Holiday apartment in Trollhättan: waterfalls, locks and culture

Trollhättan developed along the Göta älv near the mighty Trollhätte Falls. The Trollhätte Canal Park follows the waters of the Göta älv from Vårvik past Trollhättan City Park, Spikön and Strandgatan, through the Trollhätte Falls and Älvrummet to the Slussområdet.

Nature and landscape

The Älvrummet nature reserve protects valuable landslide slopes and forest habitats along the Göta älv. At the same time, it serves as a place for outdoor recreation and nature studies. Winding paths lead through the greenery, over the hill and along the riverbank. Kopparklinten offers another viewpoint, with views over Trollhättan and the Göta älv.

Slättbergen features a rare, flat expanse of ancient bedrock that formed more than 600 million years ago. The area consists of rare geological formations. More than 260 bird species have been recorded at Lake Hullsjön. Thus, Trollhättan brings together geological features, wooded slopes, riverbanks and a lake with a richly documented range of species.

Culture and industrial history

The Innovatum Science Center offers 4,200 m² of interactive stations, creative play areas and experiments. The exhibitions focus on sustainability, life science and space. Innovatum also holds an image archive containing nearly 100,000 historical images from Trollhättan and the NOHAB company.

Industrial history is also present at NOHAB:s Smedja. It is one of Sweden’s oldest hammer forges, is operated as a working-life museum and offers guided tours and forging activities. The Smedja is open to visitors during the summer season. The Saab Car Museum presents Saab’s history from its beginnings to the present day, decade by decade.

Konsthallen Trollhättan presents contemporary art by national, international and local artists every year. The programme includes free guided tours, exhibition openings, workshops, lectures and cultural events. The cultural spectrum therefore extends from the history of technology, transport and working life to contemporary art.

Water, locks and canal museum

The old lock systems from 1800, 1844 and 1916 have been preserved as an open-air museum and can be explored on foot. The 1916 locks are still used by pleasure boats and commercial shipping. When the gates are open, 300,000 litres of water per second can flow through the spillway of the Trollhätte Falls.

The Kanalmuseet presents the history of the Trollhätte Canal through boat models, guestbooks from the 18th century and handmade tools. The Kanalmuseet has toilets and staff on site. During summer, lock passages are offered on the M/S Elfkungen canal cruises; departures take place at the upper locks or at the city quay in the centre. Lunch, coffee and drinks are available on board.

Walking and cycling trails

Several trails explore the landscape around the river and locks. Stages 9 and 10 of the Göta Älv Pilgrimsleden pass through Trollhättan. The 14 km-long Edsvidsleden trail runs through varied nature in nature reserves and along the Göta älv. The 7.5 km-long Slussrundan is suitable for walking or jogging and leads from the centre to the locks and back.

The 10.5 km-long Trollhättan City Trail passes waterfalls, high ground, troll forests, and new and old locks. In addition, Trailhättan offers several cycling routes and mountain bike trails. The various routes connect not only individual landscape areas, but also pass the characteristic water and industrial facilities.

Visitor information and orientation

The Trollhätte Falls area has car parks, wheelchair-accessible access, toilets and a nearby bus or boat stop. The Trollhättan city train connects central visitor attractions and allows passengers to board and alight at various stops. For further orientation to nearby places, you can visit Upphärad, Sjuntorp and Trollhättan.

For the higher-level travel overview: Västra Götaland.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Sotenäs, Tanum, Svenljunga, Tibro, Partille.