Gothenburg “musts” for families 2017

Gothenburg is a very family-friendly city with most of the attractions within walking distance or accessible by tram or by a Styr & Ställ city bicycle - all included in Göteborg City Card. Gothenburg offers a wide range of activities for families, such as fascinating museums and interesting guided tours as well as tranquil city parks perfect for picnic and equipped with exciting playgrounds.

Göteborg City Card* is a great way to experience the city. During peak season, the price for a 24- hour card is 395 SEK for adults and 265 SEK for children (up to 17 years of age, children under 5 do not need a card). The price for a 48-hour card is 545 SEK for adults and 365 SEK for children. The price for a 72-hour card is 695 SEK for adults and 455 SEK for children. For prices during low season (October-April), please visit www.gothenburg.com/citycard. Cards can be purchased online, at the Gothenburg Tourist Offices and on most hotels in the city.

(* Free with Göteborg City Card)

Liseberg Amusement Park* is the most popular tourist attraction in , attracting three million visitors annually. New this year is Loke, which will be ’s highest gyro swing attraction. At the highest point you reach a breath-taking 42 metres in the air in a spinning gondola. It is open for the summer season from mid-April until the beginning of October, with an additional nine days opened in November for Halloween. There is also a Christmas Market from mid-November, with many craft stalls, an ice rink and Santa’s World. The whole park is adorned with Christmas decorations and illuminated by almost five million Christmas lights. www..com/en/home/

Universeum Science Discovery Centre* combines science, technology and adventure. Follow the water from the mountains in the north down to the sea. There are big aquariums and plenty of hands- on experiments. There is a new rainforest with a 25 metre high kapok tree with secret alleys and everyday there is a rainforest safari that will show you all the tropical beauty. Open daily 10 am-6 pm. Extended opening hours during summer. www..se/index.php?lang=en

Alfie Atkins’ Cultural Centre * (Alfons Åbergs Kulturhus) The character from the Alfie Atkins books has now got a house of his own! This is a place where inquisitive children can play, get up to mischief, climb and discover a building full of fascinating things. There will be daily activities on offer, including theatre, design, maths with seeds, music, kids’ workouts and discovering pine weevils. On the upper level you’ll find lots of Lego. Open 10 am–4 pm daily except for certain bank holidays. www.alfonskulturhus.se/

The (free admission) – no family should miss “Together”, an exhibition about how both wonderful and difficult it is to be with others. In a world of caves, mountains and rainbows, the museum invites children and adults to explore and experience the exhibition hand in hand. www.varldskulturmuseerna.se/en/varldskulturmuseet/exhibitions/ongoing- exhibitions/together/

Updated 2017-01-16. This information may be subject to changes.

Paddan boats* offer a different way of seeing the sights, from the old moat, the canals and the harbour. A guided tour takes you under 20 bridges, including the extremely low Osthyveln (cheese slicer) bridge. The tour takes about 50 minutes and the boats depart from from end of March until mid-October. Please note during peak season (July 4 – August 7) there are free tours after 3 pm with the Gothenburg City Card, and all day off-season. www.stromma.se/en/gothenburg/sightseeing/sightseeing-by-boat/the-paddan-tour/

Stinsen sightseeing train*, the tiny red Stinsen train takes you on a tour around Gothenburg passing by the main sights, starting at Gustaf Adolfs Torg and offers you the possibility of hopping on and off at Feskekörka, The Göteborg Opera and the main boulevard Avenyn. Eat lunch at the amazing fish market Feskekörka, have a look at the magnificent Opera and go for a stroll on the main boulevard. Open daily May until September. www.stinsensightseeing.se/en/sightseeing-gothenburg

Slottsskogen is Göteborg's city park, open-air area and green meeting place. At the animal parks you can see elk and other, mainly Nordic, wild and tame animals. From April 21th until September 18th, there is a Children’s Zoo with piglets, kid goats and chickens. And don't miss the seal pool, where the Bohus County harbour seals are fed every day at 2 pm. The many sights include the Natural History Museum, the Observatory and the Birdhouse. www.goteborg.com/en/slottsskogen/

New Älvsborg Fortress* One of Sweden’s most well preserved forts. The boat trip to the fortress includes a dramatized guided tour, which takes you through a surprising trip back from the 1600s to today. www.stromma.se/en/gothenburg/excursions/alvsborg-fortress/

