Viking, Four-masted barque hotel in Lilla Bommen, Gothenburg, Sweden

The Viking is a four-masted steel barque moored at the quayside near Lilla Bommen in central Gothenburg. The ship is fully intact, with its masts, rigging, and interior spaces accessible to visitors.

Built in 1906 by Burmeister & Wain in Copenhagen as a sail training ship for the Danish merchant fleet, Viking was launched on 1 December 1906 and christened by Crown Princess Alexandrine. In 1928 the Åland shipowner Gustaf Erikson bought her for £6,500, and she sailed under the Finnish flag until 1950, when the Swedish government saved her from scrapping and moored her in Gothenburg. Since 2 June 1951 she has lain at quay 208 at Lilla Bommen.

The Viking is permanently moored in Gothenburg and now operates as a hotel and restaurant ship that welcomes guests on board. Walking through its narrow corridors and old sleeping quarters gives a direct sense of what daily life at sea once looked like.

The ship is moored directly at the quay near Lilla Bommen and is easy to reach on foot from the city center. Stairs and passageways on board are steep and narrow, so sturdy footwear is a good idea.

Although the ship is now used mainly as a hotel, guests sleep in cabins that are barely larger than the original sailors' bunks. These tight spaces give a more direct sense of life at sea than any display could.