Gastronomic delights and museums galore in Sweden's second city – an expert guide to Gothenburg
Why go?
Sweden’s second largest city is certainly not content to play second fiddle. This lively major port buzzes around its lifeblood harbour and the canals that dot it too. Gothenburg is very much on a human scale with myriad art galleries and museums tempting cruise ship passengers, chief amongst them the massive Volvo Museum. This is the proud home of Volvo after all.
Cruise port location
Larger cruise ships tend to dock by the massive Volvo Museum at Arendal a few miles west of the city centre, or Skandiahamnen. Both are around 20 minutes by taxi from the city centre, while shuttle buses are often provided. Smaller vessels can call at the historic America Cruise Terminal, which has welcomed cruise ships for over 100 years. It is within walking distance west of the city centre.
Can I walk to any places of interest?
Forget walking anywhere of interest from Arendal or Skandiahamnen, bar the landmark Volvo Museum by Arendal. The city centre beckons on foot from the America Cruise Terminal just a 20 minute walk away.
Getting around
The city centre is easily navigable on foot, but there is an efficient network of buses, trams and ferries to ease you around Gothenburg and its grand aquatic setting. Download the free public transport app for easy access to all modes of transport and details of routes.
What to see and do
The Volvo Museum is an obvious attraction for those moored at Arendal. Pushing on into the centre is worth it to explore the city’s canals, boulevards and parks. Art galleries and museums tempt too, with pavement cafes on hand to add a dash of Mediterranean flair to this cosmopolitan city.
What can I do in four hours or less?
Fred Olsen Cruise Line offers a city centre tour that takes in the main sights and makes getting in from the ship and back hassle free. Viking cruises runs an inclusive two-hour ‘Gothenburg Panorama’ excursion for those looking for a no hassle taster, too.
However, with such a good public transport system you can find your own way around. If you’re moored at Arendal you can easily spend fours at the Volvo Museum, which boasts a whopping 8,000 sq meters (86,111 sq ft) of various vehicles to check out, dating as far back as their first car in 1927.
You learn all about Gothenburg’s most famous manufacturer here while you view its cars, buses and other weird and wonderful creations.
The centre meanwhile tempts with a swathe of galleries and museums, all sprinkled around a city whose wide boulevards and Dutch-designed canals add a picturesque touch. For pavement cafes the sweep of Avenyn is the prime venue for people watching. A museum highlight is the modern National Museum of World Culture, an interdisciplinary take on myriad global cultures. Then there is Scandinavia’s largest and amusement park, Liseberg, which has been putting smiles on the faces of kids and big kids alike since it first brought joy to Gothenburg back in 1923.
What can I do in eight hours or less?
TUI offer a ‘Northern Archipelago’ excursion that takes four hours, allowing you to explore the hinterland, but still have a little time in the city if you like afterwards. This archipelago is nicknamed the ‘Sunshine Coast’, such is its status as a local holiday hotspot. It spreads its bucolic charms across a string of islands. You stop off on Ockero to view the Ockero Church, which dates back to the Middle Ages, and its Folklore Centre, as well as the popular holiday isle of Foto, with its charming old wooden fishing huts lining its waterfront handily cheek by jowl with more contemporary cafes. You could combine local ferries and buses on your own to visit the archipelago, but that would risk being stranded for sailaway.
Silversea meanwhile run ‘West Coast Islands’ half-day trips that drive west in search of adventure in a slew of coastal villages. There is Kungalv, with its renowned ruins and the 14th-century Bohus Fortress. Stenungsund, Tjorn and Orust are a scenic trio grouped together as part of the region hailed as the 'Best Coast'. Highlights of the day include the Kladesholmen Walk, a guided stroll that delves into the village’s past as a 19th century herring village and Skarhamn.
The latter is very much still an active shipping hub, with the big cerebral surprise the Nordic Watercolour Museum. Here the works of contemporary international watercolourists are on show alongside classic watercolour paintings. You cannot leave this part of Sweden without, of course, trying the local delicacy of herring in one of the cafes, which the excursion allows time for.
Eat and drink
Yes, the seafood from the surrounding cold waters is good, but Gothenburg these days is not just about pickled herring and smorgasbord. There is real diversity, too with the city’s cosmopolitan population influencing everything from food truck stalls through to fine dining gastronomic temples like the superlative Bhoga.
Don’t leave Gothenburg without…
Unfussy, but chic Scandinavian design is all the rage at the moment and, as well as the usual international stores and brands, you will also find more esoteric local outlets and designers. You can pick up a unique slice of fashion or an interior design piece to brighten up your home at the Apartment by Mouche.
Need to know
Flight time from UK
British Airways, Ryanair and Norwegian all fly direct to Gothenburg from London – flight time is around two hours.
Safety
Most visits are trouble free. Exploring independently is fine with all the usual city precautions.
Best time to go
Boasting an ice free port, the cruise season is theoretically year round, but generally runs from May to September. June and early September are recommended times to visit as there are fewer tourists around, with the weather the most reliable.
Closures
During the week, most shops open 9.30am to 6pm, sometimes as late as 8pm, with similar hours on Saturdays. Most shops are closed on Sundays. Museums and cultural attractions generally keep similar hours.
Save Money
The Gothenburg Pass offers access to over 30 attractions across the city, from museums though to sightseeing cruises.
