Summary
When this city in Östergötland County thrived as an industrial center in the 1900s, it earned the designation “Little Manchester.” This description becomes clear upon visiting the Industrilandskapet, a district filled with preserved 19th and 20th-century textile factories and warehouses that have been repurposed into residences, university facilities, and attractions.
Norrköping’s advantageous position along the Motala ström facilitated industrial growth starting in the 17th century. This vigorous river courses from Glan lake to Bråviken bay on the Baltic Sea, with its banks housing many of Norrköping’s prominent landmarks. Visitors can explore parks, museums, remnants of ancient rock carvings, and a unique trail that meanders through a valley of rhododendron bushes.
Let us delve into the most notable activities in Norrköping:
1. Arbetets Museum (Museum of Work)
Located on the Laxholmen river island within the Motala ström, this museum focuses on the evolution of work life in Sweden, encompassing both contemporary and historical perspectives from the Industrial Age.
Housed within the Strykjärnet, an architecturally distinct former textile mill established in 1917, the museum adapts creatively to the island’s limited space.
The museum hosts long-term exhibitions, primarily illustrating the historical and prospective landscape of industry from social and environmental viewpoints.
The permanent exhibition highlights the significance of the Strykjärnet in the local textile industry.
Central to this is a poignant portrayal of “Alva,” a woman who worked at the Strykjärnet from 1927 to 1962.
2. Industrilandskapet
Norrköping’s industrial legacy is preserved in this region along the Motala ström, remaining prominent over 30 years after the city’s last factories ceased operation.
These monumental structures from a bygone era predominantly date from 1850 to 1920 and are now repurposed as cultural venues, eateries, a campus for Linköping University, an art school, a visitor center, and a science park.
Exploring this vibrant and atmospheric area on foot reveals a network of footbridges above the water and a significant weir that has transformed into an ornamental waterfall.
3. Stadsmuseum
Located across the water from the Arbetets Museum, the city museum narrates the development of Norrköping from the 1600s to the contemporary era.
Industrial history is a major theme, alongside galleries showcasing the city’s extensive maritime heritage.
Visitors can observe depictions of urban and rural life from earlier periods, highlighting traditional crafts and agricultural techniques, with more than 50 showcased. Significant focus is given to the historic textiles industry, with fully restored machines demonstrating the processes of weaving, spinning, and carding.
Adjacent to the museum, the Knäppingen café and restaurant offers visitors a chance to dine within cellar vaults dating back to the 1600s.
4. Himmelstalund
Located along the Motala ström, west of the city center, is a vast green space.
This area features various facilities open during summer, including camping spots and swimming areas.
For over 150 years, the site has captivated visitors with its collection of prehistoric petroglyphs carved into large stone panels within the park.
These engravings, totaling over 1,600, depict various scenes of boats and hunting, featuring intricate representations of animals, humans, and tools.
Dating back more than 3,500 years to the transition between the Stone Age and the Bronze Age, the site is easily navigable via wooden footbridges, complemented by informative boards explaining the carvings.
5. Åbackarna
The journey to Himmelstalund from the center of Norrköping is enjoyable in itself.
This walking path, referred to as Åbackarna, offers a variety of attractions while tracing the course of the Motala ström.
Highlights include the rhododendrondalen (Valley of Rhododendrons), a pathway filled with breathtaking rhododendron bushes, particularly vivid during their blooming seasons in spring and summer.
This scenic area lies beneath the affluent Kneippen neighborhood, historically home to bourgeois industrialists in the early 20th century, showcasing numerous beautiful residences.
Additionally, visitors will find a herb garden and come across Femöresbron, a river bridge constructed in 1901, currently undergoing replacement.
6. Karl Johans Park
This park was established in 1887 when the “Karl Johans Torg” square was transformed into a green space.
At its center stands a statue of King Charles XIV John, cast in Munich and installed here in 1846, two years posthumously.
By the latter part of that century, Norrköping began using its greenhouse to cultivate cacti and other succulents.
Each summer since 1920, these plants are brought out from their winter quarters and arranged in intricate designs within designated spaces of Karl Johans Park.
The theme changes annually, typically commemorating an anniversary of one of the city’s institutions, involving 5,000 to 6,000 individual cacti in the display.
7. Norrköpings Konstmuseum
The city’s art museum stands as a significant cultural establishment, housing a diverse collection of Swedish artworks ranging across numerous centuries and artistic movements.
The primary emphasis, however, revolves around 20th-century Modernism, exhibited through paintings, sculpture, photography, and video art, making it one of the premier collections of this movement in the country.
The print collection is remarkable, featuring around 25,000 works dating back to the 1400s.
Visitors should also explore the sculpture garden, which showcases 11 pieces from renowned Swedish modern sculptors such as Bror Hjorth, Arne Jones, and Carl Millies.
Additionally, expertly curated temporary exhibitions feature individual artists or specific themes, enriching the overall experience.
