12 Reasons to Visit Gothenburg in 2023 For Its 400th Anniversary Celebration

History repeats itself. When Gothenburg turned 300 in 1921, the celebrations had to be postponed for two years due to the Spanish flu pandemic and World War I. The same thing happened in 2021 when Gothenburg turned 400: the celebrations were put on hold due to a pandemic. But in June next year, Gothenburg’s anniversary celebrations will finally commence and summer 2023 will kick off with a big anniversary festival - and that’s just one of 12 reasons to visit Gothenburg next year: 1. Gothenburg Named Most Sustainable Destination in the World for the 6th Time in a Row For the sixth year in a row, Gothenburg ranks at the top as the most sustainable destination in the world. On Wednesday, the results of the Global Destination Sustainability Index 2022 were revealed, in which 70 cities in the world participate. The Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDSI), a comparative ranking, was started in 2016 by therganization Global Destination Sustainability Movement. Since the start, Gothenburg has been placed at the top every time. Learn more: Gothenburg retains first place among sustainable destinations in the world | Göteborg & Co AB (tt.se)

2. Sweden’s Most Imaginative Family Hotel Opens in April: Liseberg Grand Curiosa There’s a pony carousel in the restaurant, a slide right down into the lobby and a speakeasy cocktail bar at the new Liseberg Grand Curiosa hotel. This is a unique family hotel right next to the Nordic region’s biggest amusement park. At nine floors high and over 300,000 square feet in size, the star-shaped building has 457 rooms – all with at least five beds. Some rooms have six or seven beds, and there are connecting rooms for even larger groups. The theme park itself will also unveil a number of new features in 2023, when the park celebrates its 100th anniversary. Liseberg was originally a gift to the people of Gothenburg when the city turned 300. Learn more: Liseberg Grand Curiosa Hotel

4. Celebrate 400 Years of Gothenburg at the Anniversary Festival Gothenburg’s birthday is on June 4, and a major anniversary festival will be held on June 2–5. What better place to celebrate the port city of Gothenburg than the Frihamnen port district where there will be concerts, art, food, and activities. Following the anniversary festival, the celebrations will continue throughout the summer until September 3, culminating at the Gothenburg Culture Festival and the Göteborgsvarvet Marathon. Learn more: https://www.goteborg.com/en/guides/gothenburgs-400th-anniversary

4. Exciting Space Experiences at the New Wisdome A large wooden sphere has already become a new Gothenburg landmark. Wisdome is a spherical building that is being built on the roof of Universeum, Sweden’s national science center and one of the city’s most popular tourist destinations. When Wisdome opens in spring 2023, it will showcase space travel, dramatic film effects and the smallest building blocks of the human body on a 360° screen, using advanced visualization technology. The dome seats 150 visitors and was designed by Gert Wingårdh, one of Sweden's most internationally recognized architects. In addition to Wisdome, Universeum also features aquariums, a large indoor rainforest, and experiment rooms. Learn more: Wisdome | Universeum 5. New Harbor Open-Air Bath in the Heart of the City Made up of three pools in Sweden’s largest river Göta Älv, the long-awaited public swimming area in the popular park Jubileumsparken will open in June 2023. The pools - a round diving pool, a pool with a slide, and a lap pool - are all bottomless and the water is purified using technical solutions that will allow visitors to swim in both fresh and salt water year-round. The pools are free of charge and have a capacity of 500 persons. The iconic public sauna is currently being renovated and will be open to the public, as well as the newly built large playground that opened earlier this year. Learn more: new harbor open-air bath: goteborg2023.com

6. Gothenburg’s Tallest Sky Bar Opens at the New Clarion Hotel Draken The movie theater that hosted Göteborg Film Festival for many years, The Draken Cinema, is not only being restored but will also feature a brand new hotel. The 33-storey landmark will be topped with a sky bar and a rooftop terrace boasting views that stretch for miles and will be completed in fall 2023. Clarion Hotel Draken will be Gothenburg’s tallest hotel building, with 474 hotel rooms, 13 meeting rooms, a gym, spa and two restaurants. Drawing inspiration from Draken’s classic cinema auditorium, 1950s design will meet the present in an exciting mix. The hotel cannot be booked yet. Learn more: Nordic Choice Hotels | Hotels in the Nordics | Book hotel

