Discover 35 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Gothenburg (Sweden). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Helix Roller Coaster, Volvo Museum, and Lisebergbanan. Also, be sure to include AtmosFear in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Gothenburg (Västra Götaland).
Table of Contents
Helix Roller Coaster
Also known as: Helix
Roller coaster in Gothenburg, Sweden. Helix is a steel roller coaster located at Liseberg in Gothenburg, Sweden. The ride, built by Mack Rides, features two linear synchronous motor launches and has a top speed of 100 km/h. It features a 41-metre-tall dual-launch helix. The ride opened on 26 April 2014, Liseberg's opening date for the 2014 season. Helix is the first roller coaster in the world that has a 1-on-1 replica virtual reality experience. This experience is created by ArchiVision, a Dutch 3D studio. During the first two weeks after the premiere visitors could experience the virtual reality replica next to the roller coaster's entrance.
The roller coaster's station building is located where the 3D cinema Maxxima used to be, by the foot of the tower AtmosFear. The 1,381-metre-long (4,531 ft) track follows the hillside in a custom-made track design. The elements during the ride include two corkscrews, a pretzel knot, a top hat, a zero-g roll, and a rare Norwegian loop. The estimated cost for the project is about 239,000,000 Swedish kronor.[1]
Address: Örgrytevägen 5, Gothenburg
Volvo Museum
Also known as: Volvo museum
Museum in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Volvo Museum is in Gothenburg, Sweden. It covers the development of Sweden's leading vehicle manufacturer Volvo, from the first ÖV 4 to the current cars, trucks, buses and other products. The museum also has displays of Volvo Aero and Volvo Penta products, and many other exhibits, including the joint desk of Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson from the pioneering years of the company.[2]
Address: Arendals Skans, 405 08 Gothenburg
Lisebergbanan
Roller coaster in Gothenburg, Sweden. Lisebergbanan is a steel roller coaster at the Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg, Sweden. It opened in 1987.
The ride's name literally means "Liseberg rail line" and the station is themed to a railway station. A themed restaurant was later opened under Lisebergbanan's station with a similar theme, allowing guests to dine inside replica freight and passenger carriage compartments. The ride has five trains consisting of 11 cars. Each car seats two riders and as such, the ride boasts a large guest throughput.[3]
Address: Örgrytevägen 5, 412 51 Göteborg
AtmosFear
Also known as: Atmosfear
Amusement park ride in Gothenburg, Sweden. AtmosFear is a 116-metre-tall drop tower located in Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg, Sweden, and is the second tallest drop tower in Europe. AtmosFear is designed by Intamin and drops riders from a height of 90 metres.[4]
Address: Örgrytevägen 5, 412 51 Göteborg
Stora Teatern
Stora Teatern is a musical theater in the Lorensberg district of Gothenburg, Sweden. Inaugurated in 1859, it is situated in Kungsparken park south of Kungsportsplatsen.
It was originally founded to replace the Segerlindska teatern, and as such was known as Nya Theatern ('New Theatre') until 1880. The thirty-meter-high theater was inaugurated on September 15, 1859. During the first 60 years, this was mainly a dramatic theater featuring opera and operetta. In 1916, Stora Teatern became primarily a lyrical theater.[5]
Address: Kungsparken 1, 411 36 Göteborg
Kanonen
Roller coaster in Gothenburg, Sweden. Matugani is a steel roller coaster that will open at Lost Island Theme Park in Waterloo, Iowa in 2022. It originally opened at Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2005 as Kanonen. Built by Intamin, the ride features a hydraulic launch. The tightly packed layout is the result of a limited area to house the ride. On 30 December 2016, Kanonen closed permanently and was replaced by Valkyria, a Bolliger & Mabillard dive coaster.[6]
Address: Örgrytevägen 5, 412 51 Göteborg
Lilla Bommen Building
Also known as: Lilla Bommen
Building in Gothenburg, Sweden. Lilla Bommen, popularly referred to as The Lipstick, is an 86 m high post-modern high-rise with 22 floors in the Lilla Bommen district of central Gothenburg, Sweden. It is commonly referred to by people from Gothenburg as Läppstiftet, Skanskaskrapan, Vattenståndet or Legohuset, although the official name is simply Lilla Bommen after its location.
