Things to do in Norrköping – 11 attractions and experiences

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated September 2026 | We have visited Norrköping several times, but there is one thing that makes us want to come back: the old Industrial Landscape where the Motala Stream flows between the factories in the middle of the city. Add trams, thousands of years old rock carvings and 25,000 cacti – Norrköping is much stranger and more fun than you might first think.

Norrköping – the industrial city that surprises

Norrköping is one of Sweden's most distinctive cities, with the old Industrial Landscape and Motala Stream right in the center. There are also museums, parks, trams and thousands of years old rock carvings, while Kolmården and the archipelago await a bit outside the city.

1. Experience the Industrial Landscape and Motala Stream

The industrial landscape is for us the most special thing about Norrköping. In the middle of the city, the old factory buildings rise close to the Motala stream, with bridges, alleys and water rushing between the houses. It is powerful, beautiful and at the same time a bit raw.

What fascinated us the most was actually the water. It is everywhere. It roars under the bridges, rushes past the old factories and makes the whole area feel alive. We have walked here on several visits and it is still the first place we would show someone who has never been to Norrköping before.

Behind the environment is also a large part of the city's history. The river's hydroelectric power has been used since the Middle Ages, and during the 19th century, Norrköping grew into one of Sweden's most important industrial cities. Most of the factory buildings that remain today were built between 1850 and 1920. When the textile industry later disappeared, the choice was made to preserve the area instead of demolishing it.

Today, the old factories have been given new life with museums, universities, restaurants and Visualization Center C. But don't start by running in. Walk across the bridges, follow the water and look up at the buildings.

Our experience: Do you only have a few hours in Norrköping? Start here. The industrial landscape is not just an attraction – it is the place where we think Norrköping gets its own personality.

2. See the rock carvings at Himmelstalund

Amidst homes, roads and sports fields in Norrköping are images that people carved into the rock thousands of years ago. At Himmelstalund there are over 1,700 rock carvings, including ships, people, animals, weapons and bowl pits.

We've been here before and the strangest thing is almost the contrast. This is not a remote ancient site out in the wilderness – the Bronze Age is in the middle of the modern city. Once you start to discover the figures in the rock, it's easy to stop and try to understand what the people who created them really wanted to say.

Norrköping is also unusually rich in rock carvings. In several places around Motala ström there are thousands of carvings, making the area one of Sweden's most important rock carving areas.

Our advice: Take your time and look for the details instead of just passing by. When we return to Norrköping, we will take a closer look at the carvings ourselves – and see if the experience is as powerful as the story behind them.

3. Visit the museum of work in Strykjärnet

In the middle of the Industrial Landscape stands one of Norrköping's most special buildings. The iron was built on a small island in Motala ström and the shape was simply adapted to the limited space. Today the Museum of Work is located here, but the house is almost an attraction in itself.

The museum tells the story of work, everyday life and people's living conditions, often through temporary exhibitions. It also tells the story of textile worker Alva Karlsson, who worked in the building when it was still part of Norrköping's textile industry.

When we visited the museum, our own reaction was a bit unexpected. We probably thought that the Museum of Work would primarily appeal to adult visitors interested in history, but several of the exhibitions felt just as much aimed at families with children and young people.

Our experience: Feel free to go in and form your own opinion – the exhibitions change and your visit may therefore be completely different from ours. But even if you skip the museum, don't miss the Iron itself. It's one of the buildings that really gives the Industrial Landscape its character.

4. Experience Visualization Center C

Visualization Center C is located in the middle of the Industrial Landscape and is a completely different world from the old factories outside. It is about visualization, research, space, technology and interactive experiences where you can try and discover for yourself.

When we were here, Peter got stuck in front of something considerably less high-tech. On an old wooden TV, the same type that was found in Swedish living rooms in the 1960s, images from the first moon landing in 1969 were shown. Suddenly it was almost like a little time travel – the technology of the future on one side and the images that an entire world was glued to more than half a century ago on the other.

One of the great experiences at the center is the dome, where films and visualizations are shown all around the audience. The exhibits change over time, so there may be new things to discover even if you've been here before.

Peter's experience: Sometimes it's not the biggest or most advanced attraction that you remember best. I walked into a visualization center filled with modern technology – and got stuck in front of an old TV.

5. See 25,000 cacti in Carl Johans Park

Cacti may not be the first thing you associate with Norrköping, but every summer around 25,000 of them appear in a large planting in the middle of Carl Johans Park. Every year a new motif is created of cacti and other succulents – an unusual tradition that has existed since 1926.

