10 Best Things to Do for Couples in Gothenburg

Gothenburg Opera, located in the city centre, hosts classical music, theatre, and dances all year round. Tickets to a show can be expensive (about 300 kr or more), but the opera house offers free foyer concerts on selected Saturday afternoons – ideal if you’re on a tight budget, but still want to enjoy the arts. If you’re in the city during the annual Gothenburg Culture Festival (in August), you get to watch a variety of performances at the main stage for free.

Hagabadet has been a local favourite for relaxation since 1876, making it one of Gothenburg’s oldest spa centres. There are 3 outlets in the city centre, but the main branch is in Haga Östergata, about 700 metres north of the Skansen Kronan fortress. Hagabadet’s signature PureSpa package lets you enjoy the many steam baths (set to about 30°C–34°C) and saunas (much hotter, at 55°C–80°C), as well as yoga and meditation in a heated room. The spa has an onsite fitness centre that offers workshops on nutrition and yoga all year round.

Skansen Kronan is a 17th-century fortress located on Risåsberget Hill, about 1 km north of the Gothenburg Museum of National History. You can explore this historical site through various guided tours, including one that’s led by a former prisoner of Skansen Kronan. Outside, the hill’s grassy landscape has many park benches overlooking Gothenburg and the Göta River. Couples and families often gather here for picnics, especially in the summer months.

Slottsskogen (Castle Forest) is a family-friendly park directly across the street from Gothenburg Botanical Gardens. This 1.37 sq km green expanse attracts animal lovers with its children’s zoo, which is home to Gotland ponies, elk, sheep, seals, and penguins. Slottsskogen has a natural forest that’s popular for its nature trails and the chance to forage wild berries. The northern end of the park has an observatory that organises stargazing events for visitors in the summer months.

Gothenburg Botanical Gardens has over 6,000 plant species that are cultivated in greenhouses and landscaped gardens. Highlights include a Michelin-starred rock garden (in the Green Guide, not the restaurant guide), a kitchen garden that grows hundreds of vegetables, and a herb garden with an 18th-century summerhouse. Gothenburg Botanical Gardens are free to enter all year round, but an admission fee of 20 kr is required if you want to check out the greenhouses.

Vrango is a fisherman’s island at the southern end of the Gothenburg archipelago, which you can visit by taking a ferry from Saltholmens Terminal. This car-free island attracts those looking to experience a traditional Swedish lifestyle during their holiday. The northern and southern parts of Vrango are protected nature reserves, with hiking trails that lead to rocky cliffs overlooking the neighbouring islands. During the summer, the island’s sandy beaches, especially Nötholmen, are often packed with sunbathers and swimmers.