Top Rated Attractions in Gothenburg

At Scandinavia's largest amusement park, called Liseberg, you'll find rides ranging from child-friendly carousels to terrifying roller-coasters. The main stage offers concerts by many famous Swedish and international artists. The park is open daily May to August, on weekends only in April and September-October. Liseberg is also open for a short winter season, when you can enjoy a typical Swedish Christmas market and pony riding. Call ahead for varied dates.

At this Museum you will learn about the history of the Volvo, from when it was founded by Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson in 1927 until today. Volvo translates to "I roll" and is still the most common car brand in Sweden. The company sold their car division to Ford in 1999 and it's now owned by the Chinese, Geely Automobile. The company is also a leading manufacturer of trucks, buses, construction equipment and other products. Various exhibitions are held in the museum featuring old and experimental cars, buses and a jet engine used by The Swedish Air Force. There is also a Volvo merchandise shop and a cafe in the museum.

One of Europe's largest and most alluring, the Gothenburg Botanical Garden stretches across 40 hectares (99 acres) of thematic enclaves and teeming greenhouses. This expertly choreographed landscape gives way to the wild appeal of the surrounding nature reserve and its winding trails. With over 16,000 species of plants on display, the botanical gardens are immensely diverse and beautifully composed to create lush, paradisical pockets of vegetation. Japanese landscape design intermingles with rock and herb gardens, while Europe's largest collection of tropical orchids bloom amid the greenhouses alongside a rare Easter Island tree that no longer exists in its original environment. The gardens also host an exciting array of exhibitions each year, as well as a year-round program of activities for visitors of all ages. A slice of Eden in Gothenburg, the Botanical Garden is akin to a landscape painted in vibrant hues and brought to life with a touch of magic.

Göteborgs Operan sports a main stage, a small stage, an elegant restaurant (with an excellent wine list and a menu separated into three acts), and various studios/workshops for everything from millinery and wig making to tanning and carpentry. High-tech methods co-exist with ancient painting methods and historical sewing techniques. Göteborgs Operan has its own choir, as well as a ballet company that has received a lot of acclaim.

There are several beautiful islands in Gothenburg's southern archipelago, nice for bathing and excursions: Asperö, Brännö, Styrsö and Vrångö, just to mention a few. You will find both beaches and cliffs. The islands have no automobile traffic; you get around on foot, bicycle or a three-wheel moped. The island of Brännö has several bathing areas, hostels and inns. Vrångö is popular for bathing and is situated furthest out in the archipelago. To get here, take tram 4 to its final stop, Saltholmen; then take a ferry out to the archipelago.

Gothenburg's Backa Teater is very clear about the kind of audience it seeks to cater to. A theater known to entertain children, day-time shows are specially organized to accommodate them while the night shows understandably attract a more diverse audience. Resident musicians compose the music for every musical and drama held here, thus adding to the charm of this unpretentious little space. With a location in an old factory close to the ship-building yards, Backa continues to remain one of the city's firm favorites.