7. The Göta Älv Pilgrim’s Trail – a Stroll Through the City to the Wilderness The new Göta Älv Pilgrim’s Trail runs between Gothenburg and Vänersborg, and is divided into ten varied sections. The first stretch begins at the church Masthuggskyrkan, and is an urban walk showcasing historic Gothenburg. The second stretch is a nature trail, and runs through the river Lärjeån’s beautiful valley – sometimes referred to as ‘Little Amazon’. The third stretch begins with a climb that offers wonderful views, leading onwards to heathland, lakes, coniferous forest and pure wilderness. A detailed map of the first three routes is available. From Trollhättan, walkers can continue through Sweden to Norway and Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. Learn more: https://www.westswedentrails.se/en/delled/pilgrimsleden-gota-alv#googtrans(sv|en

8. Run the first Göteborgsvarvet Marathon in 2023 On September 3, the world’s biggest half marathon will become twice as long. The Göteborgsvarvet Marathon will be a unique and historic running event as Gothenburg’s anniversary celebrations come to an end. For those who are up for the challenge, the marathon will offer fantastic views of Gothenburg, taking in both sides of the river Göta älv. More than 200,000 spectators usually line the route which runs along Gothenburg’s main boulevard Avenyn. Learn more: Göteborgsvarvet Marathon 2023 | Göteborgsvarvet (goteborgsvarvet.se)

9. Discover the Beautiful West Coast & Bohuslän Archipelago from the Fossil-Free Boat Granit Visit the sailing paradise of Marstrand, try your hand at preparing herrings on the picturesque Klädesholmen, and discover the delightful little island of Käringön. Summer 2023 will see the first four-day tour of the West Coast on board the fossil-free boat Granit. The archipelago tour features charming hotels, meals at local restaurants, and some of Bohuslän’s most beautiful coastal villages. Learn more: Boat Tours | Archipelago Select Boat Tours | Västra Götaland County 10. Jacy’z Hotel – Luxury, Cool Design, and a Pool Club on the 27th floor

This 233-room, 328-feet skyscraper is a new landmark for Gothenburg and a much bigger sister to boutique hotels Pigalle and Bellora, and was also created by Ess Group. The brand new resort has several restaurants, a sky bar, and a Miami-inspired pool club on the 27th and 28th floors. A multiplex theater with an outdoor rooftop pool will be ready in spring 2023. These are just some of the many features at Jacy’z, one of Sweden’s most spectacular hotels, which opened in November 2022. Learn more: 27 floors of magic | Jacy’z Hotel & Resort® (jacyzhotel.com)

11. The King of Sweden Celebrates 50 Years as Monarch – and Visits Gothenburg on June 4 There will be more than one significant anniversary in 2023 – Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustav also celebrates 50 years as monarch. This anniversary will be marked in Gothenburg as the city celebrates its own anniversary. On Gothenburg’s birthday, June 4, the King will give a public address and then walk in procession through the city center together with the Queen. Learn more: https://www.kungahuset.se/english

12. New Food Walk – “Gothenburg Anytime” The concept Moveat Anytime Göteborg shows you one of Sweden’s top culinary cities and its wealth of restaurants. Guided by an app, you can visit five to six selected stops in any order you like and at your own pace. Each stop includes a carefully selected tasting experience ranging from the sea to the forest and include classic restaurants as well as trendy new eateries. The food walks are available Wednesday to Saturday and cost about $40. Learn more: Moveat concept | Moveat Sweden

Photo Credits: New harbour bath, copyright @raumlaborberlin; Gothenburg view of Klippan, Copyright Per Pixel Petersson; Jacy'z Exteriör High Res-25, copyright Jacy'z Hotel & Resort®