On to Sweden! Next stop, Liseberg

Denmark, Summer 2023, Sweden, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This is the fifth in a series of blog posts documenting our 2023 summer holiday: a wonderful road-trip around Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

Day 5: July 28, 2023

Today we said farvel to Denmark (for now) with a 315km road trip to Gothenburg (Göteborg).

But before we could leave Denmark we needed to get some more Danish pastries for the road. And where better than at a Lagkagehuset? For we Brits that’s the chain of bakeries that we are more familiar with as Ole & Steen.

Pastries procured we started our drive towards another landmark of Danish culture – the Øresund Bridge. This crossing had been firmly embedded in my consciousness after my very first visit to the Government Digital Service offices and a pub conversation about this incredible new Danish-Swedish thriller. Suffice to say Christine and I absolutely loved Bron/Broen and here we were with our opportunity to follow in the wheel tracks of Saga, Martin and Henrik.

Aerial view of the 8km Øresund Bridge taken from a plane. The artificial island of Peberholm is visible in the foreground where the road disappears into the 4km Drogden Tunnel. The sea is bright and blue and the sky is clear with a few scattered clouds.
A photo of the Øresund crossing taken by my pilot friend Chris from the cockpit of his Easyjet

I had forgotten that as well as being an 8km long road and railway bridge, that the Øresund crossing starts with a 4km tunnel (the Drogden Tunnel) linking the Danish island of Amager with the artificial island of Peberholm. I also hadn’t realised that every time that olive green Porsche did the crossing that it would take a good half an hour and cost £55 (maybe the police have an exemption).

Hej Sverige

We knew before we set off that we were going to be in Gothenburg for two nights and we knew there were two things we were going to do while we were there. But we weren’t immediately sure which way round we were going to do them because one of the activities was weather dependent, and one of the activities was not.

With the sun shining and the weather looking glorious that meant we made the decision at 0800 that we were going to make today the Liseberg day even though we weren’t going to get there until a couple of hours after it had opened at 1200 and despite it being another expensive outing.

As with Tivoli Gardens there was an array of choice about what ticket packages to pick. We settled on the All-in-One tickets – full fat for Christine and me (~£45 each), a Mini for Ezra (~£35), and a Mini under 110cm (~£25) for Eleanor. They’ve slightly changed these tickets now meaning that we’d probably have had to buy Ezra a full priced ticket to go on some of the things we did.

The Liseberg ticket didn’t include photos from any of the rides and I was again impressed that there was no mechanism by which people could pay to skip the queue. There was however a technology enabled virtual queuing system that meant we could hold a time to go on a different ride at a later time. I loved how they’d designed the mechanics of this in that you could only stand in one virtual queue at a time and that slots were made available on an ongoing basis. Just a nice way to help make sure you rode the rides you really wanted to without having to feel like you were sacrificing the rest of your experience for it.

A woman wearing sunglasses stands in a brightly lit environment, smiling while posing for the camera. She is flanked by two children, both wearing orange life jackets. The background features colorful posters or artwork, and other people can be seen in the distance. The scene conveys a fun, outdoor activity atmosphere.

We parked in the Liseberg car park (again with the neatly straightforward Parkering Göteborg app and headed into the park, which was pretty busy.

We joined the queue for the first ride we came across, the Skepp o’skoj which was a good start to our time in the park as it was something both Ezra and Eleanor could ride.

A large, fluffy green character in a black cape is bending down to give a child a hug. The child appears to be wearing light blue pants and a white top with a colorful design. In the background, there are people walking and a building with a window. The scene is cheerful and captures a playful moment.
A young child stands in a wooden structure, smiling and raising one hand in a playful gesture. They are wearing a brown t-shirt and a cap. In the background, greenery is visible, along with rustic buildings and a glimpse of water. Sunlight filters through the scene, adding a warm glow.
A man and a young boy smiling for a selfie inside an amusement park ride. The man has glasses and is wearing a black shirt, while the boy is wearing an orange shirt and a green hat. The background shows the interior of the ride. Both are looking happy and excited.
A smiling adult and a child are taking a selfie while sitting on a brightly colored amusement park ride. The child is wearing a cap and has a playful expression, while the adult has glasses and a relaxed smile. The background features trees and the structure of the ride, suggesting a fun day out.

