautiful city in western Sweden.
Gothenburg – the second largest city in Sweden
Gothenburg, or as it’s known in Sweden, Göteborg, is the country’s second city after Stockholm with about 550,000 people. It’s situated in the southwest corner of Sweden on both sides of the river Göta Älv which feeds into Kattegatt, an arm of the North Sea. This location has helped Gothenburg grow in significance as a trading city. Nowadays the Port of Gothenburg is the largest one in the Nordic countries. Gothenburg is a lively city of events where are lot things to do. The city is famous for its beautiful Southern Archipelago, Volvo Museum and Liseberg, one of the best amusement parks in Europe, but there are many other places to see in Gothenburg.
Top 25 things to see in Gothenburg, Sweden
1. Gothenburg Southern Archipelago
2. Haga Nygata
3. Liseberg Amusement Park
4. Volvo Museum
5. The Poseidon statue at Götaplatsen
6. Avenyn – city’s main boulevard
7. ‘Lejontrappan’ – the steps by the canal Stora Hamkanalen
8. Feskekörka – ‘Fish Church’
9. Saluhallen – The Market Hall
10. Domkyrkan – Gothenburg Cathedral
11. Stora Teatern – Gothenburg City Theatre
12. The Swedish Ship Götheborg
13. Trädgårdsföreningen Park
14. Slottsskogen Park
15. The Gothenburg Botanical Garden
16. Lake Delsjön
17. Skansen Kronan
18. Järntorget Square
19. The Gothenburg Opera
20. Göteborg City Museum
21. The Universeum Science Centre
22. The Maritime Museum and Aquarium
23. The Gothenburg Museum of Art
24. Göteborg Natural History Museum
25. Röhsska Museum of Fashion, Design and Decorative Arts
How to get to Gothenburg from Landvetter Airport?
You can get to the center of Gothenburg (Nils Ericsson Terminal) from the airport by bus. The easiest way is to catch Flygbussarna shuttle bus which costs 85 SEK and arrives 3 times per hour. There is a possibility to buy tickets at the airport or in the ticket machine by the bus stop, but booking online is strongly reccomended (you can do it here). The cheaper alternative is Swebus which costs 59 SEK but not runs as often as Flygbussarna. You can ask for tickets at the Airport Information or book online here. In both cases, travel time is about 30 min.
Accommodation and public transport in Gothenburg, Sweden
Finding good accommodation in Gothenburg in reasonable price wasn’t as easy as we expected. Almost all of the rooms in hostels were sold out months before our arrival due to the Summerburst Festival, the Scandinavia’s premier contemporary music event that takes place every year at the end of May and attracts people from all over the world. It took us some time but finally, we found a free room in Gustav Bed & Kitchenette Hostel which was definitely a good choice. This place was very comfortable and had everything we needed. The host gave us some piece of advice about the best things to see and do in Gothenburg from the local point of view and I must say thanks to his tips we spent a wonderful time there. If you are looking for accommodation in Gothenburg, take a look at the map below. Maybe you will find something for yourself.
If you are looking for a place to stay in Gothenburg which is close to the city center, the best localization is between Central Station, Götaplatsen and Järntorget Square. The center of Gothenburg is quite compact and almost everything is within walking distance, which makes it easy to explore on foot, but if your hostel is located in a further part of town, there’s nothing to worry about because the public transportation works really well. You can buy a single ticket which is valid for trams, buses, and boats but the best deal is to purchase 3 days ticket or Göteborg City Card.
Top 10 things to do in Gothenburg, Sweden
1. Visit the Southern Gothenburg Archipelago for picturesque Scandinavian landscapes and typical Nordic architecture.
2. Have a coffee on Haga Nygata, a charming street lined with wooden houses, quaint cafes, and boutiques.
3. Take a walk around the Inner City: explore the pedestrian shopping streets, visit the ‘Fish Church’ Feskekörka, the Central Market Hall Saluhallen and watch the beautiful view from the stairs ‘Lejontrappan’.
4. Have some fun at Liseberg, one of the best amusement parks in Europe.
5. Explore local parks and gardens: visit beautiful Palm House in Trädgårdsföreningen, spread a picnic in the green oasis of Slottsskogen City Park or take a walk around the Gothenburg Botanical Garden.
6. Watch the panorama of Gothenburg from the fortress Skansen Kronan.
7. Walk along the city’s main boulevard Anenyn and reach Götaplatsen where you will find the famous Gothenburg’s Poseidon statue.
