A Visitor's Guide to Norrköping

Spinning mills, cotton factories and a variety of other industries were established along the rapids of Motala Ström in the 17th century and onwards. It was water power from the river and the good harbour that made very rapid industrial growth possible. Especially the textile industry boomed, which is why Norrköping has acquired the nickname “Sweden’s Manchester”. The last thumping from the looms was heard in the mid 1970’s, and these days none of the impressive factory buildings are used the way they were intended. The city has put a lot of resources into preserving this area with beautiful walkways along the water and several interesting museums. The old buildings also house a number of great restaurants and cafes.

You can easily spend half a day or more immersing yourself in this historic landscape. It has it all! The self-guided walk is only four kilometres, but there is so much to see. Allow yourself plenty of time for stops to enjoy delicious Swedish food, visit the museums and take in the views. You'll find more details about the different cafes, restaurants and bars under Eating & Drinking. You can of course walk any direction you like, make the loop shorter or longer, and pick and choose what sounds interesting!

This clock tower from 1750 is the entrance to the Industrial Landscape. It serves as a symbol for the site where Holmen Works operated since the early 17th century. The original function was to clearly separate the works from the rest of the city, as well as house archives and offices.

A munitions factory was built here in 1609 which was the start of Holmen Works. Over the next decades Louis De Geer, Sweden's "father of industrialism" expanded the company into an empire of flour mills, ironworks, paperworks and a brass foundry. All the old buildings burnt down in 1719 when the Russians torched the whole city during war-time, but the prominent Holmen Tower was reconstructed along with many factories.

Next to Holmen Tower by the river you'll find the site of industry magnate Louis De Geer's paperworks. The present building is quite new, from 1952, but most of the interior of the previous paper factory has been preserved throughout the new structure. It's now one of Sweden's most beautiful concert and conference halls.

Restaurant "Kråkholmen" serves a lunch buffet with fantastic views of of the waterfall and rapids below. See Eating & Drinking for details.

If you go to the riverside of the concert hall, you'll find a staircase down to a walking bridge that'll take you right by the famous waterfalls.

Walk along the waterfront next to the huge terracotta coloured brick building on your left. The house was built by Holmen Works and used as a cotton mill in the 1850s. It became the largest and most impressive industrial building in all of Norrköping. Five stories high with gas lighting and elevators, it was the epitome of modernity at the time! In 1998 it was converted into a university building.

When you reach the little walking bridge you'll see the old steam plant with its chimneys straight ahead. It was built between 1927–1930 and is a good example of 1920s neoclassical architecture with yellow facades and high narrow windows. The building used to house three coal-fuelled boilers that provided Holmen's textile and paper factories with heat and steam. It was no doubt a very tough work environment! These days the "Heat Church", if you translate it from Swedish, is an arena for entertainment and conferences.

Cross the walking bridge to the "Ironing Board". So named because of the adjacent seven-cornered building that looks like an iron. Holmen’s Museum is located on the ground floor with displays of manual paper manufacturing. This is the same site where the first paper makers toiled in the 17th century. The present building used to house a textile mill and was surrounded by flour mills, a smith’s hammer, a weapons factory. Salmon and eels were caught in large quantities in the river.

There is an italian restaurant "Enoteket" in the Ironing Board building with great views of the waterfall.

Next to the Ironing Board you'll aptly find "the Iron". This very unusual building with seven corners was constructed to use every inch of the small islet in the river. The Iron used to be a cotton factory and is by far the most famous building in the Norrköping. These days you'll find the Museum of Work here, with exhibitions about the life of the workers. You can for example follow textile worker Alva Carlsson, who spent 35 years working in the Cotton Factory in this very building.

Restaurant "VY" up top has the best view of the city and is a perfect stop for a lunch break. See 'Eating & Drinking' for details.

Walk across the little bridge "Laxholmsbron" to get back to the mainland. From the bridge can peer at the chimney by artist Jan Svenungsson. Its placement is quite unique in the middle of the river. Svenungason has spent many years building chimneys as art installations across the world. He has made nine to date, and the one here in Norrköping is his fifth.

Take a right after the bridge and continue walking down "Kvarnsgatan", and hang another right on "Kungsgatan" until you reach the Visualization Centre. Three old factory buildings have been transformed into a super modern centre for digital science. Admission to exhibitions is free, you can for example go on a journey into the world of scientific imagery. See how visualization makes the invisible visible in a number of different areas from medicine, statistics and astronomy to special effects in film and computer games. There is a 3D dome for shows in 360°. English language track is provided upon request.