In contrast to Tivoli Gardens where most of the rides were suitable for Eleanor, Liseberg represented a step up in the intensity and thrills on offer.

A man with glasses sits at a wooden table, smiling slightly with his arms crossed. Next to him, a young boy with short hair is eating a sandwich and looking at the man. The table is set with a water carafe, a candle, and plates of food. There are also glasses of soda. The background features wooden walls.
A table in a restaurant featuring half-eaten pizza on a round plate, alongside two empty plates. One plate has remnants of food, while the other is mostly clean. Several glasses of drinks, including a glass of red wine, a bottle of cola, and a glass of water, are visible. Partial views of people's arms are in the image, and the wooden table adds to the cozy atmosphere.
A close-up view of two pizza plates on a wooden table. In the foreground, a pizza with pepperoni and cheese is partially eaten. In the background, a smaller piece of pizza with toppings sits on a dark plate, while a person's hand is seen using a fork to eat. A glass of soda and some empty glasses are also visible on the table.

The other thing we were trying to juggle in Gothenburg was a way to benefit from the American Express Global Dining Credit which offered us a significant credit towards a slap up meal at a fancy restaurant. We had thought there might be options for us to use it in Copenhagen or later in Oslo but in the end the only location on our holiday was Gothenburg. Which was lucky for us as we got to eat at Grano.

We booked a table for 1600, which was a good moment to take a break from the park. We retrieved the car and drove over to the restaurant. An hour later we were back on the road heading to check in at our accommodation at the Liseberg connected Lisebergsbyn where we had booked a couple of nights in a Bohusbyn cabin to include breakfast (£150 per night).

Check in sorted we walked back down the road to the tramstop that would take us almost to the front doorstep of Liseberg. So, by 1830 we were back in the park. Yes, that’s right in Sweden they also open their parks into the evening and so rather than already being shut by now we could look forward to several more hours of fun.

A young girl with curly brown hair is sitting on a ride, smiling and giving two thumbs up. She is wearing a light yellow shirt with a colorful design and blue pants. A blue cap with cartoon graphics sits atop her head. In the background, there are green bushes and a red structure.
A young boy smiles and gives a thumbs-up while sitting in a seat, wearing a gray cap and an orange t-shirt. Green foliage is visible in the background, suggesting an outdoor setting.
A lively indoor bumper car arena featuring several colorful bumper cars on a smooth floor, surrounded by wooden railings and natural light coming in from large windows. The atmosphere is filled with excitement, as people enjoy the ride.
A group of people riding a roller coaster, smiling and enjoying the experience. In the foreground, a man with glasses and a young boy are taking a selfie. Behind them, a woman with glasses and several other riders can be seen, all looking happy and excited. The background features part of the amusement park with colorful rides.
A young child with curly hair and a bright smile is sitting on a carousel horse. The carousel is adorned with lights, and there are other riders in the background, including a woman in a light-colored top. The setting appears to be a carnival or amusement park.
A crowd of people walking along a path at night, with a tall building illuminated in green lights in the background. The sky is darkening, and decorative lights line the path, creating a festive atmosphere.
A smiling family poses for a photo at a carnival or amusement park in the evening. A man with glasses holds a young girl on his shoulders, both wearing festive attire. A boy stands beside them, holding a toy, while a woman stands on the other side, smiling at the camera. Colorful lights and a Ferris wheel can be seen in the background, creating a festive atmosphere.

About Benjamin Welby

I’m Benjamin Welby. I live in Croydon with my wife and two children. I church at Croydon Vineyard. We’ve had season tickets for Bradford City since 2007. I’ve got degrees in History, Post-War Recovery and Public Administration and have spent the last 15+ years working at the intersection of digital transformation and good governance. I began my career in local government, went on to help launch GOV.UK and most recently worked on defining global standards for digital government at the OECD. I'm currently currently co-authoring a book integrating biblical values with civic life, encouraging Christians to adopt a hope-filled, faith-inspired perspective on democracy and how we are governed. I’m interested in too many things: being a good husband and father, following Jesus, the theology of governing well, a warm welcome for refugees and asylum seekers, that ‘digital’ leads to fair, inclusive and equitable transformation, exploring the world, League Two football, Pantomime, various England sports teams and Team GB…