DISCOVER GOTHENBURG
You hear Gothenburg before you see it – trams singing over bridges, salt-tinged winds slipping in from the river, the scent of freshly baked cardamom buns drifting from a corner café. All wrapped in green parks, blooming courtyards, and tree-lined avenues where calm finds its place in the city’s pulse.
Gothenburg is big enough to surprise you, small enough to feel familiar. Lively without being loud, balanced without being bland. Here, an evening can start on a rooftop terrace overlooking the harbour at sunset and end in a sweaty, bourbon-scented jazz cellar. You can hunt down vintage treasures in backstreets, throw yourself into Liseberg’s rollercoasters, feel the spray of the archipelago on your cheek – or simply sit still and let an oyster speak for itself.
Gothenburg lingers. In your heart. In your memory. On your tongue.
SEA BREEZE & GREEN ESCAPES – GOTHENBURG’S PARKS, WATERFRONTS & VIEWS
Slottsskogen is the city’s green heart – with walking trails, a zoo, scenic hills and space for everything from yoga groups to picnic blankets. The Garden Society is a blooming gem with its Palm House and rose gardens, while the Botanical Garden offers both exotic plants and the gateway to Änggårdsbergen – where forest paths and viewpoints make the city feel far away.
Along the Northern Riverside you can stroll from Frihamnen, past Eriksberg, to Färjenäs Park by the Älvsborg Bridge – with harbour views and the evening sun as its final applause. And if you want to go further: take the tram to Saltholmen and hop on an archipelago ferry.
HARBOUR, HISTORY & SEA BREEZE
Gothenburg was born by the water – and the water is still in every breath. At Maritiman, Sweden’s largest floating ship museum, you can wander from deck to deck among historic vessels. At the award-winning Maritime Museum & Aquarium, the city’s seafaring past meets the vibrant life beneath the waves.
Hop on the Paddan boats, where you’ll duck under low bridges, or take the ferry from Stenpiren to Lindholmen – all on the same ticket as the tram. Follow the Älvsborg Bridge with your eyes to Röda Sten, or step aboard a seafood cruise where the sea provides both the view and the menu.
For a swim in the middle of the city, head to Frihamnen’s floating pool and sauna with views of the Göta River and Gothenburg’s skyline. And if you want to venture further, there are islands, sandy beaches, rocky cliffs, Säveån river and Delsjön lake – all just a tram or bike ride away.
SHOPPING, STYLE & SECOND HAND
Here, shopping is best done slowly – coffee in hand, eyes on the shop windows. In the city centre you’ll find classics like Nordstan, Arkaden and NK, but it’s in the smaller boutiques that Gothenburg truly finds its rhythm.
Magasinsgatan is a mix of Scandinavian fashion, urban vibes, award-winning restaurants, cafés and food trucks. Haga lures you in with cobblestone streets, vintage dresses and cinnamon buns big enough to share (though why would you?). In Majorna and Linnéstaden you’ll discover second-hand treasures with personality, retro finds and creative upcycling around every corner.
BEATS, MELODIES & LATE NIGHTS
From small basement venues and raw industrial spaces to grand concert halls and elegant nightclubs – Gothenburg’s music scene has it all.
Around the Stigbergstorget hub you’ll find legendary Musikens Hus and the international vibes of Oceanen & Skeppet GBG. The Långgatorna streets and Järntorget buzz with bars, stages and clubs – from Pustervik to surprise pop-up gigs. On Ringön, an alternative scene is taking shape in former industrial spaces, with concerts and club nights that could just as well be happening in Berlin.
Jazz spots like Nefertiti, Utopia and Unity promise sweaty, unforgettable evenings. Bigger stages await at Trädgår’n, the Gothenburg Film Festival, and of course Sweden’s most legendary arena: Ullevi, where every major artist has made Gothenburgers forget about everyday life for a night. And when the concert is over, the nightlife takes over – from the clubs along Avenyn to lively karaōke bars and stylish cocktail lounges.
RIDES, LAUGHTER & CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
In the heart of the city spins Liseberg – a place where generations of laughter and screams are woven together with the sweet scent of cotton candy and churros. Here, bravery is rewarded with sweeping views, and world-class artists make the entire park sway in unison. In winter, the park is draped in lights and the aroma of roasted almonds, making the freezing temperatures part of the magic.
