Trollhättan on the Göta River: Locks, Museums and Nature

Göta River and Canal Park

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

Other places in the destination also include Upphärad, Sjuntorp and Trollhättan.

Nature

The Älvrummet nature reserve protects valuable landslide slopes and forest habitats along the Göta River and serves outdoor recreation as well as studies of natural history. Kopparklinten offers a viewpoint overlooking Trollhättan and the Göta River.

Slättbergen features a rare, flat bedrock surface formed more than 600 million years ago and consists of rare geological formations. More than 260 bird species have been recorded at Hullsjön.

Culture and History

Innovatum Science Center offers 4,200 m² of interactive stations, creative play areas and experiments. The center’s exhibitions focus on sustainability, life science and space. In addition, Innovatum’s image archive contains nearly 100,000 historical images from Trollhättan and the company NOHAB.

Konsthallen Trollhättan presents contemporary art by national, international and local artists every year. It also offers free guided tours, exhibition openings, workshops, lectures and cultural events. The Saab Car Museum conveys the history of Saab from its beginnings to the present day, decade by decade.

NOHAB:s Smedja is one of Sweden’s oldest forge workshops. It operates as a working-life museum and offers guided tours and blacksmithing activities; it is open to visitors during the summer season. The old lock facilities from 1800, 1844 and 1916 have been preserved as an open-air museum and can be crossed on foot.

The Canal Museum presents the history of the Trollhätte Canal through boat models, 18th-century guest books and handmade tools. The locks from 1916 are still used by leisure boats and commercial shipping.

Trails, Water and Activities

Stages 9 and 10 of the Pilgrimsleden Göta Älv pass through Trollhättan. Edsvidsleden is a 14 km trail through varied nature in nature reserves and along the Göta River. The 7.5 km Slussrundan is suitable for walking or jogging and leads from the center to the locks and back.

Trailhättan offers several cycling routes and mountain bike trails. The 10.5 km Trollhättan City Trail passes waterfalls, high ground, troll forests, and new and old locks. Älvrummet has winding paths through the greenery, over the hill and along the riverbank.

When the gates are open, 300,000 liters of water per second can flow through the channel of the Trollhätte Falls. In summer, the M/S Elfkungen offers canal cruises with lock passages; departures take place at the upper locks or at the city quay in the center. Lunch, coffee and drinks are served on board the M/S Elfkungen’s canal cruises.

On Site

The Trollhätte Falls area has parking, wheelchair-accessible access, toilets and a nearby bus or boat stop. The Canal Museum has toilets and staff on site. The Trollhättan City Train connects central visitor attractions and allows passengers to get on and off at various stops.

To the higher-level travel overview: Västra Götaland.

More About the Destination

Relevant information for planning your trip:

Uddevalla-Trollhättan.

More Destinations

More places within the same destination:

Gothenburg, Götene, Mölndal, Vårgårda.