Liseberg
Encyclopedia
Liseberg is an amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...

 located in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...

, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

, the park opened in 1923. Liseberg is one of the most visited amusement parks in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...

, attracting around 3 million visitors annually. Among the noteworthy attractions is the wooden roller coaster Balder
Balder (roller coaster)
Balder is a wooden roller coaster at the Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg, Sweden. It opened in 2003 and was an instant success. Balder has twice, 2003 and 2005, been voted Best Wooden Tracked Roller Coaster in the world in a major international - not because it is the biggest or fastest...

, voted twice (2003 and 2005) as the Best Wooden Tracked Roller Coaster in the world in a major international poll. The park itself has also been chosen as one of the top ten amusement parks in the world (2005) by Forbes Magazine.

Additional to the summer season, the park is also open during November and December, albeit with fewer rides operating, hosting a Christmas market
Christmas Market
A Christmas market, also known as Christkindlmarkt, Christkindlesmarkt, Christkindlmarket, and Weihnachtsmarkt, is a street market associated with the celebration of Christmas during the four weeks of Advent...

 with traditional Swedish cuisine such as mulled wine
Mulled wine
Mulled wine, variations of which are popular in Europe, is wine, usually red, combined with spices and typically served warm. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas and Halloween.-Glühwein:...

 and specialties such as döner kebab
Döner kebab
Doner kebab is a dish made of roasted meat cooked on a vertical spit. It is also known regionally as gyro , shawarma, and al pastor . It consists of shaved lamb, goat, chicken, turkey, beef, or mixed meats roasted on a spit. Less common alternatives include fish and sausage...

 made from reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...

 meat.

The official colors of Liseberg are pink and green as can be seen on the entrance and the older houses in the park, the colors were also adopted for the logo, which was introduced in the 80s.

History

The name Liseberg comes from the proprietor. Johan Anders Lamberg. It was named after his wife, whose maiden name was Elisabeth Söderberg and whom he called Lisa. Around 1753, he baptized the plot "Lisa's Mountain" (in Swedish: Lisas berg) which eventually became Liseberg.
1900s

In 1908, Gothenburg City bought the property including the associated buildings for 225,000 Swedish crowns.

In 1923, Gothenburg celebrated its 300-year anniversary with an exhibition. And Leisure Park and Congress Park
Congress Park
Congress Park could refer to:*Canfield Casino and Congress Park, in Saratoga Springs, New York*Congress Park, Denver, a neighborhood in Denver, Colorado*Congress Park , a train station in Brookfield, Illinois*a park in Gothenburg, Sweden...

 were built. The parks proposed for the first time its doors May 8 and among slides 996 meter-long Old mountain path were available. The park was originally intended as a temporary attraction for the ongoing exhibition, but it became such a success with over 800,000 visitors in just over a month, that it was pursued further. With an area of 1,500,000 m² the park had cost 2.6 million kronors to build.

On November 24, 1924, the Gothenburg City Council decided to purchase the Liseberg amusement park for 1 million kronors. In 1925, the amusement park was taken over by the municipal company Liseberg AB. The park's first director and one of its initiators was the legendary "carpenter from Skåne" Herman Lindholm, who managed it between the years 1923 and 1942.

On August 13, 1935, the Liseberg bath was inaugurated, created by engineer KI Schön Anderson. The functionalist-inspired building was considered to be modern in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 at the time. The pool was 15 meters wide and 36 meters long. Underwater Lights and artificial waves were other features. The plant was able to receive 800 people, and entrance with a cabin cost 50 cents. First to open the pool was the Swedish Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

 hopeful champion from 1920, Arvid Wallman. The pool was emptied for good in 1956 and the facility was displaced in 1962 for the forthcoming 40th anniversary in 1963.
Already in 1936, the number of visits exceeded 1,000,000.

Rotundan was one of the largest dancehalls when opened on January 10, 1940. Its architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...

 was Axel Jonson, and the construction lasted for one year at a cost of approximately 500,000 SEK. The dance floor held 1,200 persons. On the second floor a bar with the name Uggleklubben opened, which was seen as almost mythical to hold in the 1950s. In 1956, the facility was renovated and its name changed to the Rondo. The architect Gunnar Aspe was behind the work, which cost 1 million dollars.

In 1947, Liseberg AB opened hotel facilities; the company took charge of running Hotell Liseberg Heden. Right from the start one of the objectives of Liseberg was that it would be an opportunity for Gothenburg dwellers to experience recreation and enjoy the beautiful scenery, and in 1959 it opened the Princess Birgitta, a flower exhibition. During the opening ceremony, 15,000 roses were strewn over the park by helicopter. In 1977, Honor Place was founded, a collection of many of the world's largest celebrity
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...

 hand impressions. At the time, there were 50 imprints; today, there are more than can fit, so an annual selection is made as to who should get the honor to appear.

In the following years built it both on and to, the land was purchased and a whole lot of slides were put into service. In 1983, the Green-pink bunny, Liseberg Rabbit, became a symbol of Liseberg.

