Stadsmuseum (City Museum) is a great first stop during your stay in Gothenburg because you’ll find a detailed account of the history of the city. It is one of the city’s finest buildings. Browse exhibits dedicated to the earliest humans in the area, stand before the only Viking ship on display in Sweden and then investigate the collection of fine Chinese ornaments.
The museum is housed in the former headquarters of the Swedish East India Company. This 18th-century building now incorporates 10 permanent galleries and various temporary exhibits, making it one of the most comprehensive museums in the country.
Start in the exhibit titled “The Traces Speak” to see discoveries made by archaeologists and then learn about the effects humans have had on the land. A highlight for many is the Viking exhibition, which contains the magnificent Äskeskärrsskeppet. This longboat was discovered nearby in the Göta River and has inscriptions in the runic alphabet.
The Göta features prominently in the Gate to the West exhibit, which chronicles Sweden’s European trade. See priceless items, such as a wooden cabinet from the 1400s, and learn about the formation of the Gothenburg bastion by Dutch immigrants.
Browse fine Chinese artifacts, acquired from Gothenburg’s early travellers to the Far East. Another comprehensive exhibit, dedicated to the East India Company, contains portraits, diaries and porcelain objects belonging to the heads of the company. Take your children to the delightful historically themed play area.
City Museum occupies a whole block next to the Grand Harbour Canal and is within easy walking distance from any place in central Gothenburg. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday and on Wednesdays evenings, but closed on major public holidays. You can take a break for a meal in the museum’s café on weekdays.
There is a small charge for entry for people 25 years and older, but the ticket allows unlimited entry to the Stadsmuseum and some other government-sponsored museums for a year.
