Norrköping is industrial. It's a city built around industry and that still shows, the river runs through the center and was clearly for canal transport, factory buildings still dot the skyline. Even so, many places are closed for weekend so it can, in certain areas, feel quite lifeless.

Norrköping is trying in a way many other Swedish cities don't. Its a deprived city with a high unemployment running through its history.

Johannisborgs slottsruin

The castle was originally started in 1614. There is not much left standing, a single gateway tower on a hill, with a wide open field around it. Set in an industrial park about fifteen minutes walk from the train station it is worth a look, but it is not the attraction that it implies when googled.

Värmekyrkan

An events venue on the river, the Värmekyrkan is a popular spot and interesting building.

Holmentornet

The building was the home of Holmen paper for a very long time, built in 1705. This use ended almost fourty years ago. The building itself remains in good condition, and is a city wide landmark.

Louis de Geer konsert & kongress

A large concert hall, with a strikingly modern appearance on the riverbank.

Hörsalen

Norrköping's prior home for the symphony, its not used more by younger musician. Its in a fairly central location with a square out front offering some artistic statues.

Kungsgårdsgymnasiet

An impressive school near to the art museum.

Norrköpings stadsbibliotek

Facing the Kungsgårdsgymnasiet, the city library is a strong impressive brutalist structure.

Rådhuset

Right by the bend in the river the city hall's spire can be seen from all around the city.

Hedvigs kyrka

Inaugurated in 1673, it is known as the German Church, a small but attractive building sharing a square with the City Hall.

Sankt Olai kyrka

A large church with separate clock-tower in the centre of town.

Norrköpings stadsmuseum

The city museum is on the bank of the river, just before the Museum of Work.

The temp exhibition was closed for refurbishment. The first floor has a lot of shop examples with info on how they were once used. Glove makers, chimney sweeps. Coopers, bakers can all be seen with their tools and explanations, such as why the benches for coopers have a curve.

On the top floor there are small examples of pre-history of the region as well as some machinery from Norrköpings past.

Arbetets museum

Likely the largest museum in Norrköping, it consists of seven floors with an espresso house as its cafe. Only four of the floors have exhibitions, the others have different purposes.

The top floor houses a photography exhibition. Focused on the Swedish coal miners. It outlines that part of the reason for a major strike in Swedish coal mining was the book published documenting the conditions and the photographs displayed in this museum. Stark black and white, with powerful contrast.

The sixth-floor houses VY restaurant.

On the fifth floor is the "Dare to love Norrköping" exhibit. Once called Sweden's Manchester, it was more prescient than it knew. Originally Swedens primary textile city, the opening of a new channel allowed new larger ships to call into Norrköping and increased its industry, There was already airport and train link, and it had access to Kolmarden, one of Europe's largest zoos. Much like Manchester, the increasing contest from the east drove down pricing and in the 1970s the last textile factory closed, with little to replace it, Norrköping became known as one of Sweden's more deprived areas. In fact, in 1971 only Orebro has higher social security costs than Norrköping. In a further blow to the industry of the town in the 1990s, Ericsson's ceased work in Norrköping. Rebranding itself as "The big little city" and a centre for culture, Norrköping attempts to bring tourists in to counter its decline, but still, low education levels and major health issues remain. Now, it has fewer industrial workers than nearby Linköping but still seems more of an industrial city in its heart.

The fifth floor also has the "Hey Robot" Exhibit on the growth of in-home robotics. Interesting, but feels quite focused on children.

The fourth floor is the museums's office space.

The third is the EEK museum. A Swedish political illustrator. It gives a good insight into the challenge of context. It is tough as a foreigner to follow the satire of those you don't know.

The second floor has the entrance, shop and espresso house.

and the basement, below water level has the "Sound of changes" What did washing once sound like. how about Sewing. Toilets etc. A chance for younger generations to hear what their parents and grandparents grew up knowing.

Visualiseringscenter Centre

The Visualisation Centre is a a modern museum based around 3D modelling and a cinema. The fourth floor offers "Decode the code" Featuring interactive examples of computer graphics. For example using gestures to change a tentacle length on a large screen.

On the third floor you can experience VR and information overlays. Outlining how tech lets us see things better, whether that is arial views or x-ray scanning.

Norrköpings Konstmuseum

The Norrköping Art Museum is surprisingly large. In the basement, there are several rooms, primarily charcoal and oils, but in the rearmost room, there is a series of mixed media items, a series of vibrant acrylics by Maria Friberg.

The ground floor has Stefan Teleman's work, done as print on textile. Millennial pink background walls with the print being closeups of body parts. The room then opens out to a huge space of his work, coloured in vibrant strokes and giving a strong early 80s pop-funk style.

Also on the ground floor, in a single empty room, Katrina Anderson's work is peaceful and light. Featuring ultra pastel square shapes. The room is lit with a sharp white light like a Mediterranean day.

The top floor's two rooms are the permanent collection, Room 2 is Modern with a Swedish focus. Its an interesting collection with a reasonable amount of sculpture. Some very big works dominating certain walls. Room 1 has the traditional paintings from the last few hundred years, It is fine but somewhat bland, reflecting many other collections.

Carl Johans park

A good sized city park right by the train station, you'll often find a number of children there on their bikes doing basic tricks.

Kaktusplanteringen

Covered for the winter, the Cactus Plant is a staple of Norrköping.

Skulpturparken

Set around the back of the Art Museum, the Sculpture park has a small handful of sculptures to review. Worth walking around the pathway when visiting the museum, but more an additional exhibit than a location of its own.

VY

An excellent restaurant in the Museum of Work, it is extremely vegetarian friendly as the lunch of the day was remade for me as a vegetarian option. Upmarket and relaxed, its a good location for a good lunch.

Pappa Grappa

A large Italian restaurant, the garlic bread was served as a stick tower and the pizza was extra thin and crispy. Like many Swedish restaurants, service was good until it was time to pay and then it was hard to find a server.