Norrköping in southeastern Sweden combines a rich industrial past with natural beauty and is renowned as one of Sweden’s best outdoor sports destinations.

Often described as the Manchester of Sweden, Norrköping, like its British equivalent was home to a thriving paper and textile industry, while Norrköping green marble was used in the building of the Rockefeller Centre in New York. Today this heritage is evident in the preserved industrial buildings flanking the Motala River.

Modern Norrköping is a thriving arts and cultural centre with a vibrant foodie scene that reflects the local produce in the county of Östergötland.

Popular for outdoor activities, Kolmården forest features mountain bike and hiking trails and you can go kayaking along the coast or boating along the canal making the city the perfect base to explore Östergötland in your Avis rental vehicle.

You’ll find our friendly Avis team on hand at our Norrköping City office ready to offer advice and provide the perfect rental car for your trip. The office is located at a spacious site in Linnégatan 29, a quick 4min drive or 20min walk from Norrköping Central Station. There is a regular direct train service to the city from Sweden’s capital Stockholm making Avis Norrköping the perfect base to begin exploring Östergötland.

You can explore Norrköping through the ages at various heritage sites in the city. Head to Löfstad Castle for its architecture and also interior design. You can visit the Arbetets Museum (Museum of Work) and the former Wool Factory (Yllefabriken) is worth a visit as it’s home to a major art gallery featuring 500 works of art and sculpture.

Close by, another former factory houses the Norrköping City Museum covering its history going back to the Viking era. Tour the old town (Gamla Stan), drop into a farmer’s market and spot curios in the vintage boutiques or do some people watching in one of the many outdoor café terraces.

Norrköping is a great base for exploring southeastern Sweden by hire car.

Linköping

Just 40min south west of Norrköping along the E4 highway, Linköping, the capital of the region, is worth a visit. This lovely city is home to a medieval cathedral and castle and you can easily spend a day touring its museums and historic buildings.

Östgöta archipelago

The peninsular to the southeast of Norrköping, the Östgöta archipelago makes for the perfect road trip. Head out along Route 209 for the village of Arkösund a lively summer destination. Canoeing and hiking is popular around the archipelago of St Anna while nearby peaceful Gryt is a draw for camping and picnicing.

Kolmården Zoological Park

Just a 30min - 28km (13 miles) – drive east of Norrköping, Kolmården Wildlife Park is the the largest zoological park in Scandinavia with more than 60 species. The forest around the area is also a popular destination for hiking and other outdoor sports.

Mariefred

Around 1hr45min, or 160km north of Norrköping via Highway E4, Mariefred is one of the jewels in Södermanland and a popular summer getaway from Stockholm. Set by a lake and with the fairytale Gripsholm Castle at its heart, Mariefred is picture perfect.

While public transport is available and there are even ferries around the archpelago, with Norrköping as your base, driving around Östergötland is the perfect way to experience the life, culture and scenic beauty of this beautiful part of Sweden.

If you are feeling inspired, our experts have compiled some great scenic Swedish road trips.

Hiring a car is a popular and easy way to explore the region around Norrköping. The road network is good and highways are generally fairly empty. If you have not driven in this part of the world before be aware that as in the rest of mainland Europe, you’ll be driving on the right-hand side of the road. We’d advise familiarising yourself with the road rules for driving in Sweden before you travel.

Parking is plentiful in Norrköping with options ranging from hotel parking to public outdoor, covered and indoor parking. Some of Norrköping’s car parks have CCTV and some are open 24/7.