Things to see and do Götaland

Bird watching center (especially eagles, especially in winter) in their natural environment. Small interactive exhibition and long views on the water. Also, the site is equipped with small observation huts and free barbecues (but bring your own charcoal!). Souvenir store, café, restrooms. Even if you don't have a particular interest in birds, the place is worth a visit for a relaxing break with family or friends. You always learn something!

Björnhovda Kvarnar. 2 km east of Färjestaden you can see the king of mills, the largest in Öland.

Beijershamn. 5 km west of Vickleby, this 2 km long stone pier was built in 1850.

Bårbyborg. On the edge of road 136, this semi-circular fortress overlooks a precipice called Landborgsstupet. The panorama is magnificent.

Ottenby Kungsgård. By going up towards the north, one joins the road 136, in a landscape of hedged farmland where one sees many fallow deers. This is the territory of a royal farm, Ottenby Kungsgård, which has one of the largest flocks of sheep in Sweden.

Charles X Gustavus' wall. 6 km from the southern end of the island, a high stone wall cuts the island from east to west for 5 km. It was built in 1650, to prevent deer from leaving the Ottenby area.

Långe Jan Lighthouse and Ottenby Bird Station (Ottenby Fågelstation) - Ottenby

Eketorps Borg. 3 km further south, a small road to the west leads to the site of this^5th century stronghold, which was still inhabited in the early Middle Ages. Inside the wall, only the foundations of the houses are still visible.

Jags Museum. In Seby there is a very original museum: it celebrates the life of a man who was considered mad by his contemporaries, but who left behind a remarkable collection of sculptures and wooden furniture. A farmer who hated farm work, but was forced to do it, he presents his life's work here.

To discover this magnificent archipelago, you can take boats that shuttle to the islands of Idö and Hasselö. The first is famous for its excellent restaurants and is a refuge for many city dwellers who own holiday cottages there (if you wander around a bit, you will discover some incredible houses, notice to the architecture lovers!) On Hasselö, you can go on beautiful hikes and rent quads to ride the roads of the island at full speed; a great experience for those who want to have a thrill!

Twenty kilometers south-east of Västervik (round trip), this village of red and yellow houses built on the waterfront is one of the prettiest in Sweden, so you should not miss it! When the sun goes down, the light is superb... The amateurs of photography will leave fulfilled! Small more: this small village forms a triangle with the fishing villages of Nävelsö and Marsö, which are thus also to be visited if one is in search of picturesque!

This is the office of the West Sweden Tourist Board. Their website provides a lot of important information for great getaways and activities, as well as good tips. You can also visit the office to get personalized information, ask questions, pick up maps and brochures or buy cool souvenirs in the office store. The information is mainly in English, unless you are lucky enough to meet a French speaker, which sometimes happens!

This evening cruise around the island of Hisingen offers you the opportunity to discover its green landscapes, its steep coastline, its farmlands where cows graze, but also its port activity. During the tour, you will also discover the historical and legendary sites along the shores, and learn a lot about the region from the organizers. It is possible to opt for a dinner cruise, which allows you to embark with a light mind!

An extraordinary museum, installed at the water's edge, this watercolour museum, with a very design architecture, presents above all watercolours by contemporary artists. The museum regularly honours one or more artists in a large temporary exhibition. The exhibition changes every 6 months or so. The museum's café-restaurant is very pleasant, especially if you manage to sit at a table near the large windows that offer a nice view.

On a historic site dating from the Iron Age, located on a green hill, are scattered a dozen sculptures by contemporary artists from around the world. Alongside the old stones which, according to historians, symbolize the courts of the time, ultra-modern sculptures add a real plus to the landscape, without ever disturbing the view. It is as if these contemporary sculptures had always been there. This museum is the brainchild of Peter Lennby, who will be happy to show you his park if he is in the area.

While scouting for his film Through the Looking Glass in 1960, Ingmar Berman immediately fell in love with Fårö. Five years later, he decided to settle there. Through a permanent exhibition and permanent displays, the Bergman Center traces the work of the famous director, focusing on his relationship with the island and the films he made there. At the end of June, the Bergman Week festival welcomes film lovers and filmmakers from all over the world!

"If you think you've made a mistake, you're in the right place It is with these words written on the wall that we are welcomed and, indeed, we were close to turning back... After having crossed a very sad artisanal zone and climbed four floors, we realize however how wrong we would have been! Because this gallery created by two collectors is a paradise for lovers of photography and pop art, where big names and young talents meet. The staff is particularly welcoming and, a little bonus: coffee is included in the price of the ticket!

Medieval brick building, built around 1580 by order of the Danish king Frederik II as a residence for the bishop of Lund. A century later it was donated to the University of Lund. The tower was once used as an astronomical observatory. The building now houses the university's philosophy department. A very beautiful building that one contemplates with pleasure, that leaves one wondering and that makes one want to return to the university!

Preceded by a sculpture garden, this is an exciting and original museum! It presents the work of creating a work of art (and in particular a public monument) through sketches, models and other preparatory work.

