Nya Alvsborg Fortress
An island fortress in the mouth of the Gota river that held off repeated Danish attacks, reached by boat from Gothenburg.
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Building started in the 1650s on Kyrkogardsholmen, an island in the river mouth, to cover the approach to Gothenburg, and the fortress was besieged by Danish forces several times without falling - most seriously in 1719, when it was bombarded for weeks. Afterwards it became a prison and then a store, and it now opens for the summer with boats running from the city centre. The tour takes in the church, the powder magazine, the casemates and the cells, including the one that held Lasse-Maja, the thief known for working in women's clothes. The trip out down the river past the shipyard cranes is half the point.
What you actually see
- A seventeenth-century island fortress - besieged but never taken.
- Casemates, magazine and church - on the guided tour.
- The prison cells - including Lasse-Maja's.
- The river trip out - past the harbour and cranes.
When to go
June to August, when the boats run. Three hours including the crossing.
Honest expectations
The season is short and boats are weather dependent. Access is only by that boat, on a fixed schedule. The tour is mostly in Swedish. There is little shelter on the island.
Nearby
Gothenburg harbour is upriver; Alvsborg bridge crosses above it.
What to pack for Nya Alvsborg Fortress
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