The Garden Society of Gothenburg, Trädgårdsföreningen, is laid out along the old moat, between Kungsportsplatsen and Drottningtorget square. Inside this beautiful 19th-century park there are large lawns and a playground perfect for children to run around. During the annual Gothenburg Culture Festival for six days in mid- August, this park becomes the children’s own festive area. Open daily 7 am-8 pm May-September (during 7 am-6 pm otherwise). The Palm house is open every day 10 am-8 pm June-August (during 10 am-4 pm otherwise). Free entrance to the park and the Palm house. www.tradgardsforeningen.se/wps/portal/tradgardsf/english

Gothenburg Botanical Garden*, the largest botanical garden of Northern Europe with 20 000 different species of flowers, bushes and trees together with 30 km with walking paths. Open daily from 9 pm until sunset. Tram 1, 2, 7, 8 and 13 go to the tram stop Botaniska Trädgården. www.gotbot.se

Maritiman* is located at Packhuskajen. The floating ship museum’s display includes the Nordkaparen submarine, the destroyer Småland and the Fladen lightship. Open daily May 11 – September 30, as well as October 29 – November 6. www.maritiman.se/en

Volvo Museum* The history of Volvo since the start in 1927. Here you will find 8000 square metres of cars, machines, engines and unique concept. All by the local car manufacture Volvo. The museum also have exhibition on Volvo Ocean Race and Volvo Golf Experience. A shop, café and a playground for children is located at the entrance. www.volvomuseum.com

Updated 2017-01-16. This information may be subject to changes.

The Maritime Museum and Aquarium* describes Swedish maritime history with aquariums and exhibitions reflecting fishing and the shipbuilding industry. Play room for children, therefore very popular amongst families, situated at Karl Johansgatan at Stigbergstorget. Tram 3, 9 or 11 to Stigbergstorget. Open Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-5 pm, Wednesday 10 am- 8 pm, Monday and public holidays closed. www.goteborg.se/wps/portal/sjofartsm/english

The Gothenburg Museum of Natural History* This is the oldest museum in Gothenburg and was opened as early as in 1833. Here you can see collections of animals from all over the world. Do not miss the world’s only mounted blue whale, the African elephant among other. www.gnm.se/en/Vastarvet---natural-and-cultural-heritage-in-West- Sweden/Subsites/Goteborgs-Naturhistoriska-Museum/

Museum of Gothenburg* Here you can visit the Children’s Museum where the kids can play and climb on the landmarks of Gothenburg, for example swing on the Eriksberg crane or go for a tram ride. Here you will also find the only exhibited ship in Sweden, Äskekärrsskeppet. Bring a packed lunch and eat it in the break room. www.goteborgsstadsmuseum.se/en

Haga old quarters Haga is Gothenburg’s oldest quarter. Here, wooden houses nestle along the cobbled streets, and there is a good mixture of shops and charming cafés. You’ll find Sweden’s largest cinnamon buns at Kafé Husaren. www.goteborg.com/en/haga/

Kronhusbodarna, a tranquil oasis in the city centre close to Gustaf Adolf Torg, with small shops selling Swedish Art Glass, leather goods and other craft products surrounding a cobbled-stone old courtyard. www.kronhusbodarna.com/english

The The sea is only a tram ride away from the city centre. Passenger boats depart from Saltholmen and goes to islands like Vrångö, Styrsö and Brännö. On Vrångö you can bathe from the cliffs and the sandy beach. Styrsö and Brännö have first-rate bathing and guest houses. During the summertime there are excursion boats to the fortress Älvsborg Fästning in the entrance to the harbour , Vinga nature reserve, with its first-rate bathing and a small Evert Taube museum and to the “Dans på Brännö Brygga” (dancing at the Brännö pier) on Thursdays.

For more information and timetables for the ferries please visit: www.styrsobolaget.com/South-Archipelago/ Further information of excursions to the archipelago: www.stromma.se/en/Skargard/Stromma-Skargardsbatar/Boat-trips/

www.goteborg.com/en/ - the official visitor’s guide to Gothenburg, including an event calendar and on-line hotel booking and more information about Göteborg City Card. www.goteborg.com/en/gothenburg-for-kids/ - find family-friendly activities and sights in Gothenburg. http://www.goteborg.com/en/travelling-with-toddlers/ - travelling with toddlers - Guide

Updated 2017-01-16. This information may be subject to changes.