Gothenburg: America Terminal and Arendal

Two cruise terminals in the port

Gothenburg is in Sweden. America Terminal is at berth 36 on the same side of the river as the city centre, near Masthugget, Majorna and Stigbergetstorget. Arendal Terminal is at berth 751 farther west in the outer harbour on Hisingen. In 2025, the port operator reported that America would remain open and Arendal would be accessible through the 2027 season. In addition to the cruise terminals America and Arendal, the cruise-capable quays Skandia and Älvsborg are also available.

The Göta älv and the city centre

The Great Harbour Canal along the central stretch of the Göta älv dates back to an initial excavation in the 1620s. For more than four centuries, the port has shaped Gothenburg’s connection with trade and shipping. Its history includes voyages by the Swedish East India Company, the transition to steamships and the historic quays. The 18th-century East India House is now home to the Museum of Gothenburg. Its exhibitions cover prehistory, life in the 19th century and the development of the modern industrial city. Gustaf Adolfs torg is on Stora Hamnkanalen, near Nordstan and Brunnsparken.

The museum also houses the Äskekärr ship, a Viking Age merchant vessel of the knarr type. It was found in clay in the Göta älv north of Gothenburg and archaeologically investigated in 1933. The find is about 16 metres long, and its carrying capacity is estimated at up to 20 tonnes. The ship could be sailed and rowed. Its hull is made of overlapping oak planks; wool and, probably, conifer resin were used for caulking. Runes appear on the planks and at the base of the mast. The find is featured in the City Museum’s Vikingr exhibition.

Transport hub and northern shipyard districts

North of the river, Lindholmen, Sannegårdshamnen and Eriksberg lie between Hisingsbron and Älvsborgsbron. The neighbourhoods were once shipbuilding centres; around 1890, the Lindholmen shipyard was Gothenburg’s largest employer.

East of the city centre, Gothenburg Central Station, Centralhuset and the Nils Ericson Terminal bus station form a neighbouring transport complex; the bus station is directly beside the main railway station. Göteborg Landvetter Airport is southeast of the city.