I spent last spring and summer visiting Gothenburg port, on the west coast of Sweden, a lot. In fact, I’d estimate that we visited the Swedish city somewhere between twenty and thirty times during my six months on board the AIDAMar. However, being crew on a cruise ship comes with its downsides- and in all those days at the cruise port, I only had time to visit the city of Gothenburg once.
So I’m warning you all, pals. This is not a standard ‘guide to Gothenburg,’ because in one day it just wasn’t possible to get to know the city.
At least not in the same way I can get to know other ports, when we return again and again. I did have a delightful day in Gothenburg, which I’ll fill you in on, but this is more of a crew members guide, because cruise ship crew sometimes have to think outside the box when it comes to exploring.
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Why didn’t I get to see Gothenburg?
The question on everybody’s lips! First and foremost, Gothenburg tended to be the port where our ship would have to carry out a safety drill. These drills involve several hundred crew members working our way through each different stage of an emergency situation, so it’s normal to take anywhere between an hour to an hour and a half to complete. (On a bad day, even longer.) Crew members- except the exempt crew members who are working- have to be onboard for the drill, and aren’t allowed off the ship until it’s complete.
Secondly, we would often have rehearsals when we were docked in Gothenburg. As a singer, I’m lucky that I generally do get a lot of time off in the day. But that doesn’t mean we don’t work at all! Rehearsals to refresh music or choreography, re-stage shows when a colleague is sick, or to learn new material, all generally take place in the daytime. I then start preparing for the evening shows at around 5pm, and if it’s a particularly demanding show, I stay as chill as possible during the day. The travel aspect of my job is awesome, but my actual work- obviously- takes priority.
And thirdly. Gothenburg has two cruise ports- one in the city centre for smaller ships, and one on the outskirts, for the big gals. We docked at the further away cruise port- which is actually kind of far from the city- in an industrial area named Arendal, which is filled with warehouses and trucks. The drive from Gothenburg cruise port to the city takes around half an hour, although traffic can be jam-packed and you should leave wriggle room for things to go wrong. There’s a free shuttle bus running back and forth, but passengers take priority and there’s no fixed schedule. Even when I had a few hours free at Gothenburg port, sometimes it was far less risky to just stay close to the ship.
A brief introduction to Gothenburg
Is it Gothenburg, or Göteborg? Actually, it can be either. The Swedish know the city as Göteborg, but internationally it’s known as Gothenburg; and this has been the case for centuries.
Gothenburg is Sweden’s second city, and was founded in 1621 by King Gustavus Adolphus. Back in the early days it was populated by Dutch, Scottish and German settlers as well as the Swedish, and the city’s layout was modelled on other Dutch cities like Amsterdam and New Amsterdam- now known as Manhattan! For a number of years even the official language of the city was Dutch; those guys had kind of a big influence around here.
What began life as a little fishing town, became an affluent city thanks to the Swedish East India Trading Company. Gothenburg was a hub for trade with China and the Far East, and it’s still one of Sweden’s most important ports. (Although the East India Trading Company is long gone.)
Gothenburg has also been awarded the title of Europe’s most sustainable destination, five years in a row; which is surprising considering its heritage as an industrial port. With a network of mostly electric public transport, hotels which meet a set of ‘eco-friendly’ requirements, and an agenda where sustainability is at the top, this is one environmentally conscious city.
I’m impressed.
What is there to do near Gothenburg cruise port?
Gothenburg port is, at face value, not a very interesting place to dock. At least, not the Arendal part of the port, which seems to be owned mostly by Volvo, and has absolutely nothing to do with Arendelle off of Frozen. When you step off of the ship, passengers are greeted with an expanse of industrial estate. Office buildings, warehouses and a few car parks which seem to blur into one another in a mass of grey. A giant Volvo flag flutters at the top of a flagpole, clanking in the sometimes rather extreme winds.
And it rains. Often.
But that’s not to say that Gothenburg port is a complete write-off. There are things to do nearby if you look hard enough.
The Volvo Museum
Now I am not a car person, but the Volvo Museum is mere footsteps from the cruise terminal. It’s a logical place to visit, particularly if the rain is coming down hard and you still want to escape the ship. In fact, I visited the Volvo Museum so many times that I officially renamed Gothenburg Port as ‘The Volvo Museum,’ and I’ve inadvertently become a low-key expert on all things Volvo.
The museum is actually really interesting, even for non-car-fanatics like myself. The first Volvo was manufactured in 1927 right here in Gothenburg, and Volvo is one of Sweden’s most iconic brands. The museum tells the story of the company and its position within Gothenburg and the rest of Sweden, and contains a gigantic collection of vehicles to marvel at and climb in. My favourites are the old ’50s and ’60s models, but there are also service trucks and vans, and rally and racing cars on display.
