Southwestern Sweden
An extraordinary example of 17th-century Swedish baroque architecture, Läckö Slott lies 23km north of Lidköping. There's been a castle here since 1298;…
Must-see attractions in Southwestern Sweden
Gothenburg
Occupying a defunct power station beside Älvsborgs bridge, Röda Sten Konsthall's four floors serve up edgy, contemporary exhibitions showcasing both…
Gothenburg
Home to Gothenburg’s premier art collection, Konstmuseum traverses the Renaissance to the present day, with works by the French impressionists, Rubens,…
Gothenburg
In what is arguably the best museum for kids in Sweden, you find yourself in the midst of a humid rainforest, complete with trickling water, tropical…
Gothenburg
The attractions of Liseberg, Scandinavia's largest amusement park, are many and varied. Adrenalin blasts include the venerable wooden roller coaster…
Bohuslän
Skärhamn is home to the superb Nordiska Akvarellmuseet, a sleek waterside building housing exhibits by the likes of Arne Isacsson, whose watercolors…
Bohuslän
If you’re bewildered by the long-armed men, sexual imagery and goat-drawn chariots of Bohuslän's prolific Bronze Age rock carvings, drop by Vitlycke…
Southwestern Sweden
Husaby (15km east of Lidköping) is inextricably linked to Swedish history. Legend has it King Olof Skötkonung (d1022), the country’s first Christian…
Gothenburg
Laid out in 1842, the lush Trädgårdsföreningen is a large protected area off Nya Allén. Full of flowers and tiny cafes, it’s popular for lunchtime…
Southwestern Sweden
Tiny Vinga has an impressive rocky landscape and good swimming, and has been home to a lighthouse since the 17th century. The writer, composer and painter…
Bohuslän
Boat trips run from Strömstad’s north harbour to the beautiful cluster of forested Koster Islands every 30 minutes from July to mid-August, less…
Gothenburg
The Haga district is Gothenburg’s oldest suburb, dating back to 1648. A hardcore hippie hang-out in the 1960s and '70s, its cobbled streets and vintage…
Southwestern Sweden
Innovatum Science Center, next door to the Saab Bilmuseum, is a fantastic science centre with all sorts of wacky interactive gadgets for kids of all ages …
Bohuslän
Havets Hus is an excellent aquarium with sea life from Gullmarn, Sweden’s only true fjord, which cuts past Lysekil. Peer at such cold-water beauties as…
Gothenburg
Located in an old police station, this museum is like a vast warehouse, with a 10,000-strong collection of mainly 20th-century local nostalgia, ranging…
Bohuslän
Looming over town, Carlstens Fästning is a fortress built in the 1660s after the Swedish takeover of Marstrand and Bohuslän. Marstrand's ice-free port was…
Southwestern Sweden
Survivor of no fewer than 14 sieges, Bohus Fästning is a hulking ruin on an island in the Nordre älv, near Kungälv. Founded in 1308 by the Norwegian king…
Southwestern Sweden
The ‘flowering mountain’ Kinnekulle (306m), 18km northeast of Lidköping, features unusually diverse geology and plant life, including mighty ancient oaks…
Gothenburg
Sjöfartsmuseet focuses on the city's maritime history through an entertaining collection of maps, model ships, recreated sailors' quarters, and period…
Hunneberg & Hanneberg Nature Reserve
Southwestern Sweden
Described by Linnaeus as an ‘earthly paradise’, the Hunneberg & Hanneberg Nature Reserve covers two dramatic, craggy plateaus 8km east of town. There are…
Gothenburg
The city’s oldest secular building, Kronhuset is a former arsenal built in Dutch style between 1642 and 1654. It was here that Karl X held the disastrous…
Gothenburg
Near the opera house, the world’s largest floating ship museum is made up of 20 historical crafts, including fishing boats, a light vessel and a…
Gothenburg
The Linné district holds fast to its grungy roots, especially along the Långgatan streets. Here, hip cafes, junk shops and street-smart boutiques mix with…
Southwestern Sweden
Atmospheric Högsbyn Nature Reserve, about 8km north of Håverud near Tisselskog, has woodland walks and a shallow bathing spot. Best of all are its…
Bohuslän
One of Sweden’s largest, most magnificent stone-ship settings (an oval of stones, shaped like a boat) lies 6km northeast of Strömstad. There are 49 stones…
Southwestern Sweden
Northeast near the Hojum power station crowds gather on the bridge in anticipation of a mighty cascade of unleashed water. Normally the water is diverted…
Gothenburg
At Stadsmuseum, admire the remains of the Äskekärrkeppet, Sweden’s only original Viking vessel, alongside silver treasure hoards, weaponry and jewellery…
Southwestern Sweden
In the central part of the archipelago, Styrsö has two village centres (Bratten and Tången, both with ferry terminals). Bratten was a herring processing…
Bohuslän
Snow leopards, wolves and lynxes prowl Nordens Ark, a well-conceived safari park 12km northeast of Smögen. It shows off animals and plants from countries…
Gothenburg
The Natural History Museum is home to an incredible range of taxidermied wildlife, from the horned and hooved denizens of the savannah to all the big cats…
Gothenburg
At the mouth of the Göta älv, squat red Elfsborgs Fortress was built in the 17th century to keep out the marauding Danes and saw action again in the early…
Southwestern Sweden
Halmstad Slott was built by King Christian IV of Denmark in the early 1600s, when Halland was still under Danish rule. It was where the Danish king met…
Southwestern Sweden
Pop in for a compact collection of local art, woodwork (including a shell-shocked wooden cat), ceramics, ironware and Åmål silverware, as well as thought…
Southwestern Sweden
Varberg's star attraction is this imposing medieval prison fortress overlooking the sea. Its museum is home to the 14th-century Bocksten Man, a garrotted,…
Gothenburg
Across the river and next to the Science Park is the city's most exciting new building – the epitome of green engineering. Kuggen, or 'Cogwheel',…
Gothenburg
The beautiful 19th-century Hagakyrkan, built in 1859, is well worth peeking inside. The park behind the church is home to a simple yet moving monument to…
Gothenburg
Once a bustle of industry (with glassworks, foundries, breweries and salting houses) the Klippan precinct has been revamped into a rather fetching…
Bohuslän
This picture-perfect island boasts plenty of good swimming holes, some complete with floats and trampolines for the enjoyment of those frolicking in the…
Gothenburg
Pay homage to one of Sweden’s enduring icons at the Volvo Museum, which contains everything from the company’s debut vehicle to its most experimental…
Southwestern Sweden
Saab Bilmuseum is a must for car fanatics and Swedish design buffs. At this warehouse-showroom, gleaming Saab car models range from the first made (a…