In front of the centre is you'll see the surrounding locks and rapids and find a walkway to the bridge "Bergsbron". There is a little observation deck on the bridge with a beautiful view of the "Iron" building and the river. If you're opting for a shorter loop you can cross the bridge to the other side. We're going to continue on the southern side for a little while longer though, so head back the way you came and turn right on "Norra Grytsgatan"

On your right handside right along the river you'll find a powerful bronze statue of the beloved Swedish author Moa Martinson. She was active in the first half of the 19th century and portrayed conditions of the working class, especially the hard life of working class women. The statue is placed right in the quarter where her mother used to toil in the textile factories.

The backdrop is a beautiful view of a still part of the river and the majestic factory buildings on the other side mirrored in the water. Continue around the little bend of "Korsgatan" and take a right in between the brick buildings to the wooded pathway and the bridge "Dragsbron".

There is a flurry of water activity around the narrow "Dragsbron" with many locks. The name "drags" originates from centuries ago when boats would be hauled, or "dragged", over a neck of land between two streams, right next to the waterfalls. The buildings date from the late 1800s, however wool cloth has been produced here for more than 300 years.

Once you cross the bridge a fantastic riverside walk awaits back down the river. Follow the pathway as it curls along the river until you reach the bridge "Bergsbron".

Take a little break when you reach the plaza where "Bredgatan", "Kungsgatan" and the bridge "Bergsbron" meet. There is a lovely little park next to the river. The park has has an air of the olden days with red wooden houses, traditional perennials and cast-iron details. It's a great place to enjoy the afternoon sun on one of the many benches.

Stroll through the Love Park and follow the path along the river to reach the best museum for learning more about the history of Norrköping's impressive industrial history. The building, located right on the waterway, was once a textile and dyeing mill and has a very interesting interior with many twists and turns. Admission is free. There are many different exhibitions throughout the year. One of the most popular ones is the reconstruction of the old artisan shops—milliner, shoemaker, barber etc, as well as working industrial looms which can sometimes be seen in action. The Museum also houses a gift shop that sells cloth with patterns from times long gone.

Walk Holmsbrogränd from the museum to "Västgötegatan", close to where the streets intersect you'll find the fantastic restaurant and brewery "Knäppingen". It's located in a 200 year old classic "Gathus"—a long house for living quarters that often stretches a whole block, with a courtyard and rear houses inside the street facade. Wealthier people lived in the street house and poorer people lived in the rear house.

Knäppingen is a casual fun place that brews their own beer and serve meat-forward delicious dishes. Highly recommended! See Eating & Drinking for details.

Continue east on "Västgötegatan", which by the way is the only street in Norrköping that retains the same route as in Medeaval days. You will pass a very traditional Swedish pastry shop called "Mjölnaren". It closes in late afternoon. See Eating & Drinking for details. Further along the street, on the left hand side you can observe Ståhlbom's Mill. It was built in 1925 with an ingenious system of conveyors and gullies.

As you're walking down "Västgötegatan", you'll eventually cross the bridge "Järnbron". On the other side of the bridge you'll find the rather large park that stretches along the river. It was built in 1922 from rocks that were extracted from the river during construction of a power station. At the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century a bath house was located here. These days you can find a stream with a fish ladder at the far end of the park, allowing migrating salmon to bypass dams and power stations. Follow the loop around the park until you reach "Knäppingsborgsgatan".

This is one of the most charming places in Norrköping and the perfect place to end your walking tour through the industrial landscape. The Knäppingsborg Quarters date from the the 18th century and has a long history of flour and snuff manufacturing. Nowadays it's an idyllic and busy district with fantastic restaurants and cozy cafes, often with outdoor seating in the courtyard. There are also genuine artisan shops with locally produced delicacies and crafts. There are entrances to the quarter from "Knäppingsborgsgatan", "Gamla Rådstugegatan" and "Skolgatan".

Not far from the Knäppingsborg Quarters on the old square you'll find a highly recommended restaurant and bar with long traditions of Swedish cuisine at its best. Lagerqvist offer a renowned house-made schnapps made from a 19th century recipe. See Eating & Drinking for details.

The famous Cactus Display in Norrköping changes annually and is located in Karl Johans Park, in the very heart of the city. There has been a cactus display here since the year 1900. Around 25 000 cactus plants are laid out in June of each year, creating a colourful and stimulating sight that is always unique, as the design is never the same from year to year.

Norrköping Art Museum (Norrköpings Konstmuseum) has one of Sweden’s foremost collections of paintings and sculptures. The main focus is Swedish modernism. The museum also has a graphics collection that is one of the largest in the country.