Skanskaskrapan was designed by Ralph Erskine in cooperation with White Architects and built by Skanska in the late 1980s, led by Gösta Backmark.
The building was completed in 1989, and has 27,596 m2 (297,040 sq ft) of office space, 2,501 m2 (26,920 sq ft) of shopping space and 1,528 m2 (16,450 sq ft) for other functions. Owned by the Vasakronan real estate company, it is possible to take an elevator to the top floor viewpoint GötheborgsUtkiken (The Gothenburg Lookout), which has a good view of the city.[7]
Address: Lilla Bommen, Gothenburg
Botaniska Trädgården
Also known as: Göteborgs botaniska trädgård
Sizable botanical garden. The Gothenburg Botanical Garden is located in Gothenburg, Sweden, and is one of the larger botanical gardens in Europe.[8]
Address: Carl skottsbergs gata 22A, 413 19 Göteborg
Balder Roller Coaster
Also known as: Balder
Roller coaster in Gothenburg, Sweden. Balder is a wooden roller coaster at the Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg, Sweden. It opened in 2003 and was an instant success. Balder has twice, 2003 and 2005, been voted Best Wooden Tracked Roller Coaster in the world in a major international poll.
Balder is very different from a traditional wooden roller coaster because it is a prefabricated wooden roller coaster. This means that instead of trackers cutting, shaping, and laying down the track on site by hand, the track is laser cut in a factory. This means that the track is manufactured to a higher degree of precision than could ever be achieved by hand. The track is also made so that it snaps together like Lego pieces. The track also is made of more layers of wood that are tightly bonded together instead of nailed together by hand like a traditional wooden roller coaster. This has three major benefits, two being to the park and the other being to the riders.
The "Plug and Play" aspect of the coaster speeds construction of the coaster since track does not have to be completely manufactured on site. In addition, because of the speed of construction, the costs of building the coaster are lowered due to less man-hours spent on the construction. The riders benefit from a coaster, that while being wooden, is near steel smooth. However, some roller coaster enthusiasts may find that aspect to take away from the ride since it would not have the same character as a traditional wooden roller coaster. Balder is praised by many roller coaster enthusiasts around the world, and is said to be one of the best roller coasters in Europe. Three other prefabricated wooden roller coasters currently exist, Colossos at Heide Park, El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure, and T Express in Everland.[9]
Address: Örgrytevägen 5, 412 51 Göteborg
Gunnebo House
Also known as: Gunnebo slott
Country mansion with gardens. Gunnebo House is a mansion located outside Gothenburg, in Mölndal Municipality, Sweden.[10]
Address: Christina Halls väg, 431 36 Mölndal
Feskekôrka
Tourist attraction in Gothenburg, Sweden. Feskekörka is an indoor fish market in Gothenburg, Sweden, which got its name from the building's resemblance to a Neo-gothic church. It opened on 1 November 1874, and was drawn by the city architect Victor von Gegerfelt. Feskekörka is an institution in Gothenburg as well as a tourist magnet, housing one of the city's oldest trades, fishing.
Apart from a fish market, there is also a fish- and seafood restaurant in the building.[11]
Address: Fisktorget 4, 411 20 Göteborg
The Göteborg Opera
Also known as: Göteborgsoperan
Modernist opera house and on-site dining. The Gothenburg opera house is an opera house at Lilla Bommen in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Artistic Director for opera is Henning Ruhe since 2019, while Katrín Hall leads the ballet and dance company.[12]
Älvsborg Fortress
Also known as: Nya Älvsborg
17th-century fortress on an island. Älvsborg Fortress, with its main facility Oscar II's Fort built 1899–1907, is a now-defunct Swedish fortification located at the mouth of the Göta River in the Älvsborg district of Gothenburg, Sweden.[13]
Address: Nya Älvsborgs Fästning, 413 01 Göteborg, Gothenburg
Gothenburg Museum of Art
Also known as: Göteborgs konstmuseum
Prominent art museum with famous works. Gothenburg Museum of Art is located at Götaplatsen in Gothenburg, Sweden. It claims to be the third largest art museum in Sweden by size of its collection.[14]
Address: Gotaplatsen / Avenyn, 41256 Gothenburg
Skansen Kronan
Hillside fortress and conference center. Skansen Kronan is a redoubt on the hill Risåsberget, in the Haga district of Gothenburg, Sweden.
