Sweden: Gothenburg – Volvo Museum (World of Volvo)

January 10, 2025
Västra Götaland
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One of the things we like to do when visiting a country is to explore its cultural heritage. Sometimes this is a historical building or a National museum, on other occasions, it has something more to do with a country’s brand. An example of this is when we went to visit the ABBA museum in Stockholm. Well, another cultural brand I associate with Sweden is Volvo, and I was very excited when I discovered that there was a Volvo Museum on the outskirts of Gothenburg. Going here was too good an opportunity to miss.

We visited back in the summer of 2023 when the current was closing and moving from its location in the docks area to a more central location. It is now called the ‘World of Volvo’. It is located in a state-of-the-art wooden building. We have yet to visit the new place – but I am sure although the exhibits will be different, the classic vehicles we saw on display will be found there.

Volvo was founded upon the concept of safety in 1927. Assar Gabrielsson was appointed managing director and Gustav Larson technical manager. The trademark Volvo (which is Latin for ‘I roll’) was first registered in 1915 to use for a special series of ball bearings for the American market but it was never used for this purpose. The round logo with the arrow pointing to the right ( ♂ ) is the Greek alchemical symbol for iron.

The first Volvo car left the assembly line on 14 April 1927 and was called Volvo ÖV 4, but the first Volvo car was not introduced into the important American market until 1955. In the early 1970s, Volvo acquired the passenger car division of the Dutch company DAF and marketed their small cars as Volvos before releasing the Dutch-built Volvo 340, which went on to be a big seller in the UK market in the 1980s. In 1999, Volvo Group decided to sell its automobile manufacturing business to concentrate on commercial vehicles and was purchased by the Ford Motor Company and marketed alongside its other premium brands, Jaguar, Aston Martin and Land Rover. In 2009, Ford sold the loss-making Volvo car division to Chinese car manufacturer Geely. In July 2017, the automaker announced that beginning in 2019, all its new models would include an electric motor in their powertrain, and in 2021 said that by 2030 all Volvo cars would be electric.

The Volvo Museum had examples of many of the early models of their cars from the 1920s onwards. Some of them were incredibly beautiful and you could see the high-quality level of the manufacture. The museum followed the chronological history of Volvo cars from the best-selling (and in my opinion ugly) 340 to the modern-day SUVs. In the collection was a Volvo P1800 driven by Roger Moore in his role as Simon Templar in the TV series ‘The Saint’, a truly stunning car.

As well as the production cars they had examples of commercial vehicles, including ambulances, police, and military vehicles. The exhibit had an LV70 Fire Truck from 1934 and a 1968 Volvo P210 Duett Post Office Van.

The section on Volvo’s performance vehicles from 2001 to 2014, including the sporty models Volvo V50 SV, Volvo S80 Heico Concept HS8 HPC and Volvo S60 Polestar.

The ground floor of the museum was dedicated to other areas of the Volvo business, including marine motor and commercial vehicles including buses, construction equipment and trucks. To be honest, these were impressive, but my favourite part of the exhibition was the Volvo cars from the 1920s through the 1950s.

Planning your visit to the World of Volvo

By public transportation
The nearest tram stop to World of Volvo is Liseberg Södra. For timetables and further information, please visit the Västtrafik website.

By car
GPS coordinates: Lat: N 57 º 41’ 24” Long: E 11º 59′ 50”

By train
From Gothenburg Central Station take tram 2 or tram 4 to tram stop Liseberg Södra. You can find timetables for these trams on the Västtrafik website.

By air
Airport coaches run from Landvetter airport and stop at Korsvägen. From there you can take tram 2 och 4 to tram stop Liseberg Södra.

Getting around Gothenburg

In Gothenburg, trams, buses and boats are always included, regardless of which ticket or public transport card you travel with. All tickets and travelling cards can be purchased at any of the public transport operator Västtrafik’s sales outlets, or in the app To Go. The outlets are recognised by their blue flags and façade décor. Most of them are kiosks like Pressbyrån and 7-Eleven, or grocery stores.

Single ticket

A single ticket for an adult is available from 36 SEK, and can be purchased in the app Västtrafik To Go. Please note that you need to have bought your ticket before the journey begins.

24-hour ticket

Västtrafik offers 1- and 3-day tickets that are suitable for visitors that are travelling a lot in a short time. The day ticket costs from SEK 115 (2024) and is purchased in the To-Go app. Read more about different day tickets at vasttrafik.se.