8. Step into one of Gothenburg’s many museums like the Volvo Museum, Göteborg City Museum, the Gothenburg Museum of Art or the Maritime Museum etc. and explore its fantastic collections.
9. Relax in the green area of lake Delsjön, a popular place for swimming and hiking close to the city center.
10. Take a ferry ride on the river Göta Älv from Lilla Bommen to Klippan and back, and enjoy the view of the city by sunset from the top deck.
Gothenburg – worth a visit or not?
To be honest with you we never had any big plans to visit Gothenburg and we were really surprised how wonderful this place turned out to be and how many great things to do is there. A big advantage is that this city is a bit off the beaten path and it is not crowded with tourists. That gives an opportunity to experience the real Sweden and watch the everyday life of local people.
Another great thing about Gothenburg is that there is a lot of green space. Parks, gardens, and canals are a natural part of the urban landscape and you don’t need to hunt long to find a perfect green oasis on the summer day. If you’re not sure whether you’d rather spend a weekend in the city or in the countryside, Gothenburg is an excellent choice, because you’ll find both beautiful architecture and nightlife here, as well as peaceful places where you can take a rest from the hustle and bustle of the city.
There is a beautiful garden Trädgårdsföreningen in the city center with the Palm House, a large picnic area of Slottsskogen City Park with the Children’s Zoo which is a home for moose and other typical Swedish animals, and the Botanical Garden – a great place for an afternoon walk, but the place that amazed us most was Gothenburg Southern Archipelago, a real Sweden’s hidden gem.
As I already mentioned before, the public transport in Gothenburg works very well and quaint blue trams are something that in my opinion adds a charm to the city. A great thing is that the tickets are also valid on boats, that gives you the opportunity to sail between islands of the archipelago and take a ferry ride on the river Göta Älv as many times as you want.
The charming architecture of Haga district was a thing that I liked too and my fiance was happy like a child when we visited the Volvo Museum. Last but not least, the laid-back atmosphere and friendly people were another advantages of this place. I must say that the Swedish we met were all very nice for us and helpful, that made us feel good there. This city break was a wonderful idea and we definitely would like to come back there one day. If you like authentic places unspoiled by tourism industry with interesting architecture and beautiful nature, you should visit Gothenburg too!
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Jak tam pięknie! Bardzo bym chciała tam pojechać <3
Szwecja jest piękna i zdecydowanie warta odwiedzenia. Bardzo chciałabym tam wrócić, bo spodobały mi się zwłaszcza wyspy i tamtejszy klimat 🙂
I love your blogs. It is so well set out, reader friendly and tourist/visitor friendly. Thanks for the info, now I want to visit this city too!
Thanks so much Mariana 🙂
Piękny kraj. Znam te miejsca bo sama wielokrotnie je odwiedzam.
Pozdrawiam. 🙂
To była moja pierwsza wizyta w Szwecji i chętnie bym tam wróciła. Jestem bardzo ciekawa dalekiej północy, hmm… może w przyszłym roku nam się uda tam dotrzeć. Póki co Goteborg też zrobił na nas całkiem fajne wrażenie, zwłaszcza archipelag :). Masz jakieś swoje ulubione miejsca o których tu nie napisałam?
Ahhh ta Skandynawia…. Można się zakochać od pierwszego wejrzenia. Na tych zdjęciach widać niezwykły klimat tego miasta. Szwecja jest genialna, warto zobaczyć … 🙂
Starałam się pokazać ten klimat poprzez moje zdjęcia i cieszę się, że w jakimś stopniu się udało :). Nam marzy się jeszcze daleka północ…
Scandinavia is great, so far I have visited only Norway, but Sweden is also in my wishlist;-).
To be honest I thought about Gothenburg as boring city, but it’s definatelly not. And You made amazing pics with this really great atmosphere 🙂
“Take a ferry ride on the river Göta Älv from Lilla Bommen to Klippan and back, and enjoy the view of the city by sunset from the top deck.” – sounds so romatnic! This one is my favourite 🙂
Oh, Gothenburg to moje marzenie, które ciągle się oddala. Kiedy już osiągnę zadowalający poziom szwedzkiego na pewno się tam wybiorę. Tak w ogóle, pomijając kwestie merytoryczne bardzo podoba mi się wizualny układ posta i dobór fot 🙂 ! Majstersztyk! 🙂
I’ve never been to Sweden, but i really want to! But not to Stockholm. I think i will also choose Gothenburg or the other smaller town.
Looks to be an very beautiful place. The pictures are attractive and impressive. Thanks for sharing.