The fortress and its twin, Skansen Lejonet, were built to protect the city of Gothenburg against possible Danish attack, and thus had a similar purpose to the sea fort of New Älvsborg, which was built around the same time.[15]
Address: Leijonsparresväg 10c / Skansberget, Gothenburg
Göteborg City Museum
Also known as: Göteborgs stadsmuseum
City museum in an old shipping warehouse. The Museum of Gothenburg is a local history museum located in the city centre of Gothenburg in western Sweden. It is located in the East India House, originally built as the Swedish East India Company offices in 1762. The city museum was established in 1861.
The City Museum is a cultural history museum. It displays Gothenburg and West Sweden's history, from the Viking Age to the present day. There is a permanent exhibition about the Swedish East India Company.[16]
Address: Norra Hamngatan 12, 411 14 Göteborg
Brunnsparken
City park in Gothenburg, Sweden. Brunnsparken is a central square in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is located between Nordstan and Arkaden, and between two of Gothenburg's oldest streets, Norra Hamngatan and Södra Hamngatan. With its central location "Inom Vallgraven" and with numerous shopping centres it is a popular meeting place in Gothenburg.[17]
Älvsborg
Älvsborg is an urban district of Gothenburg in Sweden.
Älvsborg is a coastal district situated in western Gothenburg at the mouth of the Rivö Fjord and comprise 1,210 hectares. The Älvsborg Bridge connects the southern and northern parts of Gothenburg.[18]
Address: 6 Hagens Kapellväg, Gothenburg
Universeum
Vast science center with rainforest zone. Universeum is a public science centre and museum in Gothenburg, Sweden that opened in 2001. It is a part of Evenemangsstråket, the thoroughfare of events – close to Korsvägen and Skånegatan – which includes sights of interest like Scandinavium, Ullevi, Svenska Mässan, Liseberg and the Museum of World Culture.
Universeum is divided into six sections, each containing experiment workshops and a collection of reptiles, fish and insects. Universeum occasionally gives Swedish secondary school students a chance to debate with Nobel prize-winners and professors.[19]
Address: Södra Vägen 50, 412 54 Göteborg
Scandinavium
Arena in Gothenburg, Sweden. Scandinavium is an indoor arena located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Construction on Scandinavium began in 1969 after decades of setbacks, and was inaugurated on 18 May 1971.
Scandinavium has been selected as a championship arena at least fifty times, hosting events such as World Championships in handball and ice hockey, European championships, Davis Cup finals, and in 1985 the Eurovision Song Contest. Scandinavium is the home arena for Frölunda HC of Swedish Hockey League, Redbergslids IK of Handbollsligan, and venue for the annual Göteborg Horse Show.[20]
Address: Valhallagatan 1, 412 51 Gothenburg
Gustaf Adolfs torg
Gustaf Adolfs torg is a town square located in central Gothenburg, Sweden. It was named Stortorget until 1854 when a statue of the founding father of Gothenburg, king Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden was raised. Surrounding the square are the city hall, including the law court extension, the bourse, and the main harbour canal of Gothenburg.[21]
Address: Gustav Adolfs Torg, 41110 Gothenburg
Masthuggskyrkan
Landmark hilltop church with city views. Masthugget Church in Gothenburg, Sweden, was built in 1914. Its position on a high hill close to the city and near the Göta älv makes it a striking sight – the church tower is 60 m high in itself. The church represents the National Romantic style in Nordic architecture and was designed by Sigfrid Ericson. The church, which has become one of the symbols of Gothenburg, is a popular tourist attraction.[22]
Address: 15 Storebackegatan, 413 18 Gothenburg
Ramberget
Mountain in Sweden. Ramberget is a mountain on Hisingen island in Gothenburg, Sweden. The surrounding area and park is called Keillers Park. Ramberget is a popular tourist attraction and a place for outdoor recreation for Gothenburg residents, with walking paths, lookouts over the city of Gothenburg and artworks. Ramberget is with its highest point 87 metres above sea level, with a lower second point called Ättestupan. There is a road for cars going to the top of Ramberget. The park is about 31 hectares.
