Norrkoping

Norrköping is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden. The city is located by the mouth of the river Motala ström, at Bråviken, an inlet of the Baltic Sea.

The most visited museums in Norrkoping include Norrköping Museum of Art, Norrköping City Museum and the Museum of Work.

Kolmården Wildlife Park was opened in 1965 and is home to reptiles, polar and brown bears, tigers and currently has the only gorillas, bottlenosed dolphins, bush dogs, addax antelopes and Asian elephants in Sweden.

Lövstad (or Löfstad) is a château near Norrkoping, it's origins date back to the 15th century. The present building however, was erected in the 17th century and the interior has been intact since 1926, when the last owner died. Today, Lövstad is a museum open to the public with guided tours.

Ekenäs Castle is located outside Linköping in Östergötland. The present castle dates back to the 17th century, which was built on top of the foundations of a medieval fortress from the 14th century.

Getåravinen is around 10km away and ideal for nature lovers, it features geological formations, forest, many species of flowers, lakes and streams.

The Cactus Park is a display of over 25,000 cacti in Karl Johans Park, close to the railway station.

Fjällmossen Nature Reserve lies in the countryside a few miles to the east of Hörby and is known for it's abundance of birdlife, especially larks, cranes, curlews, lapwings and grouse.

Golf, fishing, kayaking, boat trips and horse riding are all available.

Lindo bath is a shallow sandy beach surrounded by flat lawns. It is ideal for sunbathing and childrens' games. A few hundred metres away is Perch's hostel with dining and jogging track.

Badholmarna is a seaside resort in Arkösund (55km away), with a small sandy beach, and toilets, shop and restaurants within walking distance.

Retail therapy can be found at Domino, Linden and Spiralen (the city's three large shopping centres), many small stores and designer shops within the centre and Ingelsta Handelscentrum, one of the largest commercial shopping districts in Sweden.

A wide range of dining options can be found here including Japanese, Thai, Greek, Italian and Spanish as well as local dishes such as reindeer, Arctic char (fish) and 'flankstek' (steak).

Cruise ships dock at Norrkoping port, which is within walking distance of town.

A good way of seeing Norrkoping is by yellow tram, obtain tickets in advance at supermarkets and kiosks as the fare onboard is much higher.