In 1991, the Liseberg Guest AB formed, which takes care of Gothenburg campsites and harbor.

In the 1990s the park was expanded by 35,000 square meters and a host of new attractions was inaugurated.

Artists and performances

Multifarious Swedish performers have performed at Liseberg since its opening. Among them, Zarah Leander
Zarah Leander
Zarah Leander was a Swedish actress and singer.Leander began her career in the late 1920s, and by the mid 1930s her success in Europe, particularly in Germany and the Scandinavian countries, led to invitations to work in the United States...

, Maurice Chevalier
Maurice Chevalier
Maurice Auguste Chevalier was a French actor, singer, entertainer and a noted Sprechgesang performer. He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including Louise, Mimi, Valentine, and Thank Heaven for Little Girls and for his films including The Love Parade and The Big Pond...

, Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In the Berlin of the 1920s, she acted on the stage and in silent films...

, Evert Taube
Evert Taube
Evert Axel Taube was a Swedish author, artist, composer and singer. He is best known for his folk songs, and is widely regarded as one of Sweden's most respected musicians.-Biography:...

, ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...

, Lasse Dahlquist, Birgit Nilsson
Birgit Nilsson
right|thumb|Nilsson in 1948.Birgit Nilsson was a celebrated Swedish dramatic soprano who specialized in operatic and symphonic works...

, Pernilla Wahlgren
Pernilla Wahlgren
Pernilla Nina Elisabeth Wahlgren is a Swedish singer, actress and presenter. In 2004, she received the Ulla Billquist award.-Family:...

 and Carola Häggkvist. Sten-Åke Cederhök played in 25 years' own perceptions of the “Week Revy”.
Other artists like Sonya Heden Bratt, Hagge Geigert and Laila Westersund might be included among the artists who appeared countless times at Liseberg. Håkan Hellström also performed there a few times. Olof Palme
Olof Palme
Sven Olof Joachim Palme was a Swedish politician. A long-time protegé of Prime Minister Tage Erlander, Palme led the Swedish Social Democratic Party from 1969 to his assassination, and was a two-term Prime Minister of Sweden, heading a Privy Council Government from 1969 to 1976 and a cabinet...

 gave a speech on the main stage during his last election in 1985.
Since 1997, the magician and comedian Carl-Einar Häckner, together with Swedish and foreign guest artists and a variety orchestra, have had a main stage variety during most of July each season. The bench lines are often full with people at the performances at 6 and 9 o’clock.

Foreign artists who have performed at Liseberg include Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...

, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...

, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...

, Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....

, Nightwish
Nightwish
Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. Formed in 1996 by songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former vocalist Tarja Turunen, Nightwish's current line-up has five members, although Tarja has been replaced by Anette Olzon and the...

, Delta Rhythm Boys, The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English-American psychedelic rock band that formed in London in October 1966. Comprising eponymous singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969, in which...

, Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....

, The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...

, The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...

, The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...

, PJ Proby, Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...

 with The Mothers Of Invention
The Mothers of Invention
The Mothers of Invention were an American band active from 1964 to 1969, and again from 1970 to 1975.They mainly performed works by, and were the original recording group of, US composer and guitarist Frank Zappa , although other members have had the occasional writing credit...

, Bill Haley & His Comets
Bill Haley & His Comets
Bill Haley & His Comets was an American rock and roll band that was founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band, also known by the names Bill Haley and The Comets and Bill Haley's Comets , was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of...

, Procul Harum and Toto
Toto (band)
Toto is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1977. The group currently consists of Joseph Williams , David Paich , Steve Porcaro , Steve Lukather , Mike Porcaro , and Simon Phillips . Toto is known for a musical style that combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, hard...

, among others.

Rides and attractions

Almost every year a new ride opens. In 2005 Liseberg opened a new rollercoaster called "Kanonen" (The cannon). Well-known attractions are Flumeride
Log flume (attraction)
Log flumes originally referred to a special construct used to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain to a sawmill by using flowing water. Today, however, the term is also used to refer to an amusement ride consisting of a water flume and artificial hollow logs or boats...

, Lisebergbanan
Lisebergbanan
Lisebergbanan is a steel roller coaster at the Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg, Sweden. It opened in 1987.When Anton Schwarzkopf's company went bankrupt, Schwarzkopf worked with the Zierer company to produce several roller coasters. Lisebergbanan was the first of these rides, and it has been...

, Balder
Balder (roller coaster)
Balder is a wooden roller coaster at the Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg, Sweden. It opened in 2003 and was an instant success. Balder has twice, 2003 and 2005, been voted Best Wooden Tracked Roller Coaster in the world in a major international - not because it is the biggest or fastest...

.

Rollercoasters

Ride Year Opened Removed In Description
Balder
Balder (roller coaster)
Balder is a wooden roller coaster at the Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg, Sweden. It opened in 2003 and was an instant success. Balder has twice, 2003 and 2005, been voted Best Wooden Tracked Roller Coaster in the world in a major international - not because it is the biggest or fastest...

