Paddan

Address: Kungsportsbron (Kungsportsplatsen)
- between Turistbyrån and Stora Teatern.

If you do not have time to travel by boat out to the island Vinga or take a trip to Marstrand. Why not then go on a tour in the small flat boats that departs from the middle of town. You will get yourself a trip in the canals around Gothenburg and you also have to duck under the flat bridge "chesse slicer" when you travel out to Göta Älv.


The small boats are moored by the quay and are waiting for you. On the boat a guide will follow and try to tell the whole story about Gothenburg
apart from Swedish also in English and German.

Every boat takes approx 90 people and it´s the company Börjesson who takes care about the boats.

History
June 15, 1939 the first trip with Paddan departed with paid passengers. At this time it departed from the east side of Kungsportsbron, where the station at this time were located.

The boat operated on petrol and could only take 12 people. At this time passengers could also hop on along the way. During the war the petrol became very expensive and people didn´t afford to go with the boats. It was time to event something else - the first gas driven boat arrived year 1941.

Time passed and year 1942 Paddan got hold of the first big boat that could take over 80 persons. After this year Paddan nearly increased with new boats every year. Today there is only one boat left since the 40´s.

Fun tip: At first no one believed in this idea, to go by boat around Gothenburg. It was the newspaper seller Lars Andersson at Kungsportsbron that first came up with the idea with small boats in the canal. Sorry to say he didn´t get any attention for his idea and finally it became Gundel Matsson who operated a travel agency in town, who realized the idea. Certainly it later became a big success for the city, today the small flat boats is a distinguishing feature for Gothenburg.

Source: Göteborgsguiden
sv.wikipedia.org