Right next door awaits Universeum, where shark tunnels, rainforests, science and AI innovation all fit under one roof. The World Culture Museum offers contemporary art and stories from across the globe, while at World of Volvo, nostalgia meets the future in interactive exhibitions and iconic vehicles.
SPORT, THRILLS & PASSION
Gothenburg is a sports city with its heart on its sleeve. At Gamla Ullevi and Bravida Arena, the atmosphere boils when IFK Göteborg, GAIS or BK Häcken chase points, and in Scandinavium every Frölunda goal is felt deep in your chest.
The city hosts some of the world’s biggest youth tournaments – Gothia Cup and Partille Cup – and the Göteborgsvarvet half marathon fills the streets with runners and cheering crowds. But Gothenburg also invites you to join in: run through Slottsskogen, rent a kayak in the city, climb indoors at dizzying heights or cycle along the river.
TASTES OF THE WEST COAST & BEYOND
Gothenburg tastes of the sea and home cooking. Here you can have a shrimp sandwich with a harbour view, herring on a pier or oysters at Sjömagasinet. Naturally, there are plenty of other places where seafood is the passion – Fiskbar 17, Fiskekrogen, Sjöbaren, Luckans Fisk, Hasselssons or one of the restaurants on the Eriksberg piers, to name a few.
But as the cosmopolitan city it is, Gothenburg also offers flavours from all over the world, with gems in every neighbourhood. You’ll find street food, vegan cafés, ramen bars, izakayas, Lebanese meze, Michelin-starred dining, exciting fusion restaurants and plenty of local eateries serving traditional fare for every budget.
And after a long-awaited makeover, Gothenburg’s seafood cathedral – Feskekôrka – once again serves the very best from the ocean, right in the heart of the city.
EVENTS & EXPERIENCES ALL YEAR ROUND
Summer is festival season – world-famous Way Out West, Kulturkalaset, Hammarkullen Carnival and the Fringe Festival fill the streets with music, food and encounters.
Autumn brings the Gothenburg Book Fair at Svenska Mässan – together with major congresses and exhibitions that attract visitors from across the globe – as well as parks and avenues glowing in warm colours.
Winter sparkles with Christmas at Liseberg, concerts and the Gothenburg Film Festival.
Spring is that first coffee in the sun, and the city’s parks coming back to life.
CREATIVITY & CULTURE AT EVERY TURN
Gothenburg’s soul isn’t only in the saltwater – it also lives in theatres, studios and basement stages. Here, the classical and the cutting-edge, the grand and the gritty, meet without anyone seeing it as a contradiction.
At Gothenburg Museum of Art on Götaplatsen, you’ll find everything from Carl Larsson to van Gogh. The Röhsska Museum offers design and craft, and down by the harbour stands Röda Sten Art Centre – a former industrial building that today is one of the city’s most exciting arenas for contemporary art. Soon, Gothenburg Art Gallery will move into the old Slaughterhouse in Gamlestaden, becoming part of a new art cluster with big ambitions.
There’s the City Theatre, Backa Theatre, Folkteatern and the Gothenburg Opera – plus a whole host of smaller stages that give space to new, intimate and experimental works. For those seeking the alternative, there’s Hagabion cinema, poetry nights, film festivals and jazz clubs where the room itself feels like an instrument.
Want to see where art is born? Head to the galleries in Vasastan, the studios in Linné, the industrial spaces in Majorna and Sockerbruket, or Konstepidemin – an artists’ collective in former hospital buildings, where creativity truly seeps from the walls.
Do you want all of this just around the corner?
At Spar Hotel Majorna, you’ll stay right in one of the city’s most colourful districts – with cafés, vintage shops, Stigbergstorget’s music venues and the ferry to the archipelago just steps away.
At Spar Hotel Gårda, you’re within easy walking distance of Ullevi, Liseberg, Svenska Mässan and Avenyn – perfect for both concert nights and a taste of city life.
Whichever you choose, Gothenburg is waiting just outside – with open arms, the ring of the tram bell and the scent of fresh bread in the air.
Book your stay today and make our city yours.
