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GOTHENBURG

Five great day trips to do from Gothenburg

Gothenburg has a lively culture scene, plenty of green spaces and food and drink in abundance, but sometimes you just need to escape the city. The West Coast and nearby towns provide plenty of opportunities for a memorable day trip from Sweden's second city: here are five of our favourite destinations complete with insider tips.

Fjällbacka
These are our top five favourite destinations for an unforgettable day trip getaway from Gothenburg. Photo by Ivan Zhirnov on Unsplash

Brännö

If you’ve got longer than a day or two in Gothenburg, a boat trip out to the archipelago is a must. Any one of the islands (most of them car-free) will offer spectacular nature and opportunities to relax with a view, but Brännö is slightly livelier than most, famous for its summer folk dances and mentioned as an important town in several Icelandic sagas.

You can learn about the island’s history by visiting its local museum, housed in a barn: the information is in Swedish, but staff are usually happy to explain in English. Whether using it as a base for island-hopping or just visiting for the afternoon, take in the views out to sea by walking or cycling around, and stop off at any of the beaches or cliffs for a swim or sunbathing opportunity. 

Brännö

Brännö is located in the Göteborg Municipality of Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It is conveniently accessible from central Gothenburg through frequent boat transportation. Photo by Jessica Pamp on Unsplash

How to get there: From the city centre, take the 11 tram to the Saltholmen ferry terminal. There, take the ferry: the 283 or the 282, with the latter taking slightly longer (around 40 minutes) and arriving at the south side of the island.

Don’t miss: Crossing the bridge over to Galterö, an even smaller and more rugged island which has some great secluded spots for swimming.

Eat and drink: Head to Brännö Varv in the former shipyard to sip a coffee or cold beer in a hammock or an old wooden boat. In the summer there’s often live music here too.

Fjällbacka 

Lovers of film and literature alike should put Fjällbacka on their travel bucket list for a cultural day trip. Not only was it the summer home of Ingrid Bergman, but the fishing village is also the setting of books by crime writer Camilla Läckberg, though the reality is thankfully far sleepier than her fast-paced thrillers. Bergman fans can appreciate the statue of the actress in the town’s main square, and readers of Läckberg’s novels can either join an organized tour to spot locations from her books or simply keep an eye out.

If you have the chance to visit for longer than a day, Fjällbacka also makes a good base for exploring the nearby islands, the westernmost in Sweden, such as postcard-perfect Smögen. Alternatively, if you’re not attracted by Bergman or Läckberg and especially if you’re using public transport, Strömstad is reachable by train and bus from Gothenburg and has plenty of beautiful nature and family-friendly activities too.

Fjällbacka

Fjällbacka is a quaint fishing village situated in Tanum. The village gets its name from the prominent rocky mountain that defines its charm. Photo by Maxime Gerph on Unsplash

How to get there: If you’re not driving, you’ll need to take a train in the direction of Strömstad and change to a bus at Dingle. The total journey time is around two and a half hours.

Don’t miss: Walking through the Kungsklyftan and up the rock behind the harbour, from where you can enjoy incredible views of the surrounding area and islands.

Eat and drink: Seafood is fresh and delicious in many of the town’s restaurants: try Restaurang Matilda for its stunning sea views, especially at sunset.

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Marstrand

Gothenburgers have been escaping the city for this seaside town for centuries, so why not follow their example? A wander around the harbour allows you to admire the charming wooden houses and impressive boats (there are important sailing races here in summer), though it gets crowded during the warmer months. A visit in the off-season will give you a more peaceful day out, or in the summer you can head away from the very centre by looking for the nature trail leading to the far side of the island.

The fortress Carlstens Fästning overlooks the entire town, and you can even stay there overnight if time and budget allow; otherwise, simply climb the Battery Tower for views and explore the fortress’ underground tunnels.

Marstrand

Marstrand offers an ideal environment for sailing and swimming, featuring charming neighbourhoods. Photo by Oleh Holodyshyn on Unsplash

How to get there: Take the Marstand Express bus from Gothenburg’s bus station (50 minutes), and access the town’s main island by one of the shortest ferry rides in the world. During the summer, you can travel from Gothenburg to Marstrand by boat to take in the West Coast views, which takes around three hours.

Don’t miss: The Strandverket art museum, housed in an atmospheric old fort and featuring a varied collection with an emphasis on sculpture, including a permanent sculpture park.

Eat and drink: The historic Bergs Konditori in the harbour is a great spot for stocking up on pastries or bread before you start your tour of the town.

Trollhättan

For something a little different from seaside towns and picturesque islands, Trollhättan has its own attractions. You can see the impressive waterfalls and locks along the Göta canal, the first of which was opened more than 200 years ago, and in the summer, there are boat trips along the water.

The city is best known as the home of Saab, so car enthusiasts can explore the Saab museum, or head to the old industrial neighbourhood, now a place for museums, art and food. But it’s also got plenty of green spaces to explore on foot or by bike, and the opportunity to head to the nearby Ecopark Halle- and Hunneberg, which is not only a good hiking area but offers excellent chances of spotting elk.

Trollhättan

Trollhättan, located in western Sweden, is famous for its impressive waterfalls, as well as being the birthplace of the car manufacturer Saab. Photo by Marcus Hjelm on Unsplash

How to get there: Trains from Gothenburg to Trollhättan are regular and take around 35 minutes.

Don’t miss: The King’s Cave, a rock where visiting royals have signed their names since the 1700s. 

