Göteborgs Kommun

In contrast to the number of inhabitants, the municipality of Gothenburg is not particularly large in terms of size. At around 450 square kilometres, it is just in the middle of the 49 municipalities spread across southern Sweden's largest province, Västra Götaland.

On the west side, the municipal and urban area of Gothenburg extends to the coast of the Kattegatt and the islands of the Gothenburg archipelago south of the wide mouth of the Göta Älv river. The southern border is formed by the neighbouring province of Hallands Län and the municipalities of Mölndals Kommun and Härryda Kommun.

To the east, the municipality of Gothenburg extends to the municipalities of Partille Kommun and Lerums Kommun, and to the north to Ale Kommun and the course of the Nordre Älv river, which forms the border between Gothenburg and Kungälv Kommun.

Nature and landscape in and around Gothenburg

The landscape in the municipality of Gothenburg, with the exception of the innermost part of the city, is characterised by numerous rocky elevations that continue off the coast as islands in the Gothenburg archipelago. While the northeastern part of the municipality is forested, the naked rock, polished smooth by wind and waves, dominates the rugged coast and islands.

Göteborgs Kommun is crossed by two large rivers – the Nordre Älv, an estuary arm of the Göta Älv, which forms the northern border of the municipality, and the Göta Älv itself, which flows through the city of Gothenburg and where the harbour facilities are located. Göta Älv, which rises from Lake Vänern at Vänersborg, is the last stretch of the longest watercourse in Sweden, with a total length of 756 kilometres.

Around 60 small lakes, which are suitable for swimming, fishing and, depending on their size, also for paddling, are located in the area of the municipality. They are mainly located northeast of the immediate urban area of Gothenburg, the largest of which is the 1,200 square metre Stora Delsjön.

15 nature reserves invite you to go on excursions and get to know the different natural beauties of the region. They are mainly located in the outskirts of the municipality and on the archipelago islands, with the exception of the Änggårdsbergen Naturreservat, which forms a large green oasis on the outskirts of the Gothenburg city centre along with the neighbouring city park Slottskogen and the Botanical Garden.

Sights in and around Göteborg

Gothenburg was founded in 1621 by King Gutav II Adolf and today is a truly cosmopolitan city with a wide range of cultural activities including concerts, theatre performances, art exhibitions and fairs. It is also a frequent venue for major national and international sports events. At the same time, the city is rich in various museums, art galleries, historical buildings worth seeing and has a wealth of different parks. Not to mention the huge shopping opportunities, a wide range of restaurants and pubs and a distinct coffee house culture.

The major attractions within Gothenburg, which are also extremely interesting for children, include the Liseberg amusement park, the largest park of its kind in Northern Europe, and the Universeum, the largest science centre in Sweden. The Universeum not only offers numerous opportunities to discover scientific laws through playful experiments, but also has a large seawater aquarium and an exciting tropical hall with a piece of rainforest.

There are more than enough museums in Gothenburg, from the Volvo Museum to the faithful replica of the 18th century East India Sailor Götheborg. Among the largest and most famous museums are the Museum of Natural History with a huge collection of prepared animals and plants from all over the world and the Museum of Art, which has the largest art collection in Sweden following the National Museum in Stockholm.

Cozy cafés and picturesque old town flair can be found in the former working-class district of Haga, where you can get the biggest Kanelbullar of the city. Fish and seafood lovers, on the other hand, get their money's worth in the fish market hall Feskekörka, which looks like a neo-Gothic church with its large lancet windows.

Despite all the hustle and bustle of the city, you are never far from nature in Gothenburg. A half-hour ride on the tram line 11 to Saltholmen is enough to take the regular ferries to one of the archipelago islands and exchange the hubbub of the city for the peace and quiet of nature. All you need is a single ticket, because buses, trams and ferries form a common transport network in Gothenburg.

The municipality of Göteborg in figures

With over 570,000 inhabitants and an average population density of almost 1,300 inhabitants per square kilometre, the municipality of Gothenburg is one of the ten most densely populated municipalities in Sweden. Approximately 95% of the inhabitants live in the immediate urban area of Gothenburg, the rest are spread over the outskirts and the inhabited islands in the archipelago.