We like these kinds of attractions. You don't need a ticket, no tour, and not much time. You walk through the park, suddenly discover a small sea of cacti, and wonder why anyone even had the idea in the first place.

Carl Johans Park is centrally located, near the Travel Center, and is also home to flower gardens and the classic statue of Karl XIV Johan. But for us, it's the cacti that make the place worth a stop.

FREEDOM tips: Feel free to look closely – but don't for close. After all, 25,000 cacti have a pretty convincing way of saying ”don’t step on the plantation.”.

6. Stroll in the Knäppingsborg neighborhood

Knäppingsborg is a small historic neighborhood in the middle of Norrköping, with older buildings, cobblestone courtyards and small alleys. Today, it is home to restaurants, cafés and shops, and it is a nice contrast to the much more imposing industrial environments around Motala ström.

Above all, we think that Knäppingsborg is a good place to take a break from the hustle and bustle for a while. Walk in from Drottninggatan, look around the buildings and take the opportunity to have a coffee, lunch or dinner. It is not a place where you need to plan several hours – rather a neighborhood you discover while moving through the city center.

Our tip: Come here hungry. Old houses and cobblestones are nice, but strangely enough they become even nicer with something good on the table.

7. Take the tram through Norrköping

The yellow trams are part of Norrköping's cityscape and a much more fun way to get around town than just hopping on a regular bus. The trams have been running in Norrköping since the beginning of the 20th century and are today one of the city's most distinctive features.

For a visitor, the trip itself also becomes a bit of sightseeing. You get to see the city from a different perspective, pass through different neighborhoods and can combine the tour with several of the sights in this guide.

We have seen and photographed the trams during our previous visits, but next time we plan to do it properly and jump aboard ourselves.

To be continued: After our next tram ride in Norrköping, we'll report back on which route we think is best – and whether Peter and Helena actually managed to get off at the same stop.

8. Stroll along Åbackarna

Åbackarna is a green walking trail along the Motala stream, just outside central Norrköping. Here the walkway follows the water through a much calmer environment than the Industrial Landscape, with greenery, birdlife and several places where you can stop along the way.

The walk is about three kilometers long and along the route there are rhododendrons, older villa environments and additional rock carvings. It is therefore a good idea to combine Åbackarna with a visit to Himmelstalund.

We have been to the area before, but on our next visit we plan to walk a good bit of Åbackarna to determine if the walk really belongs among our best experiences in Norrköping.

To be continued: We'll come back after the walk with what we thought – and whether Åbackarna still remains number 8 in this guide.

9. Discover Löfstad Castle

A little outside Norrköping lies Löfstad Castle, one of the excursion destinations that we think is worth leaving the city center for. The castle dates back to the 17th century and is surrounded by a large English park where you can walk even if you don't take a guided tour inside the castle.

What is special about Löfstad is that much of the environment has been preserved as it was when the last private owner, Emilie Piper, lived here. Furniture, art and personal items remain, making the castle feel more like a home you have stepped into than a collection of empty historical rooms.

We have visited Löfstad Castle ourselves and think that the combination of the castle, the history and the park makes it a nice excursion from Norrköping. Don't just expect to photograph the facade and move on - if you have the opportunity, it is above all the interior and the stories about the people who lived here that make the visit interesting.

Our tip: Check the times for the guided tours before you go. The castle interiors are normally shown in conjunction with a guided tour, while the castle park can be experienced more freely.

10. experience the Arkösund archipelago

From industrial city to archipelago, the step is short in Norrköping. At Arkösund, the mainland meets Östergötland's archipelago with cliffs, boating, swimming and islands that continue far out towards the Baltic Sea.

We have a very special memory from here. Together with friends who live in Norrköping, we celebrated an entire midsummer in the Arkösund archipelago. The weather was brilliant, the boats filled the harbours and it was bustling with people – but at the same time just as lovely and summery as the Swedish archipelago can be when it shows itself from its best side.

Arkösund is suitable both for a day trip from Norrköping and as a starting point for getting further out among the islands. The area is most lively in the summer, but expect significantly more people during Midsummer and other popular weekends.

Our experience: If you want to have Arkösund to yourself, you probably shouldn't choose Midsummer. However, if you want to experience boating, people and the Swedish archipelago at full speed - then we know it works.

11. Visit Kolmården Zoo

Kolmården Zoo is located outside Norrköping and is a destination that can easily fill a whole day – or more. It has animals from many parts of the world, large natural areas and the Safari Line where you travel above the animals in a cable car.

Peter has visited Kolmården on several occasions with his sons. On one of the visits we went here with Peter's son Billie, did the safari and also chose to stay and spend the night at Kolmården. It made the visit much more relaxed than trying to do everything and then driving back the same evening.