Ramberget got its characteristic shape already during the Ice Age 12,000 years ago. The northeast slope is flat while the south side has a higher cliff that is clearly visible from the river. The ice sheet has left traces both in the rock faces and through boulders in the area. Ramberget got its name of the old Swedish word "ram" which means raven. Ravens are still nesting on Ramberget. Until the early 1800s, when it wood was still widely used as fuel, there were no trees on Ramberget which instead was covered with heather, later replanting made the wood grow back and today there is a lush vegetation of beech, larch, pine and oaks. Most of the north shore of the river, including the area around Ramberget, was owned in the early 1900s by the Keiller family. Alexander Keiller, who came to Gothenburg from Scotland, had in the 1840s started a mechanical workshop that would later evolve into shipbuilding group Götaverken. During the recession of the 1860s, however, the company went into bankruptcy and after reorganization was Alexander's son James Keiller new manager. After some setbacks, including a severe fire in 1898, so James decided to pull back from the shops. 1906, he sold almost all of the business and in the same time he donated the area around Ramberget to the city, with the condition that the area would be used and remain a natural park. The deed of gift is that only buildings that are "for the park's care or the visiting public homelike" may be erected, with the exception of water reservoirs.
Keiller Park was designed in a National Romantic style, partly by Eugen Thorburn who also designed Kungsportsbron in central Gothenburg. The park was inaugurated Oct. 3, 1908.
The Göteborg Mosque is located at the foot of Ramberget.[23]
German Church
Also known as: Tyska kyrkan, Göteborg
Church in Gothenburg, Sweden. The German Church, also called Christinae Church, is church located in the city centre of Gothenburg, Sweden. Named after Queen Christina, it was inaugurated in 1748, and used by the German and Dutch congregation in Gothenburg.[24]
Address: Norra Hamngatan 16, Gothenburg
Gothenburg Cathedral
Also known as: Göteborgs domkyrka
Cathedral hosting concerts and recitals. Gothenburg Cathedral is a cathedral in Gothenburg, the second largest city in Sweden. It is the seat of the bishop of the diocese of Gothenburg in the Church of Sweden.[25]
Address: Kyrkogatan 28, 411 15 Göteborg
Älvsborg Bridge
Also known as: Älvsborgsbron
Suspension bridge in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Älvsborg Bridge is a suspension bridge over Göta älv in Gothenburg, Sweden, connecting the island of Hisingen with the mainland. It was built in 1966 and designed by Sven Olof Asplund. The total length of the bridge is 933 metres and the distance between the pylons is 417 metres, while the clearance below the deck is 45 metres. Said pylons are 107 metres tall, making the bridge one of Gothenburg's most prominent landmarks. It takes its name from the mediaeval castle of Old Älvsborg, the ruins of which are located just a couple of hundred metres along the riverbank from the southern pylon.
The bridge was painted green for the 1995 World Championships in Athletics which Gothenburg hosted. Work started in 1993 and used about 36,000 litres of paint.
The bridge acted as the finish line for the 2005–06 Volvo Ocean Race.[26]
Address: Rv 159, Gothenburg
Korsvägen
Korsvägen is a public square and transport hub in the events district of Gothenburg, Sweden. Many important event venues and visitor attractions are located on or near Korsvägen, including the Swedish Exhibition and Congress Centre and Gothia Towers hotel, the Universeum science centre, the Museum of World Culture, Scandinavium and the amusement park Liseberg.
Major infrastructure work was carried out during the 1990s. Korsvägen is the hub of popular culture and events in Gothenburg in the same way as Götaplatsen is the cultural hub.[27]
Maritiman
Also known as: Göteborgs Maritima Centrum
Maritime museum with a fleet of ships. Maritiman is a floating maritime museum on the Göta Älv, in Gothenburg, Sweden. The museum's collection comprises 19 vessels, the oldest being HSwMS Sölve from 1875.[28]
Address: 12 Packhusplatsen, 411 13 Gothenburg
Oscar Fredrik Church
Also known as: Oscar Fredriks kyrka
19th-century Neo-Gothic church. Oscar Fredrik Church is a church in Olivedal in Gothenburg, Sweden. It was drawn by Helgo Zetterwall and erected in the 1890s. Belonging to the Gothenburg Oscar Fredrik Parish of the Church of Sweden, it was opened on Easter Sunday 1893. The style is Neo Gothic, but the influence is not the Nordic gothic style but rather the style one can find in the large cathedrals in continental Europe. The church and the parish got its name from king Oscar II.[29]
Address: Oscar Fredriks Kyrkogata 1a, Gothenburg
Trädgårdsföreningen
Park with rose garden and palm house. The Garden Society of Gothenburg is a park and horticultural garden in central Gothenburg, Sweden. It is located next to Kungsportsavenyen.