Summer ticket

If you want to stay a little longer in Gothenburg and want to explore the surrounding region, Västtrafik’s summer ticket may be suitable. With it, you can get around on summer excursions in the entire Västra Götaland region and Kungsbacka municipality for 30 days. As an adult, can bring up to three people under the age of 20 for free.

Boats and ferries

There are three routes that takes you across and along the river Göta älv.

The ferry line 285 takes you along the river, from Lilla Bommen to Klippan, via Stenpiren, Lindholmspiren, Slottsberget and Eriksberg. The ferry is included in your regular bus and tram ticket. Timetable line 285.
The ferry line 286 takes you across the river between Stenpiren and Lindholmspiren. It’s free, so you don’t need a ticket. Timetable line 286.
From May 6, 2024, the new ferry line 287 runs between the stops Stenpiren and the new ferry stop Lundbystrand at Hisingen. Timetable line 287.

Eating out for vegans in Gothenburg

MIM (More Is More) – Open: Wed-Thurs 5pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-11pm, Sun 4pm-9pm. Herkulesgatan 40, mimgbg.com
Kafé Frilgret – Open: Tues & Wed 9am-8pm, Thurs & Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 12 noon-5pm. Heurlins Plats 1, frilagret.se
Blackbird Vegankok & Bar – Open: Tues-Thurs 5pm-9pm, Fri & Sat 5pm-11pm. Stigbergsliden 3, blackbirdvegan.se
St Agnes Kafé – Open: Tues-Fri 11am-6pm, Sat & Sun 11am-4pm. Teatergatan 30-32
Kafé Magasinet – Open: Mon-Thurs 9am-midnight, Fri & Sat 9am-2am, Sun 9am-midnight. Tredje Långgatan 9 kafemagasinet.se
Brewers Beer Bar- Open: Mon 4pm-11pm, Tues-Thurs 4pm-midnight, Fri 4pm-1am, Sat 1pm-1am, Sun 1pm-11pm. Tredje Långgatan 8, brewersbeerbar.se

The best time to visit Gothenburg

Resting on the west coast of Sweden, Gothenburg, experiences a Marine west coast, warm summer environment, categorized as Cfb according to the Köppen climate classification. This predominate climate signifies that the city experiences a moderate temperature range annually, with no dry season and a warm, but not hot, summer. Given this geoclimatological setting, Gothenburg’s weather fluctuates throughout the year, demonstrating distinct variations in different climatological parameters.

The best time to visit Gothenburg

Owing to the city’s climate characteristics, picking the most suitable period to explore Gothenburg mainly depends on the desired activities and temperature preferences of the visitors. June, July, and August are the best months for those who prioritize outdoor activities. Temperatures during this period are not excessively high, staying between 20.1°C (68.2°F) and 22.9°C (73.2°F). Furthermore, the city enjoys the highest levels of daylight, ranging from 15.2 hours in August to the impressive 18 hours in June.

The worst time to visit Gothenburg
If visitors prioritize warmth and extensive daylight, the months of January and February might be less appealing for a trip to Gothenburg. Although the city does not experience harsh winters, temperatures can drop to an average low of negative 2.1°C (35.8°F), while the average high during these months hardly exceeds 2.7°C (36.9°F). Precipitation is relatively low, with 68mm (2.68″) in January and just 41mm (1.61″) in February, yet these are also the months that receive the fewest daylight hours: 7.4 in January and 9.4 hours in February.

Where to stay in Gothenburg

1. Mid Range: Hotel Lorensberg

The family-owned Hotel Lorensberg is within 5 minutes’ walk of Gothenburg’s Scandinavium Arena and Liseberg Amusement Park. It offers free WiFi and free coffee throughout the day.

Over 100 unique paintings decorate the walls of Lorensberg Hotel. Rooms include a flat-screen TV. Some also have a seating area.

2. Luxury – Dorsia Hotel & Restaurant

This modern and exclusive boutique hotel, 6 minutes’ walk from Gothenburg Central Station, is just 200 metres from Kungsportsplatsen Tram Stop. It offers free WiFi and a contemporary restaurant with bar.

Bold décor and luxury Carpe Diem beds with Egyptian cotton bedding are featured in all Dorsia Hotel rooms. Each includes a minibar, bathrobes with slippers and an internet-connected Lava Invit TV with free movie channels.

International cuisine with French influences is served at Dorsia Hotel & Restaurant

3. Budget -City Hotell Avenyn

Located next to main pedestrian street Avenyn, the convenient City Hotell Avenyn offers easy access to all of Gothenburg’s sights. Stay just a 10 minute walk from the Liseberg Amusement Park and the Svenska Mässan Conference Centre.