2003 Twice nominated Best Wooden Tracked Roller Coaster.
Rabalder 2009 A junior coaster designed for younger children.
Kanonen
Kanonen
Kanonen is a steel roller coaster located at Liseberg in Sweden. The ride, built by Intamin, features a hydraulic launch and opened in 2005. The tightly packed layout is a result of the lack of space available to build upon at Liseberg....

2005 Hyrdaulic launch coaster featuring a vertical loop and heartline roll.
Lisebergbanan
Lisebergbanan
Lisebergbanan is a steel roller coaster at the Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg, Sweden. It opened in 1987.When Anton Schwarzkopf's company went bankrupt, Schwarzkopf worked with the Zierer company to produce several roller coasters. Lisebergbanan was the first of these rides, and it has been...

1987 Steel mine train rollercoaster, can reach speeds of up to 50 mi/h.

Thrill Rides

  • Hanghai (new for 2009)
  • Höjdskräcken
  • Kanonen
    Kanonen
    Kanonen is a steel roller coaster located at Liseberg in Sweden. The ride, built by Intamin, features a hydraulic launch and opened in 2005. The tightly packed layout is a result of the lack of space available to build upon at Liseberg....

  • SpinRock
  • Uppskjutet
  • Uppswinget
  • Waltzer
  • AtmosFear
    AtmosFear (Sweden)
    AtmosFear is a drop tower located in Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg, Sweden, and is the tallest drop tower in all of Europe. AtmosFear is designed by Intamin AG manufacturing. The actual ride itself is only 300 ft-The tower:...

     (new for 2011)
  • Schnitzel

Other Rides

  • Bumper Cars
  • Fairy Tale Castle
  • Ferris Wheel
  • Fishing Boats
  • Gasten Ghost Hotel
  • House of Mirrors
  • Jukebox
  • Kiddie Boat Ride
  • Kiddie Bumpers
  • Kiddie Flight-Carousel
  • Lilla Lots
  • Little Frogs
  • Oldtimers
  • Maxxima Pandavision
  • Pony Carousel
  • Teacups
  • The Dragonboats
  • Trummeliten Carousel
  • Wave Swinger

Former rides

  • Aerovarvet (1989–2002)
  • Bergbanan (roller coaster) (1923–1987)
  • Break Dance (1987–1993)
  • Bumper Cars (1927–1987)
  • Bumper Cars (1988–1996)
  • Cinema 180 (1979–1987)
  • Cirkusexpressen (children's roller coaster) (1977–2008)
  • Crinoline (1996–2005)
  • DiscoRound (1986–1988)
  • Enterprise (1976–1982)
  • HangOver (roller coaster) (1997–2002)
  • House Upside-Down (1985–1996)
  • Hökfärden (1985–1990)
  • Kulingen (2002–2008)
  • Liseberg Tower (1990-2010)
  • LisebergsLoopen (roller coaster) (1980–1995)
  • Ormen Långe (1980–1989)
  • Rainbow (1983–2008)
  • Snabbtåget (1989–1992)
  • Super 8 (roller coaster) (1966–1979)
  • TopSpin (1993–2006)
  • Tornado (1989–2008)

Visitors

  • 1999 - 2.5 million visitors
  • 2000 - 3.1 million visitors (First year with Christmas at Liseberg)
  • 2001 - 3.0 million visitors
  • 2002 - 3.0 million visitors
  • 2003 - 3.4 million visitors
  • 2004 - 2.9 million visitors
  • 2005 - 3.2 million visitors
  • 2006 - 2.8 million visitors
  • 2007 - 3.1 million visitors
  • 2008 - 2.9 million visitors
  • 2009 - 3.6 million visitors

See also

  • Gröna Lund
    Gröna Lund
    Tivoli Gröna Lund or Grönan is an amusement park in Stockholm, Sweden. It is located on the seaward side of the Djurgården island and is relatively small compared to other amusement parks, mainly due to its central location, which limits expansion. Gröna Lund is a popular venue for concerts during...

    , Stockholm
    Stockholm
    Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

  • TusenFryd
    Tusenfryd
    Tusenfryd is an amusement park at Vinterbro, Norway. The park is located 20 kilometers south of Oslo. Two of the longest motorway corridors in Norway, E6 and E18, meet nearby Tusenfryd and the park is located on the west side near where they meet. SpeedMonster, SuperSplash, ThunderCoaster and...

    , Norway
    Norway
    Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

  • Linnanmäki
    Linnanmäki
    Linnanmäki is an amusement park in Helsinki, Finland. It was opened on May 27, 1950 and is owned by non-profit Lasten Päivän Säätiö . Linnanmäki has 44 different rides of different sizes...

    , Finland
    Finland
    Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

  • Incidents at European parks
    Incidents at European parks
    This is a summary of notable incidents that have taken place at various European amusement parks, water parks, or theme parks. This list is not intended to be a comprehensive list of every such event, but only those that have a significant impact on the parks or park operations, or are otherwise...


External links

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