The park was founded in 1842 by King Carl XIV Johan, on initiative of the amateur botanist Henric Elof von Normann.
In the park there is an acclaimed rose garden with some 4,000 roses of 1,900 species. The rose garden has been awarded stars in the Michelin Green Guide. There is also a 19th-century palm house, greenhouses, sculptures, a restaurant and cafés.
It is one of the best preserved 19th century parks in Sweden.[30]
Address: Slussgatan 1, Gothenburg
Götaälvbron
Bascule bridge. Götaälvbron was a bascule bridge in central Gothenburg, Sweden, carrying normal road vehicles and trams. The bridge was constructed in 1937 to 1939 and in 1966 it was widened. It was closed for decommissioning in June 2021. Constructed of steel beam, the bridge had a total length of 927 m and width of 20 m. The mid span had a free height of 19.5 m.[31]
Röhsska Museum
Also known as: Röhsska museet
Decorative arts, design and fashion museum. The Röhsska Museum, is located in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is a museum focused on design, fashion and applied arts.
The museum collection consists of over 50,000 objects. The majority of the collection consists of handicraft and design products from Sweden and Europe and arts and crafts from Japan and China. The museum also holds a very fine collection of fashion from the 20th and 21st centuries, including many haute couture garments from Paris and other famous fashion designs from all over the world. Today, the Röhsska Museum mainly collects contemporaneous material and the museum seeks to achieve a dialogue with its users on contemporary phenomena and expression.[32]
Address: Vasagatan 37-39, 400 15 Gothenburg
Museum of World Culture
Also known as: Världskulturmuseet
World culture museum with guided tours. The National Museum of World Culture opened in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2004. It is a part of the public authority Swedish National Museums of World Cultures and builds on the collections of the former Göteborgs Etnografiska Museum that closed down in the year 2000. Its aim is to interpret the subject of world culture in an interdisciplinary way. The museum is situated next to the Universeum science centre and the amusement park Liseberg, and close to Korsvägen. "The museum interprets the concept of world culture in a dynamic and open-ended manner. On the one hand, various cultures are incorporating impulses from each other and becoming more alike. On the other hand, local, national, ethnic and gender differences are shaping much of that process. World culture is not only about communication, reciprocity, and interdependence, but the specificity, concretion and uniqueness of each and every individual."
The opening exhibitions of the museum were:
- No Name Fever: AIDS in the age of globalization
- Horizons: Voices from a global Africa
- Sister of Dreams: People and myths of the Orinoco
- Fred Wilson: Site unseen - Dwellings of the Demons
- 390 m2 Spirituality
Address: Sodra vagen 54, 41254 Gothenburg
Biskopsgården Church
Also known as: Biskopsgårdens kyrka
Church building in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Biskopsgården Church is a church building in the southern parts of Biskopsgården on the island of Hisingen in Gothenburg, Sweden. Belonging to the Lundby of the Church of Sweden, it was opened in 1961. It was originally called the Southern Biskopsgården Church before the Northern Biskopsgården Church was taken out of use in 2004.[34]
Address: Vårvädersgatan 8, Gothenburg
Bergakungen
Movie theater in Gothenburg, Sweden. SF Filmstaden Bergakungen is a cineplex located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Bergakungen has 14 cinemas with a total capacity of 2,260 visitors. The cinema has two of Sweden's largest projection screens, measuring 18 m × 8 m each.
Bergakungen also has a VIP cinema section with an adjacent lounge with and a bar. The VIP section has more comfortable seats.[35]
Address: Skanegatan 16 B, 402 22 Gothenburg