Scandy Trip 2023 - PART 4
A look back at my scandy adventure, crossing Sweden and into Denmark, through vast forests and countryside, exploring Theme Parks, Sightseeing and mastering the Train Network!
Liseberg Park in Gothenburg
It was a leisurely start to Day 4, with the park not opening until 1pm, on account of operations running into the evening sunset at 10pm. The hotel offered a peaceful night’s sleep despite its central location next to a bustling restaurant, which was reassuring.
It was about a 20 minute walk from the centre to the 100 year-old Amusement Park (indeed, part of the inspiration for this whole trip came from the park celebrating the milestone this year!). A popular stay for thrillseekers is Gothia Towers opposite, with 3 huge glass towers joined by a bridge, designed to give great views into the park - an expensive option, but maybe next time!
The anticipation was building, and then the exuberant crowd thronged in. It is a very well-kept park with lots of green areas, landscaping and gardens, as well as classic Swedish architecture lining the main paths of cafes, restaurants and gift shops.
The main attraction is Helix, a multi-inversion vibrantly green rollercoaster with launches and moments of ejector airtime flung towards Gothenburg’s main motorway, built against the hillside along multiple levels.
From entrance level, it takes 2 escalators just to reach the initial queue line, and then you are taken on a distorted, undulating line through what resembles a research facility.
The restraints are the more modern-day “clamshell” design, allowing the shoulders and upper body to fly free! It is a mad ride hurtling through the terrain, with 7 inversions in total (including a great “inverted top hat” feature), and an airtime hill which in the front row especially is literally floating on air and a surreal but amazing feeling! A definite top 5 ride!
There are classic rides such as Lisebergbanan, built in 1987, which is a runaway train style ride also utilising the hillside and a very popular ride for the whole family, a wooden coaster with stacks of airtime and lots of fun moments, a log flume ride that runs along the top of the park and gives spectacular views, a rapids ride where you get more than reasonably soaked, and a scare attraction I inadvertently ended up on after going through the wrong entrance! Doubly bonkers in another language!
Another ride of note was Valkyria, a dive coaster not dissimilar to Oblivion at Alton Towers, but with extra loops after the drop. I was on the ride with seemingly its biggest fan, and recounted quite fondly how Oblivion was the prototype back in the UK that made his experience possible, and that that version went deeper underground. He smiled and thought that was really cool!
There is a great balance of rides at Liseberg, with plenty of re-rideable attractions and an emphasis of quality over quantity. The customer service was also faultless, as I had found with meeting Swedish people generally through the trip. Here’s to the next 100 years!
Comments