Food and drink: There are two good tapas restaurants, Pinchos and Majo Bar, while the Ritz Teatercafé offers delicious fika options.

Nääs Slott

There are several castles and impressive estates to visit in the towns and villages around Gothenburg, but this is one of the most spectacular. Wander around the impressive rooms (check in advance to find out the times of guided tours), but make sure to leave time to explore the surrounding nature, with water in every direction.

It’s easily doable in a morning or afternoon, but if you want to extend your day, it could be combined with a trip further northeast to Alingsås, known as Sweden’s fika capital. This is easiest by car, otherwise bear in mind that the castle is a bit of a walk from the nearest train station.

Nääs Castle

Nääs Castle, a magnificent 17th-century mansion, is located in close proximity to Gothenburg, Sweden. Photo by: Harri Blomberg / CC BY-SA 3.0

How to get there: Take a train to Floda, followed by a half-hour walk or the bus 533 to Lilla Nääs.

Don’t miss: If you’re interested in arts and crafts, look into the courses on offer at the castle. In the 19th century, Nääs was known as the best place in Sweden for handicraft.

Food and drink: The castle’s cafe and restaurant in what used to be the stables have a menu focusing on local produce, and the weekend brunch is highly recommended.

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TRAVEL NEWS

Everything you need to know about travel to, from and in Sweden this Easter

Easter tends to be the busiest travel holiday in Sweden. Here's the latest on the planned rail works, changing road rules and European strikes which could disrupt your journey.

Everything you need to know about travel to, from and in Sweden this Easter

If you’re travelling by rail

Sweden usually schedules railway maintenance work for national holidays, as fewer people are travelling to work, and Easter – with the arrival of warmer temperatures – tends to be the start of the rail works season in the southern half of the country.

The Swedish Transport Administration provides a detailed breakdown of Easter work planned. We’ve summarised the main points below. 

Stockholm 

The Citybanan commuter rail system in Stockholm will be closed between Stockholm City and Odenplan between March 29th at 10pm and April 1st at 5pm, with Stockholm’s regional travel company SL promising replacement traffic.

All rail traffic between Jakobsberg in northwest Stockholm and Stockholm City will also be cancelled throughout March 29th and April 2nd. 

Gothenburg 

Maintenance work on the tracks between Partille and Alingsås and bridge repairs between Töreboda and Gårdsjö will see regional trains between Gothenburg and Alingsås and Gothenburg and Gårsjö cancelled between March 28th and April 1st. Replacement buses will be provided. 

Buses will also replace trains between both Varberg and Halmstad and Kungsbacka and Gothenburg from 2pm on March 28th to 2pm on April 1st, as tracks and switches are connected as part of the Varberg tunnel project.

The Västtågen commuter train will still operate between Gothenburg and Kungsbacka, with the Öresundståg trains taking that route. 

Work on the new Västlänken will also mean all trains between Gothenburg’s Central Station and the Gamlestaden station in the north of the city will be cancelled all day on March 29th and on April 1st until 2pm. 

West coast 

As well as the cancellations of trains between Halmstad and Kungsbacka (see above), trains will also be cancelled between Borås and Varberg between March 28th at 2pm and April 1st at 2pm, due to roadwork around Sundholmen. Replacement buses will be provided. 

Work will continue on the tracks between Uddevalla and Stenungsund, while the most southerly part of the same track, between Ytterby and Gothenburg, will also be closed between Good Friday and April 1st at 2pm. 

Central Sweden 

Work at Karlstad’s main station could see trains cancelled between March 28th at 10pm and April 2nd at 5.20am.  

East coast 

The Stångådalsbanan railway between Linköping and Kalmar could see trains cancelled between March 30th at 2pm and March 31st at 3pm.  

Here is a map of the planned work: 

Planned rail work in Easter 2024. Photo: Swedish Transport Administration

If you’re travelling by car

Easter is one of Sweden’s busiest travel holidays, and traffic tends to be concentrated to a few days, rather than spread out as at Christmas and Midsummer.

That means queues should be expected. It’s good to plan your journey in advance, allow extra time and make stops to rest.

The E4 road between Gävle and Tönnebro tends to be particularly busy as travellers head to and from the mountains for their Easter ski trip. 

The good news for those travelling by car is that this year, no major roadworks are planned over Easter — mainly because the holiday falls so early this year that temperatures are still too close to freezing across much of the country, making it difficult to lay down new tarmac. 

If you’re travelling by air 

This year, there are no strikes directly affecting airports or airlines in Sweden,  but industrial action in Spain and the UK might affect Easter travel if you are venturing abroad.  

Workers at airports in Valencia and Madrid, two of Spain’s busiest, have announced that they will strike over the Easter period. At Madrid-Barajas airport, the UGT union has called a strike by employees of the Platform Management Service (SDP) for Wednesday 27th and Friday 29th March between 7am-12pm.

At Valencia airport, flights could be affected between Thursday March 28th and Monday April 1st, between 11am-13am, when workers will walk out and protest outside the Terminal 1 building in Manises.

The Lufthansa airline struck a deal with ground staff on Wednesday, March 27th, averting the risk of strikes over the Easter holidays, which might have affected flights to and from Germany from Norway. 

Finally, border force workers at the UK’s Heathrow Airport voted on March 22nd to strike over the Easter holidays, although walkouts will not happen until after April 8th, you won’t be affected if you are only travelling over Easter, but might be if you stay another week. 

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