The older generation in Gothenburg remember with great nostalgia when cargo ships were moored in the very heart of Gothenburg. Coffee, tea and bananas were unloaded by throngs of dock workers with a tantalising fusion of aromas filling the air. Hundreds of cranes swung back and forth between quayside and hold with their crates, bales, bundles, barrels and logs. Workers calling out to each other; swathed in steam and with sparks flying in every direction.
Nowadays the majority of ships are loaded and unloaded in the outer areas of the port – close to the estuary on the Hisingen side of the river – making the port a less visible part of the city. But the fact is that it is bigger than ever. More cargo passes through the Port of Gothenburg than all the other ports in Sweden combined and it handles a significant proportion of Scandinavian imports and exports. The world's largest freight vessels dock there and the port area is as large as the whole of the district of Majorna.
During the summer, the people of Gothenburg and anyone else who may be interested have the opportunity to experience the port at close quarters. The Port of Gothenburg and the Maritime Museum Aquarium offer guided tours around the port. The tours are linked to the new and highly popular exhibition at the Maritime Museum, 'City Along the Water'.
