Liseberg Nöjespark (Liseberg Park)
It's almost unfair to compare this amusement park to Copenhagen's Tivoli, which is the best of its kind. But Liseberg stands on its own as the top tourist attraction in Sweden in terms of number of visitors. It lacks the lavish sense of nostalgic kitsch of Tivoli, but in terms of size, it is the biggest amusement park in northern Europe. From roller coasters to live bandstand music to flower gardens, it is a world of yesterday. In business for some 8 decades, it makes more frequent concessions to popular (usually American) culture than you're likely to find within Tivoli. Singles and romantic couples stroll frequently along paths flanked with immaculately maintained flowerbeds, and entire families sometimes make visits here the focal point of their summer holiday. Some of Sweden's best performing artists entertain every summer at Stora Scenen, the park's main stage. An ongoing attraction within the park is the Gasten Ghost Hotel, filled with things that go bump in the night. Other adventure rides include the Källerado rapid river, a simulated white-water trip through the wilds of northern Sweden, and the HangOver, the most harrowing roller coaster in northern Europe, which travels at a frightening speed along the usual bends and loops. The Tornet is a circling observation platform, visible from most points in Gothenburg, that carries its participants to dizzying heights above the cityscape, where they remain aloft for up to 7 panoramic minutes. The Rocket Launcher fires you 60m (197ft.) into the air; at the top, you'll be weightless before you come screaming back down.
For the younger set, there's a children's playground with a circus, a kiddie roller coaster, and a rabbit house where the Liseberg rabbits live. Like in Disneyland, there also is a Fairy Tale Castle where knights, fair damsels, and other period figures amuse children, plus a Dragon Boat ride straight from Sweden's Viking era. Many Gothenburgers like to come here in summer to dine, as there are at least two dozen dining spots within the park, about two thirds of them devoted to wursts, sausages, and fast food and the rest to more elaborate seafood and steaks.
It's almost unfair to compare this amusement park to Copenhagen's Tivoli, which is the best of its kind. But Liseberg stands on its own as the top tourist attraction in Sweden in terms of number of visitors. It lacks the lavish sense of nostalgic kitsch of Tivoli, but in terms of size, it is the biggest amusement park in northern Europe. From roller coasters to live bandstand music to flower gardens, it is a world of yesterday. In business for some 8 decades, it makes more frequent concessions to popular (usually American) culture than you're likely to find within Tivoli. Singles and romantic couples stroll frequently along paths flanked with immaculately maintained flowerbeds, and entire families sometimes make visits here the focal point of their summer holiday. Some of Sweden's best performing artists entertain every summer at Stora Scenen, the park's main stage. An ongoing attraction within the park is the Gasten Ghost Hotel, filled with things that go bump in the night. Other adventure rides include the Källerado rapid river, a simulated white-water trip through the wilds of northern Sweden, and the HangOver, the most harrowing roller coaster in northern Europe, which travels at a frightening speed along the usual bends and loops. The Tornet is a circling observation platform, visible from most points in Gothenburg, that carries its participants to dizzying heights above the cityscape, where they remain aloft for up to 7 panoramic minutes. The Rocket Launcher fires you 60m (197ft.) into the air; at the top, you'll be weightless before you come screaming back down.
For the younger set, there's a children's playground with a circus, a kiddie roller coaster, and a rabbit house where the Liseberg rabbits live. Like in Disneyland, there also is a Fairy Tale Castle where knights, fair damsels, and other period figures amuse children, plus a Dragon Boat ride straight from Sweden's Viking era. Many Gothenburgers like to come here in summer to dine, as there are at least two dozen dining spots within the park, about two thirds of them devoted to wursts, sausages, and fast food and the rest to more elaborate seafood and steaks.
Details
Bookstore
Available as paperback
and as e-book.
