Things to Do in Sweden

The biggest indoor food market in Gothenburg, upmarket Saluhallen hosts over forty shops and places to dine. Built in 1889 on the site of the former boatyard at Götaverkan, its iconic barrel roof was designed by Swedish architect Hans Hedlund.

Inside, shop at independently-owned delis for spices and cheeses, olives, fruits and chocolates. Look out for tasting samples as you wander! Organic, locally-sourced produce is as big as you'd expect in Sweden: look out for Saluhallen bakery, which sells all kinds of organic breads.

Saluhallen Kungstorget, also known under the name Stora Saluhallen, is located a block from the canal on Kungstorget (Royal Square) in central Gothenburg, There are lots of bistro style spots with daily-changing menus that offer everything from soup to fresh fish. A few of its restaurants stay open late for summer too, and have terrace bars where you can sit outside and enjoy the Swedish sun. 

Built in 1629 and known simply as Stortorget (Big Square) for two centuries, Gustaf Adolf Square gets its name from the plaza's statue of Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden from 1611 - 1632. Notice how the statue's finger points to the ground. Story goes, the king rode up Otterhällan Mountain and pointed to the fields surrounding the canal below, saying "The city shall be placed here." 

Snap a pic of yourself doing the same pose as Gustaf, and you won't be the only one. Said to be one of the great military leaders of European history, the king is said to have steered Sweden to greatness in the Thirty Years War, so Gothenburg's main square seems a fitting place for his statue.

On the north side of the square, see Gothenburg City Hall, a neoclassical dream of gleaming white pillars, and a popular place to get married. Also look out for the city's law court. Its 1934 extension, by leading Swedish architect Gunnar Asplund, has been much lauded by fans of his modernist style.

At Christmas, a huge Christmas tree lights up the center, and Gothenburg's most famous winter market fills the plaza, harking back to the 17th century when farmers' carts filled the square and boats filled with food for sale jammed the canal.

Universeum is a public science center and museum in Gothenburg, Sweden. Opened in 2001, it offers hands-on workshops in each of its six sections, including a technology lab and an rainforest exhibit, and houses one of Europe's largest aquariums.

Universeum is divided into six sections: Health, where visitors can test their flexibility and learn about the human body; Ocean Zone, an aquarium featuring over 30,000 species of fish; Space, which houses models of space pods and immersive outer space experience; The Rainforest, a greenhouse where monkeys, birds, and sloths roam free; The Reptilarium, a collection of snakes and lizards; and Water's Way, an exhibit dedicated to the biodiversity of Sweden.

Located on Sodra Vagen, the main thoroughfare in Gothenburg, the museum is often visited in conjunction with Liseberg amusement park and the Museum of World Culture.

Centrally located on the Evenemangsstraket, or "thoroughfare of events," Universeum is easily accessible on foot or by public transit. Vasttrafik trams 6 and 8 both stop in front of the museum.

While busiest on weekend afternoons, the museum's size means that it never feels overly crowded. For a quieter visit, go on a weekday afternoon.

Your Universeum admission ticket grants you access to the Chemistry Lab, open daily 2:30"“5:30pm on weekdays and 10:30am"“5:30pm on weekends. Gear up with a lab coat and goggles: Ticketed guests can take part in hourly hands-on demonstrations that range from slime making to balloon physics. Tickets are released 15 minutes before the start of each program from the board outside the Chemistry Lab.

Join the city's creative types for a stroll around Haga and once you've finished browsing the shops and admiring the unique architecture, stop by the legendary Cafe Husaren, famous for its giant cinnamon rolls "“ a Swedish specialty "“ or relax at the stylish Hagabadet Spa. Another popular pastime is climbing the nearby RisÃ¥sberget hill, where the 17th-century Skansen Kronan fortress offers stunning views over Haga below.

A large part of the opera house's popularity is due to its varied roster of entertainment and the 1,300-seat stage plays host to an array of operas, musicals, classical concerts and ballets throughout the year.  Behind-the-scenes tours are also available, offering visitors the chance to peek into the dressing rooms, watch the expert wigmakers, stage designers and costume tailors at work, and browse the extensive library, said to contain over 15 tons of sheet music.

The King's Garden, also known as Kungsan, is a popular park in central Stockholm. It hosts open air concerts and other events in the summer and is home to an ice rink in the winter months. First of May demonstrations by Sweden's left-wing parties also take place in the park each year. The park's space can be divided into four distinct areas: the Square of Charles XII, Molin's Fountain, the Square of Charles XIII and the Fountain of Wolodarski.

The origins of the park date back centuries. A royal kitchen garden was gradually transformed into an enclosed pleasure garden in the 17th and 18th centuries. The walls of the garden were demolished in the 19th century and, in 1821, most of the garden was replace by gravel, creating the square now named for Charles XIII. Molin's Fountain was added in 1866, when it was the centerpiece of a Scandinavian art and industry exposition. The entire park was redesigned in 1990 to its present form and in 2004, nearly 300 new trees were planted and new pavilions and cafes were added.

The park is surrounded by notable landmarks, including the Stockholm Synagogue on the east side of the park and the Royal Swedish Opera, Saint James' Church, the Matchstick Palace and Sverigehuset (home to the tourist information center) along the west side.

Since 1971, the castle has been maintained as a tourist attraction and boat cruises to the island are a popular choice for visitors to Gothenburg. Visits to Nya Älvsborg typically take the form of a dramatized guided tour, narrated by historic figures like King Christian IV of Denmark and Admiral Peder Tordenskiöld, while the castle's prison cells, square tower and chapel provide an atmospheric backdrop.

Located on the island of Lidingö in the Stockholm Archipelago, Millesgarden is a spectacular sculpture park and art museum created by renowned Swedish sculptor Carl Milles in the terraced gardens of his clifftop house. He built a fanciful mansion at Millesgarden in 1907 and spent many years adding to his sculpture collection before donating it to the Swedish nation in 1936. Milles died in 1955 and is buried there along with his artist wife Olga.

The works are beautifully displayed against an ever-changing backdrop of the sea, with statuary featuring in ornamental pools, on columns and in spouting fountains. Containing many stellar examples of sculpture from medieval to modern, the collection is cleverly interspersed Milles's own sinuous creations in bronze, including his famous sculpture, Hands of God.

Although the sculpture garden is the premier attraction there, the Milles's flamboyant, red-roofed family home is also open to the public, where Olga's paintings are displayed alongside original castings of Carl's sculpture. The design of the house is eclectic, with Pompeii-influenced frescoes and mosaics in the Red Room, ancient musical instruments in the Music Room and rooms full of valuable antiques. Temporary exhibitions of contemporary art can be found in the Art Gallery and the smaller Anne's House in the grounds is packed with furniture designed by Austrian-born architect Josef Frank.