Guided tours at Bohus Fortress
During a group tour at Bohus Fortress, you can hear exciting stories about power struggles, intrigues, feuds, and destinies that have unfolded between nations and families.
Kings and Queens, knights and noblemen, prisoners, witches, soldiers, and maids have lived and passed through the mighty Bohus.
We offer group tours for those who want to be inspired by and learn about an important and exciting part of Nordic history.
“The country at the mouth of the Göta River – the old Nordic borderland – is the valley of dead cities and fortresses. Of all the cities and fortresses built here before Gustav Adolf’s Gothenburg, today only Bohus Castle serves as a reminder of bygone times. In majestic grandeur, the ruins of Bohus – a Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish fortress – rise above the mouth of the Göta River.”. C Weibull
Historical Guided Tour
Our guide, dressed in medieval attire, will meet you at the main gate just outside the courtyard and take you on a historical journey lasting an hour. During the tour, you will learn more about:
- Why Bohus Fortress was the most important place in the Nordics
- Which notable figures have stayed here
- How the prisoners were kept
Price
- Weekdays (Monday-Friday) base price: 1500 SEK.
- Evenings and weekends base price: 2500 SEK.
In addition, the regular entrance fee per person applies: 120 SEK/adult, 60 SEK/child (3-17 years). Children 0-2 years free.
You can book a tour even when Bohus Fortress is closed. We will open for your group for an additional opening cost of 1000 SEK.
30 people are included.
One guide can accommodate up to 30 people. If your group is larger, you will need two (or more) guides. An additional cost of 2500 SEK applies for each additional guide.
Changes
Any changes to the booking (e.g., changes in the number of visitors) must be made no later than seven days before the scheduled tour.
Clothing and shoes
You can book a tour even when Bohus Fortress is closed. We will open for your group for an additional opening cost of 1000 SEK.
Adventure Educational Guiding
News at Bohus Fortress!
Welcome to our specially tailored tours for school classes F-3, 4-6, and 7-9. Experience a part of the historical life at the Fortress.
The tours are developed using adventure education and are interactive, actively involving students in their learning at Bohus Fortress. Please review the content material for the specific grade level.
We have the capacity to conduct one class tour in the morning and one in the afternoon. The tour starts and ends at the main gate and lasts 60 – 90 minutes. Start times can be adjusted to your needs between 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM on weekdays.
The price for a class tour is 3000 SEK excluding VAT (for a maximum of 30 students plus educators).
It is possible to seek support from the Västra Götaland region (organizer support) for your trip and visit. There are two different supports available: travel support and subsidy for entrance fees/guide fees.
Regarding travel support, it is possible to receive reimbursement for the bus cost except for 1000 SEK, which the school/municipality must cover themselves. The municipal coordinator decides if support can be paid out, so always make contact in advance! On this page, you can find contact information for municipal coordinators: https://kulturkatalogenvast.org/om- katalogen/kommunala-samordnare
Booking and further contact are made via email to sabine@bohusfastning.com
The Squire at Bohus
Upon arrival at the Fortress, a brief general introduction about the fortress is given, tailored to this age group. For example, how old it is and what it was used for. Test: Can you run up the entrance?
This tour focuses on equipment. Where was combat gear stored, and how was it used? Through a playful tour, we explore storage and usage. Students practice finding items, understanding their use, aiming, and calculating. This tour develops pattern recognition and understanding of connections using historical methods. As with all adventure education, cooperation is a key element.
We will regroup the students into three smaller groups of squires, each with different tasks.
Conclusion
We return to the Well and conclude with questions and a final game.
Booking and further contact are made via email to sabine@bohusfastning.com
This tour is about how soldiers lived here at the Fortress. It highlights history and allows students to see some of the items that were available centuries before our time. In this setup, students will navigate around the entire fortress and get an overview of everything that has happened here.
In “The Soldier at Bohus,” students are called in as soldiers and we will move around the entire fortress in a soldier’s formation, with the Guide leading and one of the class’s educators as the last “officer.” We will visit 5 predetermined locations where the guide will share exciting stories, and the soldiers will document their mission on their maps. As a conclusion, each soldier will receive their pay (chocolate coins) in a festive ceremony on our stage.
Booking and further contact are made via email to sabine@bohusfastning.com
The Battles at Bohus
This tour focuses on how history has unfolded in terms of power and conflict. The tour is tailored to the students’ understanding of their own participation and value in society, but with historical measures and stories.
Upon arrival, a brief overview of the Fortress’s age and purpose is given. The difficulty of entering the fortress and its well-thought-out architecture are also discussed.
1. Power
Story = The Importance of Kings
The tale of the royal sons Birger, Erik, and Valdemar.
Action = Tug-of-war, knowledge, and physical strength.
2. Ownership of Bagehus / Bohus
Story = The Nordic Seven Years’ War of 1566
Action = “Capture the Flag” at the Red Tower/lower platform
3. The Cannons
We head to Skarpe Nord where we discuss the cannons and their function.
We play the game “Halta gänget” as we move to Fars Hatt.
4. Farshatt model
Students can ask questions and get a comprehensive overview of the fortress.
5. Roskilde 1658
Story = Sweden’s development in the south and now east
Action = “Capture the Flag” with a distribution of 80% yellow against 20% red.
Conclusion (at the well)
Story = The Power of Knowledge
Action = Whispering game around the Well versus reading a sentence in a Book.
Booking and further contact are made via email to sabine@bohusfastning.com
Classic School Tour
During a school tour at Bohus Fortress, children and youth can learn about 700 years of Nordic history in an easily understandable way. Through the tour, we highlight that peace between our neighboring countries has not always been a given.
Bohus Fortress is one of the most besieged places in the Nordics, and it is important that we do not forget our less peaceful history. The fortress’s changing appearance and function over the centuries is also an excellent example to illustrate the passage of time in a concrete and educational way.
During a school tour at Bohus Fortress, the class will also learn about pivotal events, important personalities, intriguing trivia, and much more.
We collaborate with Bohusläns guider and Folkuniversitetet.
Prices and Recommendations
- Guided Tour: 2600 SEK excluding VAT (for a maximum of 30 people).
- Entrance Fee: Primary School Student 50 SEK.
- Duration: Approximately 1 hour.
- Recommendation: Suitable for preschool and up, with the possibility of grade-level adjustments.
During our regular opening hours, you are welcome to stay with your class. Feel free to bring your own packed lunch. Please note that Bohus Fortress is a ruin that is mostly outdoors, and the ground is both rocky and uneven. Therefore, wear clothing and shoes suitable for this environment (see Accessability).
If we do not have ongoing restoration works, we open the fortress for booked groups outside regular opening hours. The cost for this is 1000 SEK in addition to entrance and guide fees.
Please make a booking inquiry via the form, email, or phone.
