CityBuddy
Slottsskogen
Best time to visit
Late spring through early autumn, when the outdoor zoo animals are most active and the botanical gardens are in full bloom. Weekday mornings are blissfully quiet, with only joggers and dog walkers around.
Budget tips
Entry to the park and its animal enclosures is completely free, no ticket needed. Pack a picnic from the nearby Vasastan grocery stores instead of the pricey café kiosks inside.
Recommended for
Families with kids, Nature lovers, Joggers and runners, Budget travelers
Plan your visit
2-4 hours
About
Quick facts: The park spans 137 hectares and is home to over 200 animals in its free-entry zoo, including seals, penguins, and Nordic wildlife. Every summer, its main lawn hosts the Way Out West festival, drawing over 30,000 music fans across three days.
Highlights: At dawn you can spot elk and wild boar roaming the wooded hillsides inside the city limits, a surreal sight just 10 minutes from central Gothenburg. The park's 17th-century oak trees, some over 400 years old, still stand with trunks so wide three people can't hug them.
Insider tips
- Bring binoculars: the bird hide near the pond offers close views of herons and kingfishers without disturbing them.
- Skip the main entrance on weekends and enter from the Olivedalsgatan side for instant peace and parking.
- Climb the hill behind the seal enclosure for a panoramic photo spot overlooking the city skyline.
- Visit the penguin feeding at 2 PM daily: keepers share facts and the birds put on a show.
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