Kungsbacka – historic town on the Kungsbackaån

Historic town centre between two rivers

Kungsbacka shows its historic character particularly where the town’s history, river landscape and culture come together. A trading centre developed on the Kungsbackaån towards the end of the Viking Age and in the early Middle Ages. The medieval marketplace was later moved to the area of today’s town centre between the Kungsbackaån and Söderån. Even today, the town centre is characterised by low wooden houses, enclosed blocks and courtyards.

A striking example of the distinctive architecture is Sparbankshuset on Kungsbacka torg. Its wooden façade imitates a more restrained stone-house architecture. Röda Stugan is also one of the important historic buildings: it is Kungsbacka’s oldest building and one of two buildings that show what the town looked like before the town fire of 1846.

The market is another recurring feature of the townscape. In Kungsbacka, it takes place throughout the year on the first non-working Thursday of each month in the market square. This connects the historic urban space with a regularly recurring event in the centre.

Art and culture for different interests

Those who want to get to know Kungsbacka through art and culture will find several different formats. Kungsbacka konsthall presents exhibitions focusing on contemporary art. Each month, it also displays a work of art from the Kungsbacka municipal art collection. Digital konstrunda, by contrast, is a self-guided art walk through the town centre that combines movement with artistic stops.

Kulturhuset Fyren is a cultural centre in the heart of Kungsbacka. Its library offers workshops for children and adults. In the evening, Kungsbacka Teater and Alléteatern provide two more cultural venues in the townscape. Kungsbacka Teater is Kungsbacka’s own touring venue for concerts, dance and theatre performances, as well as stand-up comedy. Alléteatern is an independent theatre in Kungsbacka run on a voluntary basis by the Kulturföreningen Alléteatern.

Cycle paths, river and views

Kungsbacka can also be explored through its paths and waterways. The town has many walking and cycling paths where you can explore Kungsbacka by bike. You can fish in the Kungsbackaån right in the middle of Kungsbacka; the river is home to trout and salmon. This combination of an urban waterway and a nature experience sets the river landscape apart from a purely historic town setting.

Another perspective is offered by the wooden lookout point at the top of the hill in Björkris. From there, you can look out over Kungsbacka and catch a glimpse of the Kungsbackafjord. The centre is also home to Badhusparken, a green oasis between the town centre and the travel centre. The park was created as a green meeting place when the railway arrived in Kungsbacka.

Getting there and further destinations

For travel by train, Västtrafik commuter trains run between Gothenburg and Kungsbacka several times an hour and take 25 minutes. Kungsbacka Teater is just a few minutes’ walk from Kungsbacka Resecentrum. Other places in the same selection are Backa, Anneberg, Gottskär, Särö, Hammerö, Frillesås and Kullavik.

To the overarching travel overview: Kungsbacka.