Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [178]
Getting There & Around
Click here for transport details. To reach the attractions in Trollhättan from the train station or the Drottningtorget bus station, walk south along Drottninggatan, then turn right into Åkerssjövägen, or take town bus 21 – it runs most of the way.
You can rent bikes from the Innovatum Science Center (opposite) for Skr40/20/80 per adult/child/tandem for three hours, or Skr75/40/140 per day.
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LIDKÖPING
0510 / pop 37,770
It might be short on wow-factor, but cheery Lidköping – set on Vänern lake – is deeply likeable. Its handsome main square, Nya Stadens Torg, is dominated by the curious, squat old courthouse and its tower (it’s actually a replica – the original burnt down in 1960). A previous fire in 1849 destroyed most of the town, but the cute 17th-century houses around Limtorget still stand.
Ironically, many of Lidköping’s finest attractions (like the enchanting castle, Läckö Slott) lie some distance out of town.
The tourist office (200 20; www.lackokinnekulle.se; Nya Stadens Torg; 10am-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat, noon-6pm Sun mid-Jun–early Aug; 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat May–mid-Jun & early Aug–Sep; 10am-5pm Mon-Fri Oct-Dec; noon-5pm Mon-Fri Jan-Apr) is situated in the old courthouse, and the library (77 00 15; Nya Stadens Torg 5; 10am-8pm Mon, 10am-7pm Tue-Thu, 10am-6pm Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) has free internet access.
Sights & Activities
IN TOWN
Rörstrand Fabriksbod (823 46; Fiskaregatan 4; 10am-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat, noon-4pm Sun) is the second-oldest porcelain factory (still in operation) in Europe. There’s a vast shop selling discounted seconds and end-of-line goods, and you can even buy copies of the porcelain used at the Nobel banquets in Stockholm. The small museum (admission free) contains everything from 18th-century faience to contemporary creations.
Vänermuseet (77 00 65; Framnäsvägen 2; adult/7-18yr Skr40/20; 10am-5pm Tue-Fri, noon-5pm Sat & Sun) has geological exhibits, including an ancient meteorite and displays on Vänern (the third-largest lake in Europe at 5650 sq km). The most curious item is a 3m-long glass boat.
LÄCKÖ SLOTT
An extraordinary example of 17th-century Swedish baroque architecture, with cupolas, towers, paintings and ornate plasterwork, Läckö Slott (103 20; www.lackoslott.se; adult Skr80 early Jun-late Aug, Skr50 May-early Jun & late Aug-Sep, under 26yr free; May-Sep) lies 23km north of Lidköping near Vänern. The first castle on the site was constructed in 1298, but it was improved enormously by Count Magnus Gabriel de la Gardie after he acquired it in 1615. Admission includes a guided tour.
The lakeside castle now boasts 240 rooms, with the most impressive being the King’s Hall, with 13 angels hanging from the ceiling and nine epic paintings depicting the Thirty Years War.
Guided tours (11am-5pm May-Aug, 11am-2pm Sep) run on the hour and last 45 minutes, giving you access to the most interesting rooms, including the representative apartments, the Count’s private chambers and the King’s Hall; there’s an English tour at 3.30pm daily. Otherwise you’re free to bumble about in the kitchen, dungeon, armour chamber, chapel and castle gardens. The lower floors also contain shops and the atmospheric castle restaurant, Fataburen (lunch Skr125; noon-3pm & 6-9pm mid-Jun–mid-Aug), which uses vegetables and herbs from the castle garden.
In the castle grounds, there’s a cafe (lunch Skr85; 10am-6pm May-Aug) serving snacks and a rental kiosk (207 57; bengtsson@kajakfritid.se; 9-11am & 1-6pm Jun–mid-Aug) where you can hire swan-shaped boats (Skr180 per hour) or canoes (from Skr130 per half day) for exploring the lake.
Classical music and opera events are held in the courtyard several times weekly in July (tickets around Skr350); enquire at Lidköping tourist office.
From mid-June to mid-August, bus 132 runs four to nine times a day from Lidköping to the castle. Car parking costs Skr30.
HUSABY KYRKA & ST SIGFRID’S WELL
Husaby (around 15km east of Lidköping) is inextricably linked to Sweden’s history. King Olof Skötkonung, the