Most of the collection is devoted to Swedish artists, while the large international room takes us into familiar territory: we discover Jean Lurçat (tapestry for Chichester College, 1952), Jean Dubuffet (Nanterre University, 1965), Sonia Delaunay (pavilion for the Paris World Fair, 1937), Raoul Dufy (with the sketch for the famous Electricity Fairy, now in the Museum of Modern Art in Paris), Henri Matisse (drawings for the chapel in Vence, 1959), Pierre Soulages (Maison de la Radio in Paris, 1963), Jean Bazaine (preparatory cartoons for the stained glass windows of the church of Saint-Séverin in Paris, 1970), Fernand Léger (Gaz de France building in Alfortville, 1955) and Marc Chagall (synagogue in Jerusalem).

Thereis also a rich Mexican collection with sketches by the main muralist painters, Diego Rivera, Juan O'Gorman and José Clemente Orozco.

Finally, the museum presents sculptures. Bourdelle and Jean Arp are present, but also Henry Moore with his Arches of the Hill, without forgetting Christo and Jeanne-Claude presenting diagrams of their famous packaging of the Pont Neuf.

Finally, on the first floor, there is a small Danish room with a model of the Andersen statue in Copenhagen and works by Robert Jacobsen and Per Kirkeby.

The lungs of the city. This huge park with a large lake was built to host the Nordic Exhibition in 1914, which was a phenomenal success. Today, it is a favourite with joggers, picnickers and dog walkers. Over the years, the park has seen a number of sculptures added. Traditional sculptures include Galathea by Nils Möllerberg and Kastanj by Bertil Nilsson. The latest sculpture, Iron by Hiroshi Koyama, pleases some and provokes others. You be the judge of what you think!

A must-see for architecture buffs! This wildly ambitious development project began in 2001 and will not be fully completed until 2035. The objective is to transform the former industrial port into a 100% energy self-sufficient eco-district, with a focus on renewable energy. The result is a modern splendor with a very Swedish minimalism: canals running along the streets, lush plazas, floating houses made of glass, wood or steel, vast lawns... and the possibility to dive directly into the Baltic Sea from Daniaparken.

The King's Park is located at the western edge of the old town, separated from the Castle Park by the Parkkanalen and from the city by Slottsgatan. An amusing detail: the castle is located in the King's Park and not in the Castle Park. It is true that there is not much difference between the two spaces, arranged in the English style from 1872 and connected by one or two footbridges. They are both a pleasant place to walk.

Literally, the people's park. It is the Tivoli of Malmö. Delightfully vintage! In the heart of the lively district of Möllevången, it is a very popular amusement park that has been around since 1893 and attracts young and old alike. Various rides, a Ferris wheel, a farm with animals, a puppet theater and other sandboxes are a delight for the little ones, while the older ones can enjoy a wide variety of restaurants, and everyone can find themselves shivering with fear at the spiders and other rattlesnakes in the Terrarium. Coffee shops, ice cream parlors..

This building, built in 1901 to house a museum at the time, was enlarged between 1997 and 2000 by Henning Larsen, the architect of the Copenhagen Opera House, who designed the huge glass façade that has earned the place its nickname of "glass calendar". Inside, the atmosphere is calm and studious, with large tables, comfortable armchairs, pretty lamps... Everything invites you to take a book and enjoy the place, if only for a few hours.

Built in the early ^14th century, this brick church in the Gothic style is said to have been modeled after a church in Lübeck. The interior is very bright and contains a spectacular carved wooden altarpiece by German artists, as well as a sandstone pulpit and baptismal font carved in the very early ^17th century by a local craftsman named Daniel Tommisen (active between 1582 and 1603). It has also preserved the remains of medieval frescoes visible in the chapel.

The national park. The first maritime sanctuary of the country dedicated to "National Park" (September 2009), Kosterhavet is a space of 450 km ² which, bordering Norwegian park Ytre Hvaler, provides protection for more than 6 000 species characteristic of this area. Its cold waters (5-7 ° C), their important salinity and the depth of the neighboring fjord (200 m) give it ocean characteristics, quite different from most of the Swedish coastlines. Nearly 200 species are actually absent elsewhere in national waters (brachiopods, corals, rare sponges…). Several projects are integrated in the creation of this marine park: protection of cultural and natural legacies, promotion of sustainable fishing, protection of corals, restoration of traditional farming and natural landscapes. For the thousands of tourists arriving every summer on this beautiful coast, this development of natural heritage translates into the possibility of discovering the places in a responsible and environmental way. Sea outings, underwater diving and park discoveries are possible. A Naturum recently opened on Nord Koster - Västra Bovägen 1 Tel (031) 60 50 00 - and this is where you will find all the possible activities on the islands surrounding and in this marine park.

From Skansen Hill, which has been turned into a shady park, there is a good view of the Haga district below, the shipyards, the old town and the river. At the top of the park, the Skansen Kronan tower, built between 1687 and 1699 of large granite stones, is topped with a huge golden crown. It is one of the remains of the city's fortifications, when Gothenburg was the only access to the North Sea, surrounded by the Norwegians to the north and the Danes to the south.

The largest animal park in Sweden. There is a very large number of species (lions, giraffes, crocodiles, etc.). The dolphin show is the most popular attraction, but that's without counting the world's first cable car in a park of this kind, which allows you to see the species from much closer! You can also learn more about animals and nature, and contribute (through your visit) to a great effort to protect endangered species.