Adult entry is 160 SEK, which is just under €14. Pay by card only. Or for cruise ship crew- it’s completely free! Just flash your crew ID.
Get close to nature at Måsholmen
It took me a while to realise that even though Gothenburg port seems to be a drab and very concrete-filled area, there’s a beautiful nature reserve just moments away. Turn left when you exit the port, head through the car park of never-ending Volvos, and keep going around the tiny marina. On the opposite side of the water is a beautiful park called Måsholmen.
And when I say beautiful, I really mean beautiful.
Follow the paths around the coastline, past the little white lighthouse and along to big granite boulders which are bordered with scatterings of purple heather and long swaying grass throughout summer. The park isn’t massive, but it’s a great place for a walk and to clear the air conditioning out of your lungs. There’s also a lot of wildlife to spot here if you look hard enough; my bf and I stumbled across a snake on our first day exploring.
I’m not much of a cold water swimmer myself. In fact, I’m not even a lukewarm water swimmer. But several of my colleagues have been swimming here, sunbathing on the rocks in between dips.
Is there anywhere to eat near Gothenburg port?
I presumed that this was a big fat no, but there are a few options for eating and drinking near Gothenburg port. None of them are very glamorous, but what do you expect when you’re wandering around an industrial estate?
First and foremost- the Volvo Museum! The coffee is button coffee (as in, you press a button and the cup fills up), but there are some cakes and sandwiches here and the wifi is incredible. Let’s face it- I did mainly visit for the wifi. The coffee purchases were to make myself feel better about utilising the super-fast internet for my Netflix downloads.
Next up is the dirty pizza stop. Pizzeria Carola is a strange little pizzeria at the entrance to the industrial estate, which mainly serves up lunch for the people who work here or are driving through. The crowd is a mix of men in high vis jackets, and men in suits. This is definitely not the best pizza I’ve ever tasted, however it’s also not half bad- and is significantly better than eating in the crew mess.
The West End Food Court is a buffet lunch restaurant which looks delicious, and again mostly serves the people who work in and around Gothenburg port at Arendal. The problem is that they only serve lunch from 11am-1pm. Some of my ship colleagues ate there and recommended it to me, but it was a rare treat to be outside before 12.30pm here.
That time we finally made it to the city of Gothenburg!
The monumentos day that we finally made it into the city of Gothenburg, was in fact, my birthday. As much as I enjoy the Volvo Museum and it’s speed-of-light-wifi, there was absolutely no way that I was going to spend the day learning even more about cars, in the middle of a Swedish industrial estate. No offence to Sweden, or industrial estates.
The city of Gothenburg is really, really pretty, and although it’s Sweden’s second-largest city, the pace of life here is more akin to a laid-back town. There is so much to do in Gothenburg, from exploring the old Haga neighbourhood and rambling around museums, to eating and drinking at some of the region’s best restaurants and riding rollercoasters at Liseberg.
The 27th June was one of the rare sunny days we experienced while docked here, so we actually spent most of our four free hours wandering in the sunshine. And it was blooming glorious! I’m definitely more of a nature lover than a city girl, so even in the most massive of metropolises I tend to seek out parks and open spaces to hang out in. Luckily my bf is on my wavelength.
We did some shopping- because the shopping in Gothenburg is fabulous- and ate lunch, before heading to Trädgårdsföreningen, which is a beautiful park in the centre of the city. In summer the whole place is blooming with flowers, and the highlight of the gardens is the Palmhuset- a stunning glass greenhouse filled with tropical plants. The ornate building was modelled on London’s Crystal Palace and was built in 1878 when these ornate structures were all the rage. I love a palm house, and so does Scandinavia; we found several in Denmark and Sweden.
Meandering back along the river, a boat filled with a small orchestra chugged past us who were playing all the tunes in an orchestral fashion, and we passed several of Gothenburg’s famous blue trams skimming along the tramlines filled with passengers. Fika is a must in Sweden- that’s coffee and cake to you and me- so we sat outside a cafe in the sunshine watching a different orchestra (the city was filled with them that day), before heading back to the port.
Logistical statisticals
- Uber is a thing in Sweden! If you don’t have time to hang about waiting for public transport, catch a cab instead.
- Sweden is expensive. Mentally prepare accordingly.
- Whilst summer is the best time of year to visit Gothenburg, this doesn’t guarantee sunshine. We experienced grey day after grey day here.
- English is very widely spoken in Gothenburg, and the rest of Sweden.
- Currency is Swedish Krona, although cards are widely accepted.
I enjoyed reading your post as I will be stopping here for a few hours while on a cruise. It gave me an idea of what was possible close to the port. Thanks!