Kolmården is primarily a destination for those who want to do something together with children or grandchildren, but the area is so large that even adults can easily spend a whole day here. For us, it is also important to see Kolmården as an excursion from Norrköping, not like another attraction squeezed in between two museums in the city center.

Peter's experience: Don't try to do Kolmården in an afternoon. I've been here several times and would rather give the park a whole day – and if you have the opportunity, an overnight stay can make the visit much more relaxing.

READ MORE: Söderköping - 9 tips for things to see and do

Planning more trips? Don't miss our guides to  Örebro and Nyköping

Want to extend your trip? Combine with a weekend in Mariefred and Trosa

Where to stay in Norrköping?

Norrköping is a relatively compact city and if you live centrally you can walk to many of the sights. For a first visit we would especially choose accommodation near the city center or the Industrial Landscape, so that Motala ström, the museums, restaurants and city life are within walking distance.

The city center and the industrial landscape best suited if you want to be close to everything. Here you can start the day among the old factories and rapids and walk further towards shopping, restaurants and Knäppingsborg.

Kneipp and the area around Åbackarna better suited if you want to stay a little quieter and be closer to greenery and walks along Motala ström. You will be further from some central attractions, but still relatively close to the city.

Kolmården is a completely different option. If the zoo is the main goal of the trip, it may be smarter to spend the night there than in Norrköping. We have done it ourselves and appreciated being able to give Kolmården plenty of time instead of ending the day with additional transportation.

Our advice: If you are primarily going to discover Norrköping, we would choose the city center. If you are primarily going to visit Kolmården – stay there and let it be a separate part of the trip.

Norrköping with a campervan

Norrköping is a good place to visit by motorhome, not least because many of the sights are relatively close together. We have previously come here by motorhome and parked during the day, but until now we have never stayed overnight with the motorhome in the city.

We intend to change that. On our next visit, we will stay one night and test how Norrköping really works for those arriving by motorhome. Above all, we want to know how easy it is to find a good spot, how far it is to the city center, what services are available and – perhaps most importantly – how it actually feels to be there when the evening comes.

There are camping options in the area around Himmelstalund, and there are also other options for motorhomes in and around Norrköping. However, we would like to wait until we have actually tried one ourselves to recommend it.

To be continued: In two weeks we will park the camper in Norrköping, stay overnight and report back with price, service, location, walking distance, the peace and quiet of the night – or lack of peace – and whether we would choose the same place again.

More city guides nearby

Are you planning more trips nearby? Here you will find more guides to cities we have visited, with tips on things to see and do:

• Things to do in Nyköping
• Things to do in Örebro
• Things to do in Mariefred
• Things to do in Trosa
• Things to do in Strängnäs
• Things to do in Linköping

FaQ - frequently asked questions about Norrköping

Is the Industrial Landscape in Norrköping worth a visit even if you don't like museums?
Yes, absolutely. For us, the Industrial Landscape itself is bigger than the museums. What we were most drawn to were the old factory buildings, the bridges and above all the Motala stream that roars and rushes through the area. If you are short on time, we would rather walk around outdoors than try to run through several museums.

Can you see the rock carvings in Himmelstalund without a guide?
Yes, the rock carvings are outdoors and can be visited on your own. We have seen them before, but on our next visit we actually plan to return and see how easy they are to find and interpret for someone visiting for the first time. It is one thing to read that there are lots of carvings – it is quite another to stand on the rock and try to discover them for yourself.

Is it worth taking the tram in Norrköping just for the experience?
We're going to find out! We've seen the yellow trams many times but never made the tram ride part of our visit to Norrköping. On our next visit, we'll hop on board, take a ride through the city and come back with which tour we think is best for a visitor.

Can you experience Norrköping with a camper van and stay overnight near the city center?
We have previously visited Norrköping with a camper van but only parked for the day. On our next visit we will spend the night with the camper van for the first time and test one of the options for real. We will then complete the guide with where we parked, how much it cost, what services were available, how far it was to the city centre and – most importantly for us – whether we would actually want to park there again.

Is Arkösund cozy during midsummer or is it too crowded?
We celebrated a whole midsummer in the Arkösund archipelago together with friends from Norrköping. It was packed with people and boats, but we had fantastic weather and at the same time thought it was very cozy. If you want peace and quiet and empty docks, we would choose a different weekend. If you want to experience the Swedish archipelago with boating and a midsummer atmosphere at full speed, however, it may be just right.

READ MORE: Things to do in Östergötland - sights and experiences