8. Louis De Geer Konsert & Kongress
A centerpiece of the Industrilandskapet, the Holmens Bruk paper mill operated from 1609 until 1988. Planning for a concert hall began soon after its closure, culminating in the venue’s opening in 1994, which remains an architectural marvel to this day.
The performance hall accommodates 1,380 attendees and serves as the principal location for the esteemed Norrköping Symphony Orchestra.
The venue bears the name of Louis de Geer, a Dutch industrialist instrumental in establishing the region’s first blast furnaces in the 17th century, which contributed to Norrköping’s development into Sweden’s second-largest city.
9. Hedvigs Kyrka
Situated at Tyska Torget, the city’s most picturesque church, dedicated to Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp, was constructed in the latter decades of the 17th century.
Following a devastating fire during the Russian assault of 1719, the church was largely destroyed, yet remains a notable feature in Norrköping.
The church’s exterior is understated, while interior spaces are adorned in the Rococo style, filled with intriguing historical ornaments.
Notable pieces include a pulpit crafted in Germany and transported here in the 1720s, a baptismal font from 1608 that previously belonged to Stegeborg Castle, and stunning stained glass windows created by 20th-century glass artist Jan Brazda.
10. Tyska Torget
Hedvigs Kyrka is centrally located in a square shared with three of Norrköping’s most impressive structures: the City Hall, the former Private Bank, and the Grand Hotel.
All designed in variations of the National Romantic architectural style, these buildings were constructed in close succession at the turn of the 20th century and dominate the square’s skyline.
Take a moment to appreciate the facade of the City Hall, crafted from bricks baked in Helsingborg, which culminates in a tower topped with a 4.5-meter golden statue of its patron saint, St. Olaf.
In the early 20th century, a popular saying described the square as having four temples: one dedicated to the Lord (the church), one to Lady Justice (City Hall), one to Mammon (the bank), and one to Bacchus (the hotel).
11. Lövstad Castle
Located a short drive southwest, this impressive 17th-century estate was commissioned by Axel Lillie, a military leader at the Battle of Breitenfeld during the Thirty Years’ War.
In the 18th century, it was passed to the Piper family, remaining under their stewardship until 1926, when the last private owner, Emilie Piper, passed away.
Since then, it has operated as a museum, preserving its furnishings as they were in 1926, and is open for visitors during the summer months.
The guided tour showcases art, furniture, ceramics, glassware, clothing, and tapestries with histories spanning over three centuries.
The blacksmith forge houses a year-round restaurant, and the estate is enveloped in beautifully landscaped parkland featuring a small Baroque garden adjacent to the main building and an expansive English garden accessible throughout the year.
12. Johannisborg Castle Ruins
In the 17th century, the primary defense of Norrköping against potential attacks from the Baltic Sea was a formidable fortress completed in 1639. The fortress featured a five-point star design, with a residence designated for Duke Johan of Östergötland, the son of King Johan III and nephew of Karl IX, situated at its center. However, in 1719, Russian troops razed the entire stronghold, leaving only the gate tower, which underwent restoration in the 1930s.
The ruins now occupy an expanse frequently utilized for grazing, and the remnants of the earthworks encircling the remaining tower are easily discernible.
13. Kolmården Wildlife Park
Only 30 minutes from Norrköping, Scandinavia’s largest zoo is home to over 600 animals representing 85 species.
This destination uniquely combines the characteristics of a traditional zoo and a theme park, highlighted by the introduction of the wooden rollercoaster, Wildfire, in 2016, which features three inversions.
Furthermore, in 2011, the park introduced an innovative Safari Gondola that offers an aerial view over five different enclosures, providing an up-close perspective of lions, Scandinavian forest species such as deer and bison, savannah animals including giraffes, and even llamas and ibex.
The park is also renowned for its dolphinarium, which hosts intricately choreographed shows throughout the day.
14. Göta Canal
This monumental construction project, one of the largest in Sweden’s history, connected Gothenburg on the western coast with the town of Söderköping on the Baltic Sea.
Excavation of the canal took place from 1810 to 1832, and since then, pleasure cruises have largely replaced cargo vessels.
About two million people navigate the canal annually during the summer, although enjoying the beautiful surroundings does not necessitate directly hiring a boat.
Located approximately 15 minutes from Norrköping is the Brådtom Sluss, one of several locks positioned along this route.
A café and picnic tables are available, allowing visitors to relax while observing boats as they pass through the lock, which elevates or lowers vessels by 2.3 meters as they continue on their journey.
15. Söderköping
The eastern terminus of the Göta Canal lies even closer to Norrköping and boasts a charming historic center.
The town’s architectural landscape primarily dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries, though there are medieval monuments present as well.
St. Lawrence’s Church and Drothem Church were constructed during the 12th and 13th centuries, respectively, and are considered essential visits; St. Lawrence’s Church features exquisite wooden artwork from the 1400s, restored after a fire in the 15th century.
Ramundeberget, a hill to the north of the town, offers steep slopes ideal for climbing, leading to an observation platform that presents the best climbing walls in the region.
Lastly, visitors can view Mems Sluss, marking the final lock that separates the Göta Canal from the Baltic Sea.