Swedish cuisine is fantastic. Clean simple flavours, food made from scratch with seasonal and local ingredients. Lots of fish, shrimp and pork, root vegetables, lemon, butter and fresh herbs like dill & parsley. All kinds of freshly baked rustic breads, often from rye, spelt or wholewheat. These days restaurants often serve beer from microbreweries from the region, mainly Lagers, but also darker beers and IPAs.

There are lots of restaurants in Norrköping with food from all over the world—the following recommendations focus on Swedish cuisine, high quality food and outdoor seating. Service in Sweden can sometimes be a lil lacklustre compared to many other countries. Keep this in mind and enjoy the yummy food instead. In many places you'll order your food at the counter, only higher end restaurants usually offer table service.

Fancy dinner attire is usually not a big deal in Norrköping, you can dine in casual clothes also in higher end restaurants.

A fantastic casual restaurant with their own brewery. Knäppingen focuses on all the right things, simple super delicious food made from the best ingredients and great beers.

Great restaurant and bar serving up delicious Swedish cuisine. Menu changes often using seasonal ingredients. Open for lunch and dinner. Also has a "back pocket", a simpler bistro in the old vault.

Highly recommended restaurant in a historic building with exquisite Swedish cuisine, many very classic fine dining Swedish dishes made to perfection. Serves house-made Schnapps stored in oak barrels from an 1800s recipe. In the summertime Lagerqvist opens its charming courtyard Trädgår'n (“the Garden”) serving some Swedish fair but also bbq and grill. Sometimes live music.

Inviting, warm and casual pub with a large variety of beer, whiskey and wine with pub food and swedish classics.

High-end restaurant with focus on top quality organic local meat. Terass open in the summertime. Also has an cocktail lounge "orangerie" with a glass ceiling, lots of greenery and live music or DJs.

Butlers is a great bistro that's been around for more than 30 years. It's located close to the Industrial Landscape. and serves up timeless Swedish classic dishes with seasonal and local ingredients.

Many restaurants serve Today's Lunch or "Dagens". It's usually a great deal–a reasonably priced hot meal that will be served quickly. It's often what we call "Husmanskost", which very freely translated means "how your grandma used to make it". Homey tasty food without too many frills. Another popular lunch option is an open-faced sandwich–home-baked bread topped with delicious combinations. Most places that serve "fika" (see below) will also have cold sandwiches.

Restaurant VY ("view") does indeed have the best view of the city. Located in the famous building "the Iron" along with the Museum of Work in the heart of the industrial landscape, this is a perfect place to take a break. Great lunch buffet, and often live music at night.

This is a charming casual bakery and brasserie in the heart of the Knäppingsborg quarter. Their freshly stone-oven baked sourdough bread is to die for, and the aromas filling the place are amazing. They have a couple of hearty lunch options each day, often Swedish home-style classics, along with salads, soups and sandwiches You can stop here in the afternoon for cinnamon rolls and coffee, or come later to the brasserie for bistro style dishes and a glass of wine.

Located in the Louis de Geer concert hall, huge windows with a great view of the waterfalls and the river. Serves up simple lunch dishes buffet style including salad bar, freshly baked bread, beverage, coffee & pastry.

One of few spots in these recommendations located in the shopping area of Norrköping. Modern casual restaurant with house-made pasta. Good for a quick bite.

"Fika" is dear to many a Swedish heart. It means enjoying some coffee or tea and a pastry, but it's so much more. It's a way to socialise with your friends, somewhat akin to the pub culture in the UK or having an Espresso in Italy. It's often cozy old-style establishments and they serve an array of delectable pastries made in-house by accomplished bakers and pastry chefs. Try cinnamon rolls, puff pastry creations or a luscious piece of marzipan-covered cake.

Cozy traditional café, bakery and pastry shop in the Industrial Landscape. Perfect place to try Swedish pastries like cinnamon rolls, danishes or the classic marzipan covered "Princess cake". Also serves breakfast and lunch.

Freshly baked pastries and bread for cold sandwiches, salads. Charming location in Knäppingsborg with outdoor seating.

Incredibly cozy cafe with an old-style interior. Serves home-baked delicious cakes, cinnamon rolls and cookies, as well as simple lunch dishes like quiches, filled baked potato or cold sandwiches. Located close to the shopping district.

Modern yet very charming busy cafe in central Norrköping. Serves home-baked pastries as well as warm lunches and salad buffet.

A little further up the river than “Dragsbron” (5 mins walk) in the Industrial Landscape, you’ll find the picturesque outdoor museum Färgargården. You can go on a dramatised tour with people in period costume. It’s the only dye house museum in Sweden and demonstrates everyday lives of a family of dyers in the 1800s. There is great cafe in one of the old buildings with seating indoors, on the terass or in the garden.