landmark
Liseberg
Gothenburg's beloved amusement park and Scandinavia's largest, known for thrilling rides and festive seasonal events.
30 km · about 35 min drive
EuropeSwedenHalland
Onsala
Halland, Sweden · Europe
About Onsala
Onsala is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Västra Hagen, 58km from Carlsten Fortress, Marstrand.
Onsala is in Halland, Sweden, with about 12,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Västra Hagen, about 6 km away.
Onsala (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈʊ̂nːˌsɑːla] ) is a locality situated in Kungsbacka Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 11,951 inhabitants in 2010. It is also a 14 km long peninsula on the west coast of Sweden, facing Kattegat, 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of Gothenburg. It dates back to the age of the vikingsRead more
and was originally an area devoted to the god Odin, the name being a corruption of the old norse Odin's Sala. In English "The Halls of Odin"
The population is around 12-14,000 with a densely inhabited east coast, mainly consisting of single-family homes. The biggest village is Gottskär, in older days a fishing village, and which today has a few restaurants and a leisure boat harbour. Lars Gathenhielm was born in the old parish of Onsala. He was a Swedish privateer commissioned by the king to raid Danish ships. His wife, Ingela, took over his business as a privateer as a widow. They are interred in a basement crypt beneath the smaller tower of the church. Their white sarcophagi have carved "jolly rogers" at the foot end.
Onsala is also home to the Onsala Space Observatory, the Swedish national radio observatory.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Onsala?
Within an hour or so of Onsala: Liseberg (30 km), Gothenburg Museum of Art (30 km), Gothenburg (32 km), Vinga Lighthouse (34 km).
Are there any good drives near Onsala?
The nearest famous roads are Smögen.
Where is Onsala?
Onsala is in Halland, Sweden, about 6 km from Västra Hagen.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 12,275
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Sweden
- Region
- Halland
- Timezone
- Europe/Stockholm
- Coordinates
- 57.4253, 12.0290
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Sweden
Dipped headlights required at all times. Watch for wildlife (moose/deer) on rural roads.
Full driving guide for SwedenTags
Worth the detour from Onsala
6 notable places within an hour's drive.
museum
Gothenburg Museum of Art
A Nordic art powerhouse atop Götaplatsen, rich in Scandinavian masters and Skagen painters.
30 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Gothenburg
Sweden's second city and culinary capital, known for its charming canals, Liseberg amusement park, and the Haga district's wooden houses.
32 km · about 35 min drive
landmark
Vinga Lighthouse
The windswept island lighthouse off Gothenburg, longtime home of poet Evert Taube and a classic summer boat trip.
34 km · about 40 min drive
landmark
Grimeton Radio Station
UNESCO-listed 1920s longwave transmitter near Varberg with six 127-metre steel towers and its working Alexanderson alternator.
41 km · about 50 min drive
castle
Carlsten Fortress, Marstrand
A 17th-century stone fortress crowning a sailing island, reached by ferry from the scenic Bohuslän coast road.
58 km · about 65 min drive
When to drive here
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
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